Inactive Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Set-Aside (FAR 19.14)

This is a Special Notice/Request for SF-330s for the establishment of an Architect-Engineering (A/E) contract with services to be performed in Richmond, Virginia. This requirement is being executed un... This is a Special Notice/Request for SF-330s for the establishment of an Architect-Engineering (A/E) contract with services to be performed in Richmond, Virginia. This requirement is being executed under a 100% set-aside to service-disabled veteran owned small business (SDVOSB) firms under VAAR 852.219-73. Interested firms must be registered in the Small Business Administration s (SBA) Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) database to be considered. The SBA VetCert can be located here: https://veterans.certify.sba.gov/#home THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL; NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE WILL BE ISSUED UNTIL AFTER AN EVALUATION HAS BEEN MADE ON THE PROVIDED SF-330s. THERE WILL BE NO SITE VISITS ARRANGED DURING THIS PHASE OF THE REQUIREMENT. Blank SF-330s can be downloaded through the GSA Forms Library at: https://www.gsa.gov/forms Interested firms should submit their current SF-330, Parts I and II, to Contract Specialist, Donteana Gibbs via email at, Donteana.Gibbs@va.gov and Contracting Officer, Madeline Lucena-Pulst via email at, Madeline.Lucena-Pulst@va.gov. The SF-330s are due no later than 3:00PM EDT, Friday, December 6, 2024. SCOPE OF WORK This project requires the services of an Architectural-Engineering (A/E) firm with experience in handling systems and distribution. The A/E must possess expertise in both architectural and electrical engineering, particularly in designing and upgrading handling systems and distribution networks. All designs must comply with VA guidelines and specifications. The scope of this project includes the replacement of components for air handlers, controls, variable air volume (VAV) units, and ductwork in various critical locations. The design shall include the phasing of work and temporary air handling equipment to always maintain conditioned air flow in these critical locations. Team member Designer of Record positions required in this project includes, but is not limited to: Architect Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCCD) Estimator Civil Engineer Electrical Engineer Fire Protection Engineer Industrial Hygienist Mechanical Engineer Plumbing Project Manager Structural Engineer and Commissioning Agent INTENT The A/E shall provide design and construction period services for non-recurring maintenance (NRM) construction project 652-24-105. Replacement of air handling unit components, controls, VAV s, necessary ductwork and any ancillary items that supplies conditioned air and HEPA filtered air. A/E shall conform to the VA Information Security requirements, located in Attachment B VA Information Security Requirements, outlining the contractor s requirement to protect VA information and VA information systems. REQUIREMENTS The requirements of this A/E project will include, but are not limited to site investigation, creating documents, drawings, and specifications, and final inspection of construction. Please carefully read Attachment A Statement of Work (SOW) and review Attachment C Concept Plans for the full details of this project. EVALUATION OF OFFERORS AE firms will be selected based upon the criteria detailed in Attachment D Selection Criteria. Please read the selection criteria carefully and provide documented experience and skills that addresses all factors and subfactors. SELECTION PROCESS The agency has convened an evaluation board for the evaluation of responses to this notice. Responses will be evaluated in accordance with the Selection of Architects and Engineers Statute (Public Law 92-582), formerly known as the Brooks Act, and implemented in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 36.6. Specifically, SF 330 submissions will be evaluated to identify the most highly qualified firms, using the selection criteria identified above. Discussions will be held with at least three (3) of the most highly qualified firms. Interviews may be conducted. The processes at FAR 36.602-4 and FAR 36.606 will then be followed. SELECTION INTERVIEW Interviews shall be scheduled with firms slated as the most highly qualified. Firms slated for interviews will be asked a series of established questions. Elaborate presentations are not desired. GENERAL INFORMATION All design and work will conform to the current edition of the VA Master Specifications and VA Design Standards (published at www.cfm.va.gov/TIL) as well as all ASME, OSHA, IBC 2009, NFPA and NEC building codes and standards. All work shall be coordinated through the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR). The AE firm will prepare drawings and specifications in enough detail such that qualified outside general contracting companies can prepare accurate and timely proposals for the desired construction work. Microsoft Project scheduling and management software will be used by both the AE and contractors to allow for regular tracking of schedules and work by the VA Medical Center. Schedules with MS Project will be regularly sent to the COR upon project initiation and whenever significant changes occur in the schedule. In accordance with FAR 36.204 the estimated magnitude of construction is between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000. The A/E will provide an initial estimate of cost to perform the above work and will design only those items that can be provided within the cost limitation. The estimated cost of construction (ECC) shall only be provided to the contractor in which a formal proposal is sought for the purposes of providing a proposal. The AE will provide documents at each submission as indicated in the statement of work. The NAICS code for this procurement is 541330 - Engineering Services. The current small business size standard for 541330 is $25.5 Million. DESIGN COSTS All offerors are advised that in accordance with VAAR 836.606-71 the total cost of the architect or engineer services contracted for the production and delivery of designs, plans, and specifications shall not exceed six percent (6%) of the estimated cost of the construction project plus any fees for related services and activities. Additionally, FAR 52.236-22 Design Within Funding Limitations, will be applicable to this procurement action. Design limitation costs will be provided to the most highly rated A/E firm(s) selected in accordance with the outlined process. LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING IAW VAAR 852.219-73, VA Notice of Total Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside and 13 CFR 125.6, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern (SDVOSB) agrees that, in the performance of the contract, it will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to firms that are not similarly situated. Firms that are similarly situated are those that are also SBA-registered SDVOSBs. REQUIREMENTS FOR ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION All responses to this special notice must be submitted electronically as described below. Failure to comply with this requirement may jeopardize the possibility of receiving an award for the contract due to non-compliance with the terms of the solicitation. You must submit your electronic offer, and any supplemental information (such as spreadsheets, backup data, technical information), using any of the electronic formats and media described below. In addition, contractors are notified of the award via an electronic notice of award e-mail. The award document will be attached to the notice of award e-mail. Acceptable Electronic Formats (Software) for Submission of Offers Files readable using the current Microsoft Office version Products: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Access. Spreadsheet documents must be sent in a format that includes all formulas, macro, and format information. Print or scan images of spreadsheets are not acceptable. Please see security note below for caution regarding use of macros. When submitting construction drawings contractors are required to submit one set in AutoCAD and one set in Adobe PDF. (Purpose: contracting can open the PDF version and engineering can open AutoCAD files) Files in Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) Files: When scanning documents scanner resolution should be set to 200 dots per inch, or greater. Another electronic format. If you wish to submit an offer using another format than those described in these instructions, e-mail the Contracting Officer/Specialist who issued the solicitation. Please submit your request at least five (5) calendar days before the scheduled closing date of the solicitation. Request a decision as to the format acceptability and make sure you receive approval of the alternate format before using it to send your offer. Please note that we can no longer accept .zip files due to increasing security concerns. E-mail Submission Procedures For simplicity in this guidance, all submissions in response to a solicitation will be referred to as offers. Subject Line: Include the solicitation number, name of company, and closing date of solicitation. Size: Maximum size of the e-mail message shall not exceed ten (10) megabytes. The SF330, in its entirety, shall not exceed one email of 5MB. The SF330 (not including past performance questionnaires) are limited to 45 pages. If the page limits are exceeded, the pages in excess of the limit will not be read nor considered. Only one email is permitted unless otherwise stated in this paragraph or in writing by the Contract Officer submitting the solicitation. Due to VA IT Security protocols, email submissions are limited to 10Mb per email. Furthermore, it is the sole responsibility of the prospective firms to confirm receipt of their submission in its entirety prior to the closing date & time of their submission in response to this synopsis. The Microsoft Outlook © Email time/date stamp will be used to date and time stamp offers for the official record of receipt for the submission. The date and time stamp in recipient s inbox is the official record of receipt. SECURITY ISSUES, LATE BIDS, & UNREADABLE OFFERS Late submission of offers is outlined at FAR Parts 52.212-1(f), 52.214-7, and 52.215-1(c)(3). Attention is warranted to the portion of the provision that relates to the timing of submission. Please see FAR 15.207(c) for a description of the steps the Government shall take with regard to unreadable offers. To avoid rejection of an offer, vendors must make every effort to ensure their electronic submission is virus-free. Submissions or portions thereof submitted and which the automatic system detects the presence of a virus, or which are otherwise unreadable, will be treated as unreadable pursuant to FAR Parts 14.406 and FAR 15.207(c). The virus scanning software used by our e-mail systems cannot always distinguish a macro from a virus. Therefore, sending a macro embedded in an e-mail message or an e-mail attachment may cause the e-mail offer to be quarantined. You may send both the spreadsheet and the spreadsheet saved in PDF format to ensure that your proposal is readable. Password protecting your submission is not permitted. The Contracting Officer will file the offer electronically which will allow access only by designated individuals. IMPORTANT NOTICE Apparent successful offerors must apply for and receive verification from the Small Business Administration (SBA) in accordance with 38 CFR Part 74 and VAAR 819.70 by submission of documentation of veteran status, ownership, and control enough to establish appropriate status, offerors must be both VISIBLE and VERIFIED by the Small Business Administration (SBA) at the time of submission of offers and at the time of award. Failure to be both VERIFIED by SBA and VISIBLE on VetCert at the time of submission of offers and at the time of award will result in the offeror s proposal being deemed non-compliant. All offerors are urged to contact the SBA and submit the required documents to obtain SBA verification of their SDVOSB status if they have not already done so. ATTACHMENTS