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This Synopsis is being published in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 36.601-1for the requirement entitled Seismic Related Technical Issues, is being competed on a full and open bas... This Synopsis is being published in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 36.601-1for the requirement entitled Seismic Related Technical Issues, is being competed on a full and open basis. The Product Service Code (PSC) is C219 Other Architect and Engineering Services and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is 541330, Engineering Services. This procurement is not set-aside for small business concerns. This procurement is for architect and engineer (A&E) services and the selection of the most qualified firm will be conducted in accordance with the Selection of Architects and Engineers statute as implemented in FAR Subpart 36.6 and HSAR Subchapter 3036.6. Responsible A&E firms, also referred to as Offerors, meeting the requirements described in this announcement are invited to submit a Standard Form (SF) 330, Architect-Engineer Qualifications, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for consideration. FEMA intends to issue a 12-month base and four (4) 12-month option Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) task order contract to support the investigation of seismic related technical issues through a series of task orders as they are identified by FEMA. This contract is being managed by FEMA’s Earthquake and Wind Programs Branch and they may also include wind-related technical work within this contract as well. FEMA intends to award to the most qualified, responsible Offeror who offers fair and reasonable cost/pricing. The IDIQ award will include a 12-month base period and four 12-month option periods to be exercised at the sole discretion of the Government. The maximum estimated value of these services is $24,900,000.00, divided approximately equally over five (5) years. Issuing Office: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Office of Chief Procurement Officer 500 C. Street, SW, 3rd Floor Washington, DC 20472 Place of Performance: Work will be performed Nation-Wide (including US Territories). Work may be performed at FEMA HQ, any of FEMA’s ten (10) Regional offices, and other designated disaster locations. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires technical support services that will provide FEMA seismic and related multi-hazard technical assistance as they are identified by FEMA. Required support includes architectural and engineering (A&E) Subject Matter Expert technical assistance, development of technical design and construction guidance products, support disseminating the A&E products, and related outreach efforts. These voluntary resource guidance products present criteria for the design, construction, upgrade, and function of buildings subject to earthquake ground motions to minimize the hazard to life for all buildings, increase the expected performance of higher occupancy structures, and improve the capability of essential facilities to function during and after earthquakes anywhere in the United States. They ultimately serve as the basis for future changes to the nation’s building codes and consensus standards, and to improve the nation’s resiliency in reducing future earthquake losses. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has the goal of reducing the everincreasing cost that disasters inflict on our country. Preventing losses before they happen by designing and building a community’s structures to withstand anticipated forces from these hazards is one of the key components of mitigation. Mitigation is the only truly effective way of reducing the cost of these disasters and advance the whole of community concept. As part of its responsibilities mandated under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP), and in accordance with the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (PL 94-125 as amended), FEMA is charged with supporting mitigation activities necessary to improve technical quality in the field of earthquake engineering. The primary method of addressing this charge has been supporting the investigation of seismic and seismic-related multi-hazard technical issues as they are identified by FEMA, problemfocused study of seismic technical issues as they are identified by research and/or postdisaster field studies, the development and publication of technical design and construction guidance products, the dissemination of these products, and the support of various related training and/or outreach efforts based on these products. Because NEHRP is Congressionally authorized and mandated to be a national program, the development of NEHRP technical design guidance products must be done in a manner that will be acceptable to and utilized by the nation’s engineering and design communities as well as the nation’s model building code and consensus standards organizations. This will require contracting with a nationally recognized engineering development organization that is intimately familiar with seismic research, design and construction, training and outreach, as well as the NEHRP, its history, FEMA’s responsibilities, and the issues it must address. FEMA has had considerable success in attracting some of the best earthquake engineers and scientists to assist in the development of these FEMA resource products. Because of this, our products have been widely used by practicing design professionals and building officials, and the techniques and technologies contained in these products are being incorporated into national model building codes and consensus and industry standards. The fact that the International Building Code (IBC) and the nationally recognized standards, American Society of Civil Engineers/Structural Engineering Institute (ASCE/SEI) 7 Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and other Structures, and ASCE/SEI 41 Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings have all revised their seismic requirements to incorporate material from our resource products is one of the premier successes of the NEHRP and FEMA. One example of these types of products is the NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures, which presents the minimum criteria for the design and construction of buildings considered prudent and economically justifiable for the protection of life safety in buildings subject to earthquakes anywhere in the United States. This publication serves as the basis for the seismic provisions of the International Building Code and the International Residential Code. A second example is a current project to develop input for the current update cycle of ASCE/SEI 41, Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings. This project, referred to as ATC-140, provides extensive input on a series of technical issues that need to be updated within ASCE/SEI 41. Another example of the development of a primary product is the Performance Based Seismic Design (PBSD) Guidelines Project and the seven volume FEMA series, Seismic Performance Assessment of Buildings (FEMA P-58). PBSD is one of the more promising methodologies that can be used to reduce damages from an earthquake or other similar hazard over and above the current life safety target of the nation’s current building codes. Current building codes for the design of new buildings are prescriptive in nature and are intended principally to provide for a life-safety level of protection when the design-level event such as an earthquake occurs. While current codes are intended to produce buildings that meet a lifesafety performance level for a specified level of ground shaking, they do not provide a procedure that enables the designer to determine if other higher performance levels will be achieved or exceeded. During a design level earthquake, a code-designed building could achieve the goal of preventing the loss of life or life-threatening injury to the occupants but could still sustain extensive structural and nonstructural damage and be out of service for an extended period. In some cases, the damage may be too costly to repair, with demolition being the only option. PBSD is a concept that permits the design of buildings with a realistic and reliable understanding of the risk of life, occupancy and economic loss that may occur in future earthquakes. PBSD is based on an evaluation of a building’s design to determine the probability of experiencing different types of losses, considering the range of potential earthquake events that may affect the facility. With the completion of the FEMA P-58 series, the current STGDS contract has been utilized to provide additional guidance and training on the use of PBSD guidelines. FEMA also has similar responsibilities under the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP) for wind-related technical guidance development tasks including design and construction guidance for complying with existing wind codes and standards, guidance for tornado or hurricane storm shelters and guidance for best available refuge. Accordingly, the Contractor shall provide resources with wind engineering expertise who can provide these technical services. Place of Performance: Work will be performed nationwide including US Territories. Work may be performed at FEMA HQ, any of FEMA’s ten (10) Regional offices, and other designated disaster locations. Scope of Services: 1. Support for Subject Matter Experts 2. Technical Monitoring of New and Existing Seismic Building Codes and Related Training 3. Performance Based Seismic Design Guidelines Support 4. Improving the Nation’s Lifelines to Achieve Seismic Resilience 5. Guide for Repair of Earthquake Damaged Buildings to Achieve Future Resilience 6. Technical Assistance, Training and Product Development 7. Update Seismic Retrofit Design Guidance 8. Improving Seismic Design of New Buildings. Cost Range and Limitations: The total maximum amount will be $24,900,000.00. The guaranteed minimum amount of work is $10,000.00 (these amounts are inclusive of all option periods). The guaranteed minimum is expected to be satisfied through the placement of Task Order 1. Contract Type: The IDIQ contract will permit the issuance of Firm Fixed Price (FFP) task orders. Period of Performance: The period of performance for the IDIQ contract will consist of a twelve month base period and four one-year option periods to be exercised at the sole discretion of the Government. Submission of Vendor Questions All questions pertaining to this synopsis are due no later than March 10, 2023, at 3:00PM ET. All questions and communications regarding this solicitation must be received via email to the Procuring Contracting Officer, Randall Christner at Randall.Christner@Fema.dhs.gov and the Contract Specialist, Janelle LaMaster at Janelle.Lamaster@Fema.dhs.gov. Please ensure to copy both on any email. No phone calls will be accepted. The Government will post all questions and answers on SAM.gov. The Government reserves the right to answer any late questions. Submission of Phase 1 SF-330s and other Qualification Data Phase1 submissions are due by March 27, 2023, at 11:00AM ET. All submissions in response to this synopsis must be submitted via email to the Contracting Officer, Randall Christner at Randall.Christner@fema.dhs.gov, the Contract Specialist, Janelle LaMaster at Janelle.Lamaster@fema.dhs.gov, and Carolyn Horne at carolyn.horne@associates.fema.dhs.gov. Please ensure to copy all three on any emails. Electronic files shall not exceed 10MB or they will be rejected by the FEMA server. As necessary, files shall be submitted in parts in order to stay within the 10MB limit. Failure to follow the instructions as noted herein could result in the untimely receipt by the Government of an Offeror’s submission. Untimely receipt of any required submission shall preclude that submission from being considered. In other words, untimely submissions will not be reviewed or otherwise evaluated by the Government. It is the Offeror’s duty to ensure it complies with instructions as noted herein, to include being timely. Instructions for SF-330 Submission: Offerors shall submit the following in order to be considered for award: ? Written Standard Form (SF) 330 Part I – Contract-Specific Qualifications ? Written Standard Form (SF) 330 Part II – General Qualifications The SF-330 and supporting information must include the Offeror’s company name, and Unique Entity Identification (UEID). Phase 1 SF-330 Instructions: The Government will evaluate, and rank Offerors based on the merit of their SF-330s and other qualifications submitted in response to the five (5) selection criteria listed in FAR 36.602-1, which offerors are required to address under Section H of the SF-330. The SF-330 can be found at https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library/architect-engineer-qualifications. In addition to the specific instructions on the SF-330, Offerors shall adhere to the following requirements for the SF-330 submission: SF-330 Part I Section F. Example Projects Which Best Illustrate Proposed Team's Qualifications for this Contract: The Offeror shall provide up to six (6) example projects which must have started within the past five (5) years from the synopsis release date. The example projects must be comparable to the Seismic requirement under this announcement. Greater consideration will be given to projects that are more relevant. Example projects may include illustrations the proposed team's qualifications may be supplemented with project photographs, sketches, drawings, and additional information. Example projects must have been performed by the following team members: (1) Prime Offeror, (2) JV members and/or (3) proposed subcontractors and key personnel that have submitted a signed letter of commitment that will have substantial involvement in the Seismic requirement. Experience of parent companies, subsidiaries, and affiliates will not be considered. Each project example must clearly identify the Offeror or team member’s personnel who applied direct effort on the example project, the relative portion of the example project performed by the Offeror or team member, the description of the relevant example project task(s), and the results or deliverables produced. Offerors may include design sketches, design drawings or design data for the projects. The page limit for this section of the SF-330 shall not exceed 10 single-sided pages. The legal entity name and UEI number shall be provided for the Prime Offeror, JV Members, and proposed subcontractors. A cover page and table of contents may be included for up to two (2) additional pages. Due to the numerous potential scenarios involving JVs, subcontractors, etc., each Offeror is placed on notice that if the Government cannot readily determine which proposed team member performed the work and in what capacity, that Offeror faces the possibility that no consideration will be given for that example project. The Past Performance Questionnaire, provided as an Attachment A shall be sent to each Project Point of Contact (POC) listed in SF-330 Section F for completion and will be used to evaluate Past Performance. To be considered, the questionnaire must be submitted directly from the project’s POC to Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist set forth in Section 5 of this synopsis via email by the due date and time for responses to the synopsis. Any questionnaire submitted to the Government by the Offeror rather than the client will not be considered. Offerors shall include the Project Owner’s email address in Section F. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure the Project Owner for each example project is available to discuss their project in a reasonable time frame. Part I Section G. Key Personnel Participation in Example Projects: Offerors shall indicate Key Personnel who participated in the example projects under Section F if they will be performing a similar role in the Seismic contract. Part I Section H. Additional Information: The Government will evaluate responses regarding the five (5) selection criteria which are required under FAR 36.602-1(a). All pages submitted in addition to the SF-330 shall be 8.5 by 11 inch and shall use no smaller than a standard 11-point font type, with the exception of charts, graphs, or tables, which shall use a pitch not smaller than 10-point font. Each page shall have not less than one-inch margins on each side of the page. All other material such as brochures or samples of work, attachments, or extra pages will not be considered. The Government will conduct discussions with at least three (3) firms considered most highly qualified to perform the required work. The Contracting Officer will notify the Offerors of the date and time they are scheduled for discussions which may be conducted in person, by elephone, via virtual conference, or in writing. In the event an Offeror is selected to participate in discussions, the Offeror’s program and project manager and other key project personnel proposed by the firm shall participate and shall provide an oral presentation of their qualifications and experience, proposed project approach and other data relevant to qualifications and experience. The oral presentation is limited to the qualifications and other relevant information included in the Offeror’s SF-330 and other qualification data submitted in Phase 1. During the oral presentation Offerors shall effectively articulate and communicate their qualifications and their responses to the evaluation factors stated in this synopsis. All Offerors will be afforded the same amount of time for discussions. The amount of time allotted for discussions will be provided by the Contracting Officer with the invitation to participate. Phase 2: Instructions Following completion of Phase 1, the Contracting Officer will issue a solicitation and commence negotiations in accordance with FAR Part 15, beginning with the most preferred firm as determined by the SSA. The solicitation will require a detailed breakdown of all direct and indirect costs and fee in accordance with FAR Table 15-2 Instructions for Submitting Cost/Price Proposals When Certified Cost or Pricing Data Are Required and must contain all applicable Disclosure Statements and other supplemental information which clearly indicates how the total proposed cost/price is derived. Because certified cost and pricing data will be required, the offeror must also submit information which will allow the CO to determine the Offeror’s Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) compliance. Phase 2 negotiations will be conducted in accordance with FAR Part 15.404 and 15.405 beginning with the most highly-ranked firm. Following issuance of the solicitation to the highest-ranked firm, the Government will conduct cost and price analysis to determine reasonableness of the contractor’s proposed direct labor and overhead rates, General & Administrative charges, Fee, ODCs, and any other relevant cost elements. Because selection of firms is based upon qualifications, the extent of any subcontracting is an important negotiation topic. Subcontracting will also be limited to firms agreed upon during negotiations. A Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) and OCI Mitigation Plan shall also be provided as applicable. The Offeror shall submit sufficient evidence of responsibility for the Contracting Officer to make an affirmative determination of responsibility pursuant to the requirements of FAR Subsection 9.104-1. If a mutually satisfactory contract cannot be negotiated, the contracting officer will obtain a written final proposal revision from the firm and notify the firm that negotiations have been terminated. The contracting officer will then initiate negotiations with the next firm on the final selection list. This procedure will be continued until a mutually satisfactory contract has been negotiated. If negotiations fail with all selected firms, the contracting officer shall refer the matter to the selection authority who, after consulting with the contracting officer as to why a contract cannot be negotiated, may direct the evaluation board to recommend additional firms in accordance with FAR 36.602. Evaluation of SF330s a. Basis for Selection FEMA intends to issue a single award IDIQ contract to the most qualified responsible Offeror whose pricing is deemed fair and reasonable, using the competitive procedures of FAR Part 36. The Government will evaluate each SF-330 and other qualification data against the evaluation factors stated in the synopsis to develop a ranking of the three (3) most qualified Offerors using the criteria in FAR 36.602-1. The methodology of FAR 36.6 will be used to rank most qualified Offerors based on: (1) the technical merit of their SF-330 and other qualification data submitted in response to the synopsis based on the evaluation factors, (2) an assessment of their past performance, and (3) the discussions held with at least the three highest ranked Offerors. The Government will assess and rank the SF-330s and other qualification data based on how well the Offerors addresses the five (5) selection criteria listed in FAR 36.602-1, which are listed below in descending order of importance: (1) Professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services. (2) Specialized experience and technical competence providing nationally recognized subject matter experts, investigating seismic and seismic-related technical issues, identifying and utilizing academic research results to address advanced seismic and seismic-related technical issues, and development of seismic and seismic-related multihazard technical design and construction resource guidance documents and corresponding training outreach. (3) Capacity to accomplish the work in the required time. (4) Past performance on contracts with Government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules. (5) Location in the general geographical area of the project and knowledge of the locality of the project. Based on the selection criteria, the Government will evaluate its confidence in the Offeror’s ability to successfully perform the work, and will numerically rank, in order of preference, at least three (3) firms that are considered to be the most highly qualified to perform the required services. The following confidence ratings apply: High Confidence The Government has a high level of confidence that the Offeror understands the requirement. Risk of unsuccessful performance is low. Moderate Confidence The Government has a moderate level of confidence that the Offeror understands the requirement. Risk of unsuccessful performance is moderate. Low Confidence The Government has a low level of confidence that the Offeror understands the requirement. Risk of unsuccessful performance is high. Neutral Only applies to Past Performance. The Government cannot assess a level of confidence due to no relevant performance record identifiable upon which to base a meaningful confidence rating. A search was unable to identify any relevant past performance information for the Offeror and proposed subcontractors. Selection Criteria All factors and criteria listed below are considered as independent of one another and will be evaluated as stand-alone elements and will not be combined or augmented. The factors are listed in descending order of importance. Factor 1: Professional Qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services The Government will assess its level of confidence that the offeror and proposed Key Personnel can successfully perform the requirements of the IDIQ contract PWS based on the professional qualifications demonstrated in the SF-330. The Government will also evaluate the relevant knowledge of each offeror’s proposed Key Personnel and ability to effectively convey that knowledge, as demonstrated in discussions. Factor 2: Specialized experience and technical competence providing nationally recognized subject matter experts, investigating seismic and seismic-related technical issues, identifying and utilizing academic research results to address advanced seismic and seismic-related technical issues, and development of seismic and seismic-related multihazard technical design and construction resource guidance documents and corresponding training outreach. The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Offeror and proposed subcontractors and Key Personnel (who have signed a letter of commitment) can successfully perform the requirements of the contract PWS based on the specialized experience and technical competence demonstrated in the SF-330 and other qualification data. Consideration will be given to the relevance and merit of the six (6) example projects in the SF- 330 submissions. The example projects must be comparable to the Seismic requirement under this announcement. Greater consideration will be given to projects that are more relevant to the contract PWS requirements. Consideration will be given to any illustrations provided by the proposed team's qualifications including project photographs, sketches, drawings, and additional information. To be considered, work for the example projects must started within five (5) years of the synopsis release date and have been performed by the following team members: (1) Prime Offeror, (2) JV members and/or (3) proposed subcontractors and key personnel who have submitted a signed letter of commitment and will have substantial involvement in the Seismic requirement. Experience of parent companies, subsidiaries, and affiliates will not be considered. Each example project must clearly identify the Offeror or team member’s personnel who applied direct effort on the example project, the relative portion of the example project performed by the Offeror or team member, the description of the relevant example project task(s), and the results or deliverables produced. Due to the numerous potential scenarios involving JVs, subcontractors, etc., each Offeror is placed on notice that if the Government cannot readily determine which proposed team member performed the work and in what capacity, that Offeror faces the possibility that no consideration will be given for that example project. Consideration will also be given to the discussions conducted with each Offeror including: (1) the oral presentation of their qualifications and experience, proposed project approach and other data relevant to qualifications and experience, and (2) the Offeror’s ability to effectively articulate and communicate their qualifications during the oral presentation. The Government will evaluate each Offeror’s Technical Capability to perform all requirements outlined in the Attachment B Performance Work Statement (PWS) and sufficient and detailed related experience to successfully fulfill the Seismic Technical Design Guidelines and Support. The six (6) example projects provided in the SF-330 submission will also be evaluated with regard to demonstrated specialized experience and technical competence according to the following eight (8) criteria: Criterion #1: Demonstrated experience in the investigation of seismic technical issues as identified both in the enforcement of seismic building codes and in the investigation of post-earthquake building performance. Criterion #2: Demonstrated experience in working with academic researchers and research programs in general and the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research, in particular, in identifying and utilizing research results to address advanced seismic and seismic-related technical issues. Criterion #3: Demonstrated ability to enlist and subcontract with nationally recognized subject matter experts in the following fields: structural engineering, civil engineering, architecture, earth science, seismology, geotechnical, construction management, code development and enforcement, public policy, training, and academic research. Demonstrated experience in the development and publication of FEMA and/or/or other seismic and seismic-related multi-hazard technical design and construction resource guidance documents and related training products that address a variety of seismic and seismic-related issues. Seismic issues include, but are not be limited to: general seismic design and construction guidance (such as updated guidance on retrofitting existing buildings), seismic analysis and modeling methodologies (such as improved guidance on nonlinear time-history modeling), specific seismic design issues (such as near field effects and soil-structure interaction), guidance for seismic-related hazards (such as tsunami, landslide, liquefaction, and soil failure), and related dissemination, training and outreach activities in support of these issues. Criterion #4: Demonstrated experience in working with earthquake-related issues such as tsunami and earthquake induced ground failures such as landslide, liquefaction and slumping. This includes earthquake-induced building failures such as progressive collapse. Criterion #5: Demonstrated experience in the development of training materials and related marketing/ outreach programs that promote the use of seismic and multi-hazard technical design and construction guidance products. This includes conducting such training and outreach programs to various user groups. Criterion #6: Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of applicable statutes, regulations, requirements, grants, policies, guidance, and specifications that impact NEHRP and FEMA’s role in the program. Criterion #7: Demonstrated experience in wind-related issues such as the development of high wind resistant design and construction guidance, design and construction guidance for storm shelters and safe rooms, investigation of building performance after high wind events, and the preparation of high wind-related outreach and educational materials. Factor 3: Capacity to Accomplish the Work in the Required Time The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Offeror can successfully perform the requirements of the Attachment B PWS based on the capacity to maintain Seismic project schedule timelines while balancing mobilization and response activities for disaster support without schedule impacts as demonstrated in the SF-330 This includes demonstrated in-house experience in developing and managing multiple complex overlapping technical seismic design and construction guidance projects while accomplishing work within the required time limits without compromising quality, service, or deliverables, and must also demonstrate in-house earthquake engineering capability to ensure satisfactory product quality control. Factor 4: Past performance on contracts with Government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Offeror can successfully perform the requirements of the IDIQ contract PWS based on responses to the past performance questionnaires received from the Project Owner references in Section F of the SF-330. The Government may also consider any past performance information retrieved from the Contract Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) and any other readily available information. An Offeror will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably if it lacks relevant past performance. Factor 5: Location in the general geographical area of the project and knowledge of the locality. The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Offeror can successfully perform the requirements of the IDIQ Contract PWS based on how well the geographic locality or localities shown in Section C of the SF-330 will provide needed support and leverage knowledge of the named locality or localities to the benefit of FEMA. The Government will give consideration to the relevant knowledge of the locality of each Offeror’s proposed Key Personnel and ability to effectively convey their qualifications during the ora...