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

DESCRIPTION: This is a Pre-Solicitation Notice for project number 596-21-104 (AJP) that requires Architect/Engineering (A/E) Design Services to Replace Deteriorated Underground Utilities at the Lexing... DESCRIPTION: This is a Pre-Solicitation Notice for project number 596-21-104 (AJP) that requires Architect/Engineering (A/E) Design Services to Replace Deteriorated Underground Utilities at the Lexington VA Healthcare System, Sousley Division, located in Lexington, KY. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. ONLY THE A/E FIRMS RESPONDING TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BY SUBMITTING AN SF330 PACKAGE ON TIME WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR INITIAL EVALUATION. FOLLOWING INITIAL EVALUATION OF THE A/E FIRMS AND THEIR SF330S, A SOLICITATION FOR A PRICE PROPOSAL WILL BE SENT TO THE HIGHEST TECHNICALLY RATED A/E FIRM TO PROVIDE THE TYPE OF SERVICE(S) REQUIRED. The A/E Services contract that is anticipated to be awarded will be procured in accordance with the Brooks Act (Public Law 92- 582), Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 36.6 and VA Acquisition Regulation 836.6. In accordance with FAR 36.209 Construction Contracts With Architect-Engineer Firms , no contract for the construction of a project shall be awarded to the firm that designed the project or its subsidiaries or affiliates, except with the approval of the head of the agency or authorized representative. A/E DESIGN SERVICES SCOPE SYNOPSIS: Located on the Franklin R. Sousley Campus in Lexington, KY, all existing underground Domestic and Fire Protection water, sanitary and storm sewer piping is well beyond its useful life and requires replacement. The A-E firm is to provide site investigation of existing conditions, schematic design, design development, construction documents, bid documents, construction period services and as-built record drawings and GPS mapping for Project No. 596-21-104 (AJP) Replace Deteriorated Underground Utilities. A-E is to provide in depth investigation of all existing utilities listed above. Existing (sanitary and storm sewer) piping is deteriorated clay pipe with inflow and infiltration problems. The A-E shall also evaluate and provide design services for upgrading existing sanitary sewage lift station to meet future demands. Existing underground piping for all systems is at least 25 years old. Record drawings of previous projects are very limited. The A-E will be required to perform a significant amount of time on station to field verify and document existing conditions. This project shall correct the following FCA deficiencies: #49862: Drainage / flooding issue between Building #12 and Building #3. Poor condition at this location. #49866: Most buried water main piping throughout campus is original, beyond useful life and in poor condition. #114683: Sanitary mains on campus are over 50 years old, undersized and in poor condition. #114685: Drainage comes from Leestown Road and flooding occurs at a few known chokepoints. About 1000 ft. of drainage ditch on the SE portion of the grounds is in poor condition. About 500 ft. of drainage ditch on the SW portion of the grounds in poor condition. Retention and detention are adequate and meets current loads. Work will include but is not limited to the following major scope matters or deficiencies: A-E shall evaluate the existing underground utilities to include domestic water, fire protection, sanitary sewer piping and storm sewer piping that is well beyond its useful life. In addition, extensive surveying will be required to ensure other utilities are not damaged during replacement of infrastructure. The A-E shall provide design services for the replacement of existing underground deteriorated utilities. In addition to existing piping requiring replacement, existing isolation valves have failed and require evaluation and replacement to ensure system can be repaired without impacting entire campus. A-E shall also provide design services for identification and removal of existing abandoned utilities. The existing sanitary sewage lift system requires evaluation and design services for replacement to meet future demands. The existing system requires pumps to run continuously due to backflow and runoff issues. The new sewer lift system shall be placed on Building Management System for alarm monitoring purposes. Basis of design for new system shall be able to interface with the existing Building Management System at the Franklin R. Sousley Campus. The Franklin R. Sousley campus also requires evaluation and design services for poorly draining areas around the campus. Drainage requires to be evaluated include in front of Building 67 as well as surrounding maintenance shop areas. In addition, A-E to evaluate and provide design services for existing conductors (downspouts) and connection to storm drains. Many have deteriorated and are beyond their useful life. The A-E shall evaluate and provide design services for upgrading ~2,000 linear feet of drainage ditch on the southeast and southwest portions of the Franklin R. Sousley Campus that are in poor condition. Basics: Project design shall clearly show work required, phasing of work required, and instructions to construction contractor regarding how to accomplish the necessary renovations in a 24/7 medical environment taking into consideration demolition, road closures / traffic re-routing, infection control, and specialized facility requirements as discussed with VA staff. Phasing will also need to consider water treatment for connection to existing domestic system. Also included will be limitations, e.g. work required to be completed outside of standard administrative hours, work limited to periods shorter than a single shift, etc., for specific locations in the project. Bid deductions will be built into the scope of work of the project to allow for flexibility in construction award. The A-E firm shall meet the following requirements for the design of the project: Per Kentucky Building Codes (KBC) complete and submit KBC Energy Efficiency Form to the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR). Per current Public Building Energy Standard, design project to meet the minimum point requirement under the Energy and Atmosphere Credit, Optimize Energy Performance Standards Require Section 106 compliance as the Campus is classified as a Historic District. The A-E shall coordinate and assist the owner with all consultation needed to ensure compliance with Section 106 and the renovation is compliant with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center Historic Preservation Plan. A/E shall provide services for obtaining the LFUCG Land Disturbance Permit and NPDES Permit KYR10. An independent Cost Estimate by a third-party firm hired by the A/E design team, to be submitted at each phase. This cost estimator shall have extensive experience in the local Lexington KY bidding climate and construction market by providing a market survey and provide a cost estimate for all submissions in accordance with the CFM Manual for Preparation of Cost Estimates and Related Documents for VA Facilities. The VA will be awarding a third-party commissioning contract for the commissioning of the new underground utilities and awarding a third-party fire code review contract. END OF DESIGN SCOPE SYNOPSIS Digital copies of the as-builts are limited. The consultant will be expected to fully investigate and confirm the validity of hard copy as-builts and other drawings. This will include independent investigation of the VAMC s flat files by the consultant to determine and procure the information required for the complete design. All offerors are advised that in accordance with VAAR 836.606-73 the total cost of the architect or engineer services contracted for must not exceed 6 percent of the estimated cost of the construction project plus any fees for related services and activities. Additionally, FAR Clause 52.236-2 (c) - Design Within Funding Limitation, will be applicable to this procurement action. Design limitation costs will be provided to the most highly rated AE firm selected to complete the design. Interested firms should submit their current SF-330 to matthew.whisman@va.gov. The SF-330s are due by June 7, 2022, at 2:00 PM (EST). Security Issues, Late Bids, Unreadable Offers Late submission of offers are outlined at FAR Parts 52.212-1(f), 52.214-7, and 52.215-1(c) (3). Particular 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 offer 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 Department of Veteran Affairs Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) in accordance with 38 CFR Part 74 and VAAR 819.70 by submission of documentation of Veteran status, ownership and control sufficient to establish appropriate status, offerors must be both VISIBLE and VERIFIED by the Department of Veteran Affairs Center for Veterans Enterprises at the time of submission of proposal. Failure to be both VERIFIED by CVE and VISIBLE on VetBiz at the time of proposal submission will result in the offeror s proposal being deemed non-responsive. All offerors are urged to contact the CVE and submit the aforementioned required documents to obtain CVE verification of their SDVOSB status if they have not already done so. Response Time: The successful A-E shall abide by a four (4) hour response time for Lexington VA Healthcare System, Sousley Division, during the design phase and the construction period services (CPS) phase, as appropriate. The VA has no preference on the method utilized by contractors on achieving the four (4) hour response time. The response time will be determined from the moment the request to the A-E to be on site is submitted. The individual or individuals responding can be either the prime contractor or a subcontractor that s part of the design team. The selection process will follow the guidance referenced within 36.602-3 and FAR 36.602-4. The Government will not pay, nor reimburse, any costs associated with responding to this request. The Government is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this announcement. Firms will be selected based on demonstrated competence and qualifications for the required work. Contract Award Procedure: Before a small business is proposed as a potential contractor, they must be certified by VetBiz and registered in the System For Award Management (SAM) database. Register via the SAM internet site at https://sam.gov/content/home Failure of a proposed SDVOSB to be certified by the CVE at the time the SF 330 is submitted shall result in elimination from consideration as a proposed contractor. The proposed services will be obtained by a Negotiated Firm-Fixed Price Contract. The review/design of architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, civil, or other engineering features of the work shall be accomplished by architects or engineers registered in a State or possession of the United States, or in Puerto Rico or in the District of Columbia. The project drawings/design shall be in compliance with applicable standards and codes described in VA Program Guides and design materials. Master Construction Specifications Index, VA Construction Standards Index, VA Standards Index, and Criteria are available in the Technical Information Library (TIL) on VA Website address: http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/. The awarded A/E firm will prepare drawings and specifications in sufficient detail such that qualified outside General Contracting companies can prepare accurate and timely proposals for the desired work. The awarded A/E firm is responsible for ensuring that the specifications and drawings supplied fully represent all of the work described in the Request for Proposal (RFP). The Medical Center must remain operational throughout the construction period and a detailed sequence of work will be provided by the A/E to minimize impact of the construction. The NAICS code for this project is 541330 with a small business size of $22.5 million. The SF-330 can be downloaded through the GSA Forms Library at: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/TOP, type in SF-330 in the Find a Form block and click on search. SELECTION CRITERIA: Selection criteria for this acquisition are listed below; Professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services; Specialized experience and technical competence in the type of work required, including, where appropriate, experience in energy conservation, pollution prevention, waste reduction, and the use of recovered materials; Capacity to accomplish the work in the required time; Past performance on contracts with Government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules; Location in the general geographical area of the project and knowledge of the locality of the project; provided, that application of this criterion leaves an appropriate number of qualified firms, given the nature and size of the project; Reputation and standing of the firm and its principal officials with respect to professional performance, general management, and cooperativeness; Record of significant claims against the firm because of improper or incomplete architectural and engineering services; and Specific experience and qualifications of personnel proposed for assignment to the project and their record of working together as a team. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. This is a request for SF 330's Architect/Engineer Qualifications packages only. Any requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. No material will be issued and no solicitation package or bidder/plan holder list will be issued. A solicitation will only be issued to the most highly qualified vendor. Electronic Submission Requirements: Unless paper offers are specifically authorized in an individual solicitation, all responses to solicitations must be submitted electronically as described below. Responses submitted in a paper form are unacceptable and will be returned. Failure to comply with this requirement may jeopardize the possibility of receiving an award for the contract due to noncompliance 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. Additionally, 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, and PowerPoint. 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; Other electronic format.  If you wish to submit an offer using another format other than described in these instructions, e-mail the Contracting Officer who issued the solicitation.  Please submit your request at least ten (10) 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; and Submitted SF330 s are not to exceed a total of fifty (50) pages INCLUDING cover page and any other submitted documents. 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 five (5) megabytes. Only one email is permitted unless otherwise stated in this paragraph or in writing by a Contracting Officer. Submission is to be no more than a total of fifty (50) pages; and The offer will be date and time stamped by the Microsoft Email system and will be the official record of receipt for the submission. Point of Contact : Matthew R. Whisman (859) 281-3883 E-mail questions to: Matthew.Whisman@va.gov VA NOTICE OF TOTAL SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (DEC 2009) (a) Definition. For the Department of Veterans Affairs, Service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern : (1) Means a small business concern: (i) Not less than 51 percent of which is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans or, in the case of any publicly owned business, not less than 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans (or eligible surviving spouses); (ii) The management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans (or eligible surviving spouses) or, in the case of a service-disabled veteran with permanent and severe disability, the spouse or permanent caregiver of such veteran; (iii) The business meets Federal small business size standards for the applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code identified in the solicitation document; and (iv) The business has been verified for ownership and control and is so listed in the Vendor Information Pages database, (https://www.vetbiz.va.gov/). (2) Service-disabled veteran means a veteran, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(2), with a disability that is service-connected, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(16). (b) General. (1) Offers are solicited only from service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns. Offers received from concerns that are not service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns shall not be considered. (2) Any award resulting from this solicitation shall be made to a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. (c) Agreement. A service-disabled veteran owned small business concern agrees that in the performance of the contract, in the case of a contract for: (1) Services (except construction), at least 50 percent of the cost of personnel for contract performance will be spent for employees of the concern or employees of other eligible service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns; (2) Supplies (other than acquisition from a non-manufacturer of the supplies), at least 50 percent of the cost of manufacturing, excluding the cost of materials, will be performed by the concern or other eligible service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns; (3) General construction, at least 15 percent of the cost of the contract performance incurred for personnel will be spent on the concern s employees or the employees of other eligible service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns; or (4) Construction by special trade contractors, at least 25 percent of the cost of the contract performance incurred for personnel will be spent on the concern s employees or the employees of other eligible service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns. (d) A joint venture may be considered a service-disabled veteran owned small business concern if (1) At least one member of the joint venture is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern, and makes the following representations: That it is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern, and that it is a small business concern under the North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) code assigned to the procurement; (2) Each other concern is small under the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned to the procurement; and (3) The joint venture meets the requirements of paragraph 7 of the explanation of Affiliates in 19.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (4) The joint venture meets the requirements of 13 CFR 125.15(b). (e) Any service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern (non-manufacturer) must meet the requirements in 19.102(f) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation to receive a benefit under this program. END OF PRE-SOL NOTICE