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Introduction Network Contracting Office 1 (NCO 1), supporting VA New England Healthcare System (VISN 1), is seeking potential sources for an upcoming requirement for Architect and Engineering Services... Introduction Network Contracting Office 1 (NCO 1), supporting VA New England Healthcare System (VISN 1), is seeking potential sources for an upcoming requirement for Architect and Engineering Services as described in the attached statement of work. THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION STATEMENTS (SF330). This notice is a market research tool and has not been set-aside for any small business category, but the notice is issued to determine appropriate set-aside categories. Responses to this notice, in conjunction with other Government market research resources, will be used by the contracting officer to determine the applicable socio-economic set-aside for the procurement. Failure to respond to this notice will not impact consideration of architect and engineer firms (or joint ventures) which otherwise meet set-aside requirements and submit responses to the follow-up public announcement. Once the appropriate set-aside is determined, a separate public announcement requesting qualification statements (SF330s) will be publicized on Contract Opportunities in accordance with 40 U.S. Code § 1101 and FAR 36.601. General Project Description and NAICS Synopsis of required services (See attachment for full statement of work): Architectural and Engineer services required to complete the project for the Upgrade of Emergency Power Distribution. This procurement for Architect & Engineering services is assigned NAICS 541330 Engineering Services which has an SBA size standard of $16.5 million in average revenue. Information Sought The Government requests a letter of interest (or similar document) with responses to the following: 1. State your firm name (as it appears in SAM.gov), DUNS number, and socio-economic status of the firm (i.e. verified SDVOSB, WOSB, SB, large business). 2. Provide a brief narrative on the firm s experience providing services like those described in the attached statement of work. 3. What would be the expected make-up of the firm s team in terms of socio-economic categories and estimated percentage of work to be completed by your firm and each subcontractor? If the procurement is set-aside for any category of small business, generally fifty percent of more of the work would need to be performed by the contractor or a similarly situated subcontractor in terms of percentage of cost. For instance, if set-aside for service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), 50% or more of the contract would need to be performed by verified SDVOSBs no other small business categories would count towards the percentage. If set-aside for small business, 50% of the contract would be required to be performed by small businesses which would include performance by a verified SDVOSB because they are also a small business. If the procurement is not set-aside and reaches certain dollar thresholds, the Government would negotiate an acceptable subcontracting plan to utilize small business concerns. 4. A brief statement of overall interest in the project and capability of performing the work in conjunction with ongoing projects. 5. Any additional capabilities statements or other documentation that you feel will assist the Government in performing market research and determining the appropriate set-aside. Submission Instructions Interested parties are requested to submit the requested information not later than 05-10-2021 to Carol AhNee via email to Carol.ahnee@va.gov. Please include 36C24121R0141 Sources Sought Response in the title of the email. the response burden to this notice is expected to be light; lengthy responses are not expected but no maximum page count is assigned. Please keep responses below 7MB or send multiple emails appending to the email subject 1 of n as appropriate. Please contact Carol AhNee, Contract Specialist at Carol.ahnee@va.gov with any questions. Attachments: Scope of Work; BACKGROUND INFORMATION A. For the purposes of this scope of work, emergency power distribution includes all power distribution that has generator back-up. B. The Architect/Engineer (A/E) is to provide a complete design for Project 608-21-208, Upgrade Emergency Power Distribution. The intent of the project is to correct deficiencies and provide a system that can support future growth for the portion of the emergency power distribution system from the generators through the initial distribution panels downstream of the automatic transfer switches. C. Overview of Existing Conditions: Buildings 2, 3, 4, 5, 13, and 14 are planned to be demolished and are not included in this project s scope. Building 1 (190,000 sf, built 1949) is the original main medical center building. All electrical distribution for Building 1 originates in Building 20, which is connected to the basement of Building 1. Above-ceiling space in the basement corridors of Building 1 is very limited and it s becoming difficult to access Building 20 for new power feeds. Building 6 (3,500 sf, built 1949) is an office building. The emergency power distribution for Building 6 originates in Building 7. Building 7 (13,000 sf, built 1949) contains the boiler plant, garage, and generator room. Three fairly new emergency generators and paralleling switch gear, in use since December 2018, are located in this building. These generators supply emergency power for Buildings 1, 6, 7, 18, and 20. Building 15 (72,000 sf, built 1978) contains the Community Living Center, which is the only overnight care provided on the campus. It also contains other medical clinics and is connected to Building 1. Building 15 has its own generator, installed in 2005 and located in a courtyard outside of the building. Building 15 also has dedicated automatic transfer switches and subsequent distribution. Building 18 (12,000 sf, built 1978) contains a Primary Care Clinic and is connected to Building 1. Building 18 has dedicated automatic transfer switches and subsequent distribution. Building 20 (2,500 sf, built 1975) contains the electrical distribution for Building 1. Finding capacity for new power feeds in Building 20 s emergency power distribution is becoming difficult. In particular, the equipment distribution panels are at capacity. Supplement A, Page 2 D. Known Deficiencies: In 2019/2020, a detailed electrical condition assessment was performed for the campus. The assessment identified several deficiencies related to the emergency power distribution system. The report from the assessment is included as Attachment A. Current one-line diagrams for the facility are included in the report. II. Design Task: A. Feed Building 15 from the emergency generators located in Building 7. Remove Building 15 s existing emergency generator. B. Evaluate and redesign the electrical distribution system from the generators through the first level of distribution downstream of the automatic transfer switches. 1. Correct all deficiencies from the May 2020 Electrical Condition Assessment (Attachment A, see Section 7 of the report) for this portion of the distribution system. 2. Provide the ability to load shed. 3. Increase the capacity of the emergency power distribution system. Provide capacity on all branches for future improvements. 4. Provide improved access to power distribution for future power feeds. This may include recommending new electrical room locations, providing new conduit paths to Building 20, or any solution that will make it possible for multiple future projects (on the scale of building additions and new HVAC units) to access emergency power distribution. C. Supply Panel DX2 with emergency power. Panel DX2 is a 480V panel that provides power for most of Radiology s imaging equipment. III. EXPERIENCE REQUIRMENTS A. The A/E firm shall have a minimum of 5 full time personnel dedicated to electrical design, not including CAD technicians. At least 2 of these staff shall be licensed Professional Engineers, with their PE obtained in electrical engineering. B. The A/E firm shall have completed a minimum of 5 designs for projects correcting or retrofitting electrical systems in facilities with at least 150,000 square feet and that are at least 40 years old. These projects each shall have had a total project cost of at least $1M and been designed in the last 7 years. C. At least two members of the proposed electrical design team shall have each worked on at least two of the projects from paragraph B above (they do not need to have worked on the same projects). D. A/E shall supply references for at least 3 of the projects from paragraph B above. Supplement A, Page 3 E. Due to current pandemic travel restrictions, the entire design team proposed for the project shall be located in New England (New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut or Rhode Island). Personnel who have traveled outside of New England in the previous 14 days won t pass the screening to get onto the site and thus wouldn t be able to conduct site investigations or attend meetings. IV. CONSTRUCTION BUDGET A. The construction budget is $3,000,000. B. The intent of the design shall be a project that can be built without changes or change orders, within budget, and function as intended. C. The design shall not exceed the construction budget at any stage of design past the initial study report. Any design submission that exceeds the construction budget will be rejected. The A/E is responsible for correcting and resubmitting all rejected design submissions before moving on to the next submission, at no added cost to the VA. No extensions to the period of performance will be granted for resubmission of rejected design submissions. D. If, at any time, the A/E suspects that the project cannot be designed within the established construction budget, they shall notify the contracting officer and contracting officer s representative (COR) in writing immediately. V. DUTIES OF THE A/E A. The A/E shall provide complete investigative and design services needed to provide a fully coordinated, functionally integrated, and operational design and subsequent project. B. The work shall include: 1. Preliminary meetings and site survey investigations to define the necessary elements of the project scope of work. A preliminary meeting shall be devoted to discussion with facility staff to discuss project goals, current emergency power distribution issues, and potential solutions. 2. A detailed analysis of the various options available, covering design constraints, access requirements and all applicable codes and standards. 3. A full field investigation of all areas affected by this design. Site investigations shall measure, photograph, and document the conditions of areas to be renovated and/or impacted. This information shall be physically reviewed in the field with the COR and clearly conveyed in the construction documents. Supplement A, Page 4 4. Any investigations necessary for the proper design of this project. The costs of such investigations shall be included in this task order. Examples include electrical metering, equipment inspections, subsurface exploration, utility locating, etc. 5. Preparation of drawings, specifications, estimates, and phasing schedules, as called for in this scope of work and within the established construction budget. 6. Specific phasing instructions to minimize the impact of the work on the facility. Examples include afterhours work, utilizing one shutdown for multiple connections (may require multiple work crews), providing temporary power if needed, etc. 7. Design Review Meetings: a. Professional architects, engineers, and related design disciplines familiar with the work shall be provided to attend the VA design reviews at the VA Medical Center in Manchester, NH. Review meetings may be held virtually, depending on pandemic restrictions. b. The A/E shall provide minutes of each review meeting to the Contracting Officer for review within 3 business days following the review meeting. 8. Construction Period Administration (CPA) Services, including: a. Review and approval of construction submittals covering products that have been listed within the contract documents, including cut sheets, manufacturer s data/performance sheets, samples, shop drawings, schedules, and phasing plans. b. Recommendations associated with acceptance or rejection of alternate materials and products. c. Responses to Request for Information (RFI). d. Cost/time/impact estimates and recommendations relevant to design errors or omissions. e. Participation by conference call in weekly project review meetings with the contractor. f. Active participation in construction coordination. g. 20 site visits, spread across the various design disciplines, as required and/or requested by the VA Contracting Officer and Project Engineer for inspection of ongoing construction, including final tests and inspections. (a) A site inspection report shall be furnished to the Contracting Officer and Project Engineer within three workdays following all site visits during the construction period. Supplement A, Page 5 (b) The site inspection report shall include the purpose of the inspection, items reviewed, deficiencies observed, recommendations and additional actions required. h. Providing a punch list within 5 working days of being notified of construction substantial completion. The A/E shall keep a log of all punch list findings and conduct follow-on site visits to verify completion of the punch list. i. Verification that all devices (valves, circuits, equipment, etc.) have been properly labeled and/or tagged with charts and cards as noted in the specifications or per codes. j. Preparation of record documents (also known as as-built documents) in accordance with Supplement B, which the VA will retain permanently. (a) Record documents shall be based on verification of as-built conditions from contractor-supplied marked up prints, issued SK s, RFI s, coordination drawings, shop drawings, photos, and site inspections. (b) The A/E shall be responsible for assuring that record documents are accurate at the end of the construction of the project. (c) The A/E shall also update the facility s existing AutoCAD space utilization, site, and utility (electrical, plumbing, and steam) as-built drawings with the asbuilt information from this project. The updated AutoCAD files shall be provided to the VA no later than 30 days after completion of the project record drawings. C. Provide all necessary engineering and design services for architectural, site development, mechanical (plumbing, fire protection and HVAC), electrical, structural, asbestos abatement, signage, and other specialty consultant elements within the limits of the project goals established to support Supplement B submissions. Each discipline shall document and investigate the relevant existing conditions, review the building available information, and verify all essential elements pertinent to their discipline. D. At each stage of design, the VA will provide review comments. The A/E shall provide a response/resolution to each comment within one week of the design review meeting. The VA and the A/E shall agree on the appropriate resolution of each comment before the design moves forward to the next stage. E. Any design document submission that has not fully addressed the comments from the previous submission, or which is clearly not coordinated between disciplines, may be rejected by the VA, at the VA s discretion. The A/E is responsible for correcting and resubmitting all rejected design submissions before moving on to the next submission, at no added cost to the VA. No extensions to the period of performance will be granted for resubmission of rejected design submissions. Supplement A, Page 6 F. Design shall comply with the latest editions of all applicable VA guidelines (eg, Construction Standards, Design Guides, Design Manuals, Master Construction Specifications, Standard Details, Special Design Criteria); NFPA; Joint Commission; and federal, state and local codes pertinent to the project scope. G. Comply with all applicable VA Design Manuals, available at http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/dManual.asp. H. At each stage of design, submit the appropriate design review checklists, available at https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/aeDesSubReq.asp I. In the design of this contract, consider all requirements (other than procedural requirements) of: 1. zoning laws; 2. laws relating to landscaping, open space, historic preservation, and aesthetic qualities of a building, and similar laws, of the State and local political division which would apply to the building if it were not to be constructed or altered by the U.S. Government; and 3. Depart of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Standards, and occupancy requirements. The A/E shall provide prompt, written notification to the Contracting Officer concerning conflicts with or recommended deviations from codes, laws, regulations, standards, and opinions of review officials as described above. J. No work altering the scope of this contract shall be undertaken prior to receipt of written approval of the Contracting Officer. The COR/Project Engineer does not have the authority to modify the contract. K. The required response time for all submittals, RFIs and VA requests, unless otherwise stated by the VA, shall be 14 calendar days. If the scope of the required action is extensive, the A/E shall notify the Contracting Officer and request additional time as soon as possible. The VA may occasionally request a faster turn-around time in order to avoid construction delays. The A/E is expected to make every reasonable effort to expedite items that may cause construction delays. L. Construction Document Requirements: 1. Provide in accordance with Supplement B sets of both drawings (Revit or AutoCAD and PDF) and specifications (MS Word and PDF). a. Provide a separate Adobe Acrobat PDF file for each drawing. b. Provide a complete set of drawings in a single Adobe Acrobat PDF file. Supplement A, Page 7 2. Drawing size is 30 inches by 42 inches. 3. Drawings shall be provided in Revit or AutoCAD formats. Specifications shall be compatible with MS Word 2010. 4. File names shall be the drawing/specification number followed by the drawing/specification title, or as approved by the VA Project Engineer. 5. Final specification sections shall be merged into a single pdf file to include separate full document pagination in the right-hand side of Footer without the loss of individual file Headers/Footers. Each specification section shall be bookmarked in Adobe Acrobat, with bookmark labels of the specification number and specification title (i.e. 010000 General Conditions). M. The A/E shall provide an estimated period of performance with the final construction documents. VI. DESIGN INSTRUCTIONS A. Facility Standard Items: The A/E shall incorporate items from the attached list of facility standard items (Attachment B) as applicable. Brand-name products must be specified as or equal and shall include the salient characteristics of products that would be considered equal. B. Specifications: VA Master Construction Specifications, available at www.cfm.va.gov/TIL/spec.asp, shall be the basis for the construction specifications. These specifications are written to cover a wide variety of project types and sizes. EACH SPECIFICATION MUST BE CAREFULLY EDITED FOR THIS PROJECT. The track changes tool in Microsoft Word shall be utilized when editing specifications so that VA reviewers can see the changes that have been made. C. Signage: All signage required to meet OSHA, NFPA, and any other regulatory requirements shall be included in the design. This includes labels for all electrical panels affected by the project. Signage style is to match existing Medical Center signage, specifications are available from the VA. D. Industrial Hygienist (IH): IH services shall include identification of, and abatement plans and specifications for, all hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead, and mold. E. Seismic: The design shall comply with VA Handbook H-18-8 Seismic Design Requirements, available at http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/etc/seismic.pdf . F. Physical Security: 1. Ensure that the design complies with the current version of the VA Physical Security and Resiliency Design Manual, available at https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/PhysicalSecurity/dmPhySec.pdf. Supplement A, Page 8 2. Vehicle barriers, where required, shall be aesthetically pleasing and/or serve a dual purpose. For example, planters, rocks, and benches are strongly preferred over bollards. 3. Security systems shall be compatible with and integrated into the medical center s existing systems. 4. If the Physical Security guidelines cannot be met, the A/E (and/or their consultant) shall provide alternatives to the guidelines and assist with any waivers that may be required for security measures that cannot be met. G. Sustainability: Ensure that the design complies with the sections of the VA Sustainable Design Manual applicable to NRM Construction Projects, available at https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/sustain/dmSustain.pdf