Inactive

AMENDEMENT NOTICE - Switchgear Testing Questions and Answers to solicitation provided: Question #1: Scope of Work: It is the intent of these tests to assure that all electrical equipment is operation... AMENDEMENT NOTICE - Switchgear Testing Questions and Answers to solicitation provided: Question #1: Scope of Work: It is the intent of these tests to assure that all electrical equipment is operational within industry and manufacturer's tolerances. Work items, definitions, and references shall comply with the latest edition of the NETA - Maintenance Testing Specifications. Upon completion of the tests, a label shall be attached to all service devices. These labels shall indicate date of service and the service company responsible. The tests shall determine suitability for continued operation. The testing company shall thoroughly clean all equipment tested and serviced. Such cleaning shall include removal of all dust, dirt, debris, oil film, etc. Cleaning is subject to Contracting Officer's Representative inspection and acceptance. Ground testing verification that resistance between your grounding system and earth meets the specifications of the National Electrical Code (NEC) and other pertinent guidelines. Any item/equipment that fails the initial test shall be retested in the presence of the COTR. Testing and inspecting must be done while the Electrical Power Distribution System is energized; contractor must ensure all appropriate safety precautions are taken before, during and after scanning the system. An infra-red scanning camera will be used to detect hot spots; loose, broken, or corroded connections within the Electrical Power Distribution System. Problem connections shall be replaced with new connectors, and/or tightened with torque wrench to meet the equipment manufacturers' specifications. Based on the SOW, can you please answer below? "Could you clarify the scope of work? Are you requesting only an IR scan with the system energized, or do you need every device listed to be cleaned and tested per NETA standards? If the equipment cannot be taken offline, we can only perform an IR scan." ANSWER TO QUESTION #1: The intent is to ensure the equipment is still operational within the manufacturer s specifications and still comply with the latest Maintenance Testing Specifications. No, it is not only an IR scan. Yes the facility does need or power distribution system tested, inspected and cleaned per NETA Standards. It will be expected for the VA electricians to deenergize (take offline) the system for the work to be accomplished. Question #2: . bring up an issue with the above referenced {36C25624Q1008} solicitation for the Switchgear Testing at the VA Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. Page 7 outlines Contractor Qualifications stating the following:  Contractor Qualifications: "Contractor shall be certified by the InterNational Electrical Testing Association (NETA) as NETA Certified Technician, and completed the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) approved 10-hour construction safety training." There are a couple of issues with this limited qualification statement:  The requirement does not does not recognize equivalent experience or higher qualifications such as those possessed by an electrical engineer or registered Professional Engineer. Other testing certification organizations exist such as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) and test equipment manufacturers such as Megger through their AVO Training Institute.  This restrictive language has been successfully protested as far back as 1992 from our records. Both the VA Central Office and GAO have confirmed this is unduly restrictive and expressed the need to recognize equivalent certifications, higher qualifications (i.e., engineering degree), equivalent experience, etc. Answer to Question #2: Solicitation 36C25624Q1008 Qualifications, Experience and Instructions to Offerors will be changed to the following requirements: See the new instructions to Offerors AND THE NEW EVALUATION FACTORS AND CHANGES TO WHAT SHALL BE SUBMITTED AS DOCUMENTATIONS. NEW REVISED INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS: Prospective bidders refer to the Statement of Work (SOW) and the Facility drawings. Prospective bidders may visit the job site to verify quantities and locations. Failure to do so will not relieve the contractor of the responsibility to conduct all tests required by specifications within locations identified within the SOW. To schedule any site visits please contact: Jason Kirkland, Electrician Supervisor Overton Brooks VA Hospital 510 E Stoner Ave Shreveport, LA 71101 Office phone 318-990-5460 Jason.Kirkland@va.gov Deadline for scheduling site visit shall be made in advance, the day before the visit, and the cut-off for as scheduled site visit is 13 June 2024, and must conclude by 3:00pm CST. *Please submit quotes to Dena Young, Contracting Officer via email at: Dena.Young@va.gov And reference in the email subject line, Swithgear Testing Shreveport VA . All questions shall be emailed to Dena.Young@va.gov with statement in subject line Swithgear Testing Shreveport VA , no later June 11th at 4:00pm CST Vendors must provide: Quote/price The Lead Service Field Engineer/Technician copy of their current certification by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) OR a current certification for the National Electrical Testing Association (NETA) OR Equivalent to the certificate (i.e. Professional BS degree in Engineering and/or references (submit documents as stated for submission in #4 and/or #5.) Provide a resume/CV for the Lead Service Field Engineer/Technician to demonstrate contractor specific experience in healthcare facilities in the last five years. CV should reflect capability of: a) testing assessing, evaluation, servicing, and reconditioning components, b) assuring that the equipment on which work has been performed is safe, reliable and acceptable for its intended purpose, and c) identifying defective equipment, and potential safety problems, environmental hazards, or code violations. Persons who, by their education, training, and specialized experience can qualify for certification but who have not yet applied or taken the certification exams. These people must submit three (3) references on projects of similar size and complexity and demonstrate that they have the required specialized knowledge and five (5) years experienced in electrical switchgear and power distribution systems testing; or Persons with higher qualifications, such as a BS degree in Engineering, provided that they submit three (3) references on projects of similar size and complexity and demonstrate that they have the acquired specialized knowledge and five (5) years experience in electrical switchgear and power distribution systems testing Basis of Award: A Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable procurement is being conducted. As such, award will be made on the basis of the lowest evaluated price of proposals meeting or exceeding the acceptability standards for the non-cost factor. Past Performance history will be considered for responsibility determination purposes only (FAR 9.104-1(c). The evaluation factors are as follows: Factor 1-Technical Factor 2-Price Under the technical factor, each offeror s responses will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis or acceptable/unacceptable basis. This determination will be based on the offeror demonstrating in its proposal a technical solution that minimally meets the technical requirements specified in the Solicitation s Statement of Work. Price will be evaluated for fairness and reasonableness. Factor 1 TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES: Offerors must submit relevant information demonstrating technical capability to satisfactorily perform the following requirement as expressed in the Statement of Work in the Solicitation Field service work shall be performed directly by field service engineers who have successfully demonstrated their knowledge and experience in the field of Electrical Power Distribution Systems Testing. The field service engineer shall be capable of: a) testing assessing, evaluation, servicing, and reconditioning components, b) assuring that the equipment on which work has been performed is safe, reliable and acceptable for its intended purpose, and c) identifying defective equipment, and potential safety problems, environmental hazards, or code violations. Lead Technician/Engineer meets the certification requirements for the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) OR a current certification for the National Electrical Testing Association (NETA) OR has obtained an equivalent certifications, or higher qualifications such as an engineering degree OR equivalent experience. Lead Technician/Engineer/Company meets a requirement that they have relevant and recent, within the past 5 years, experience working similar electrical testing requirements in specific healthcare facility experience. Persons who, by their education, training, and specialized experience can qualify for certification but who have not yet applied or taken the certification exams. These people must submit three (3) references on projects of similar size and complexity and demonstrate that they have the required specialized knowledge and five (5) years experienced in electrical switchgear and power distribution systems testing; or Persons with higher qualifications, such as a BS degree in Engineering, provided that they submit three (3) references on projects of similar size and complexity and demonstrate that they have the acquired specialized knowledge and five (5) years experience in electrical switchgear and power distribution systems testing Factor 2 PRICE: Prices will be evaluated on the basis of price fairness and reasonableness.

Inactive Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (specific to Department of Veterans Affairs)

Page 2 of 4 STATEMENT OF WORK Maintenance, Inspection, and Testing Electrical Power Distribution System TRI-ANNUAL SWITCHGEAR TESTING The contractor shall furnish all necessary labor, parts, transport... Page 2 of 4 STATEMENT OF WORK Maintenance, Inspection, and Testing Electrical Power Distribution System TRI-ANNUAL SWITCHGEAR TESTING The contractor shall furnish all necessary labor, parts, transportation and equipment to provide a preventive maintenance inspection (PMI), clean and service and test electrical switch gear and Ground testing verification that resistance between your grounding system and earth meets the specifications of the National Electrical Code (NEC) and other pertinent guidelines listed below, located at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center, 510 E. Stoner Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71101 in accordance with all terms, conditions, provisions, schedules and specifications of this statement of work. The contractor will coordinate all maintenance visits through the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR). All work shall be accomplished during normal duty hours 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Any testing requiring disruption of utilities shall be accomplished between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on consecutive nights until such work is completed. Contractor shall work the entire period during these outages to reduce the number of nights required to accomplish such work at a minimum. Specific scheduling and phasing shall be coordinated with VA representative at least seven workdays prior to first night time outage. The following are federal holidays: New Year s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King Jr. s Birthday Columbus Day President s Day Veteran s Day Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day Juneteenth Day Juneteenth Day Independence Day Christmas Day Scope of Work: It is the intent of these tests to assure that all electrical equipment is operational within industry and manufacturer s tolerances, (including oil sample testing for transformers). Work items, definitions, and references shall comply with the latest edition of the NETA Maintenance Testing Specifications. Upon completion of the tests, a label shall be attached to all service devices. These labels shall indicate date of service and the service company responsible. The tests shall determine suitability for continued operation. The testing company shall thoroughly clean all equipment tested and serviced. Such cleaning shall include removal of all dust, dirt, debris, oil film, etc. Cleaning is subject to Contracting Officer s Representative inspection and acceptance. Ground testing verification that resistance between your grounding system and earth meets the specifications of the National Electrical Code (NEC) and other pertinent guidelines. Any item/equipment that fails the initial test shall be retested in the presence of the COTR. Testing and inspecting must be done while the Electrical Power Distribution System is energized; contractor must ensure all appropriate safety precautions are taken before, during and after scanning the system. An infra-red scanning camera will be used to detect hot spots; loose, broken, or corroded connections within the Electrical Power Distribution System. Problem connections shall be replaced with new connectors, and/or tightened with torque wrench to meet the equipment manufacturers specifications. The C&A requirements do not apply, and that a Security Accreditation Package is not required. Locations of Testing: Transformer DGE  Behind Bldg 6 300 KVA/3PH/12470 Primary SN# P015757, Oil Breaker (7ea.) G.E. Behind Bldg 6 3 Pole/600V/THJ Transformer A-1 G.E. B-E-96 1000 KVA/3PH/12470 Primary SN#M157525A, Oil Transformer A-2 G.E. B-E-96 1000 KVA/3PH/12470 Primary SN#M157525C, Oil Transformer B-1 G.E. B-E-96 1000 KVA/3PH/12470 Primary SN#M157525D, Oil Transformer B-2 G.E. B-E-96 1000 KVA/3PH/12470 Primary SN#M157525B, Oil Transformer C-1 G.E. B-E-96 750 KVA/3PH/12470 Primary, SN#M157526, Oil Transformer C-2 G.E. B-E-96 500 KVA/3PH/12470 Primary, Oil Transformer C-3 G.E. B-E-96 501 KVA/3PH/12470 Primary, Oil Breakers (15 ea) Sub A G.E. B-E-96 Sensor Ratings 800/3200 Amps Breakers (15 ea) Sub B G.E. B-E-96 Sensor Ratings 800/3200 Amps Breakers (13 ea) Sub C G.E. B-E-96 Sensor Ratings 400/1600 Amps Load Interrupter Switch (5 ea.) G.E. B-E-96  Transformer D-1 G.E. 1-E-39 500 KVA/3PH/12470 Primary, SN#M157527, Oil Load Interrupter Switch G.E. B-E-39  Breaker (9 ea.) G.E. B-E-39 Sensor Ratings 300/2000 Amps Breaker (11 ea.) G.E. Main Gen. Room 3 Pole/600 Volts Emergency Generator Cat Boiler Plant 210KW Emergency Generator (2 ea.) Cats Main Gen. Room 600KW600KW Emergency Generator Cat North Side Bldg3 1000KW Emergency Generator Allis Bldg 31 125 KW Emergency Generator Onan East Side Bldg 6 80 KW Auto Transfer Switch (8 ea.) Zenith Bldg 1 208/3 Phase Auto Transfer Switch (1 ea.) Cuttler Bldg 1 208/3 Phase Auto Transfer Switch (1 ea.) Asco Bldg 3 208/3 Phase Auto Transfer Switch (1 ea.) Zenith Bldg 6 208/3 Phase Auto Transfer Switch (1 ea.)  Bldg 40 208/3 Phase Auto Transfer Switch (1 ea.)  Bldg 3 208/3 Phase Auto Transfer Switch (1 ea.)  North Side Bldg3 480/3 Phase Breaker (14 ea.) G.E. B-E-97 3 Pole/600 Volts Breaker (12 ea.) G.E. B-E-5 3 Pole/600 Volts Breaker (12 ea.) G.E. B-W-14 3 Pole/600 Volts Breaker (21 ea.) G.E. Sub Basement 3 Pole/600 Volts Transformer Dry G.E. Sub Basement 480/208/3 Phase Transformer G.E. North Side Bldg 2 1600KVA/3PH/12470, Oil Transformer G.E. North Side Bldg 2 800KVA/3PH/12470, Oil Transformer G.E. Back Of Bldg. 4 500KVA/3PH/12470 Primary, Oil Transformer  Mental Health 1500KVA/3PH/12470 Transformer  Bldg 55 500KVA/3PH/12470 Transformer  Bldg 57 500KVA/3PH/12470 Breaker (5 ea.) G.E. Back Of Bldg. 4 3 Pole/600V Cleaning Interior Of MCC  Bldg. 2  Protect Relay G.E. Bldg. 40 Type *121AV53 *Varies Breaker (9 ea.) Siemens Bldg. 40 15000V/1200 Amp Main Incoming Feeds Protect Relay G.E. Bldg. 40 Type *121AV53 *Varies Facility Grounding  Campus Testing Facility Grounding System Note: Failure to having verified all quantities and locations prior to offer and contract award does not relieve the contractor of the responsibility to conduct all tests required by specifications within locations identified herein the SOW. Contractor Qualifications: Contractor shall be certified by the InterNational Electrical Testing Association (NETA) as NETA Certified Technician, and completed the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) approved 10-hour construction safety training. Contractor shall have technical trainings, and track records of working experience in maintenance, inspection, and testing of the Electrical Power Distribution System and its components in healthcare, industrial, educational, and commercial facilities for a minimum of five (5) continuous years. Contractor shall have safety trainings, either on-the-job or class-room type, in electrical safety outlined in the OSHA Standard 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910 Subpart S Electrical, and the NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace for employees and subcontractors performing duties outlined in this SOW. Training certifications shall be submitted to the VA Contracting Officer prior to the performance start date. If no training certifications are available, the contractor shall certify and submit, in writing, the employees and subcontractors have met the training requirement prior to the performance start date. Contractors shall have ready access to the latest versions of the following references: NFPA 70, National Electrical Code. NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance. NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety for the Workplace. NFPA 110, Standard for Emergency and Standby Power System. OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910, Subparts I & S. InterNational Electrical Testing Association, Inc. (NETA) Maintenance and Testing Specifications. Operating/Maintenance manuals, and specifications of the electrical equipment to be maintained and tested. These documents may be obtained from the VHA Medical Center, or the equipment manufacturers. Reporting and Deliverables: Contractor shall provide a complete written report of the work accomplished in accordance with this SOW. Information shown in the report shall be as following: Company s name, address, telephone & FAX numbers. Name and signature of contractors who perform the maintenance and testing. VA Work Contract Number, name and number of VA Contracting Officer. Date and Time of work. Copies of contractors valid licenses, professional and training certificates. Descriptions and model number of specialized tools and equipment used, such as torque wrench or infra-red scanning camera. Location, Type, Name, and nameplate information of electrical equipment to be maintained and tested. Descriptions of work items. Test data. Reference materials such as equipment manufacturer s specifications, coordination study, etc. Remarks on conditions of electrical equipment. List all deficiencies, if any. Recommended corrective actions, if any. Submit six (6) hard copies of the completed written report and one (1) CD Rom/DVD report, in Microsoft Word, to the government within seven (7) calendar days of visit. All reference materials shall be included in the electronic Word version of the report. Contractor shall report deficiencies that are deemed critical or catastrophic immediately to the Contracting Officer or to the COR for immediate action. The use of cellular phones is prohibited inside the medical center. The Overton Brooks VA Medical Center is a smoke free facility. Smoking is prohibited inside any building except the smoking shelter on the facility grounds. Smokers are allowed to smoke outside the 25 foot boundaries from every entrance/exit. Violators shall be removed from the premises permanently. Service Delivery Summary: The contractor service requirements are summarized into performance objectives that relate directly to mission essential items. The performance threshold briefly describes the minimum acceptable levels of service required for each requirement. These thresholds are critical to mission success. Desired Outcome Performance Standard Monitoring Method Incentive/Disincentive All tests, repairs, inspections, cleanings and reports are completed per SOW. 100% compliance is required for customer satisfaction, performance, and utility. 100% inspection. Full payment shall be made for 100% compliance. Contract Monitoring Procedures: Contracting Officer s Technical Representative (COTR) to assist with the contract monitoring requirements. The COTR will monitor such items as quality of service, timeliness of performance, customer service, cost control, and business relations supporting documentation. In accordance with FAR 1.601 (a) Contracts may be entered into and signed on behalf of the Government only by contracting officers. A COTR may not modify the stated terms of the contract, including extending the length of the contract period.