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

Pre-SOLICITATION: A&E 442-21-012 OR HVAC System Upgrade PH 2 DESCRIPTION: This is a Pre-Solicitation Notice for the establishment of an Architect-Engineering (A-E) contract with services to be perform... Pre-SOLICITATION: A&E 442-21-012 OR HVAC System Upgrade PH 2 DESCRIPTION: This is a Pre-Solicitation Notice for the establishment of an Architect-Engineering (A-E) contract with services to be performed at the Cheyenne VA Medical Center, 2360 E. Pershing Blvd., Cheyenne, WY 82001. This requirement is being set-aside to Small Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) firms. 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. The SF-330 can be downloaded through the GSA Forms Library at: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/TOP, scroll down to locate and click on the SF-330 hyperlink entitled, Architect-Engineer Qualifications. Please note: Funds are not presently available for this contract. The Government s obligation under this contract is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for contract purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Government for any payment may arise until funds are made available to the Contracting Officer for this contract and until the Contractor receives notice of such availability. Magnitude of Construction is between $2,000,000 and $5,000,000. Written questions pertaining to this requirement should be submitted no later than 1:00 p.m. Mountain Time (MT), Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Interested firms should submit their current SF-330, Parts I and II, to ilze.karklins-powers@va.gov The SF-330s are due no later than 1:00 p.m. Mountain Time (MT), Tuesday, June 22, 2021. SCOPE OF WORK: Objective The Cheyenne Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) is seeking a qualified A&E Firm to provide design and construction management services to modify existing heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems serving operating rooms (ORs)/ operating suites to bring them into compliance with current code and VA design standards. The anticipated cost of construction for this project is $2,550,000. Scope Field survey, analyze, and design upgrades necessary to existing HVAC system to bring four ORs at the Cheyenne Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) into full compliance with an approved equivalency to meet the VA surgical and HVAC design standards. The design will include the features summarized below in addition to any other modifications needed to have a complete and working system: Replace all diffusers in the ORs and clean core/ operating suite with a welded stainless steel HEPA filtered diffuser. Diffusers to include features such as dirty filter indicator, front access for filter change, and ability to challenge filter from faceplate. Design a properly sized laminar flow diffuser array in the operating suites in lieu of a laminar flow with air curtain system. Install two additional return grilles in each OR. Install booster fans, fan terminal unit, or fan powered diffusers as appropriate in each space where additional static pressure is needed to overcome HEPA filters at diffusers. Preform acoustical analysis where booster fans are added and provide appropriate silencers if needed. Validate the existing ductwork can handle the increased static pressure caused by the terminal HEPA filtration. Modify the after filter in the air handler serving the operating suites from a HEPA filter to a MERV 14 filter. Provide a DX condensing unit paired with existing DX coil in AHU serving the operating suites. Condensing unit shall be on emergency power. Verify emergency power availability in the penthouse, otherwise provide new feeder from the basement switchgear room. Modify AHU control sequence to enable DX cooling when desired discharge air conditions are not being met with the primary chilled water cooling coil. Provide humidity sensors in all four ORs and modify AHU control sequence to humidify/ dehumidify according to the space that is most out of the permitted range. Provide pressure independent return air terminal units for all four ORs to be controlled by pressure differential. Pressure sensors are present for ORs 3 & 4 but shall be added for ORs 1 & 2. Pressure differentials shall be visible on the building automation system. Evaluate temperature set back techniques to improve energy efficiency. Install occupancy sensors in spaces to control setback schedule. Create two computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models, one for OR 1 and one for OR 3, to ensure laminar flow diffuser array is properly sized to ensure proper airflow patterns and maximum air asepsis in the existing operating rooms. Also use the CFD model to identify the best location to add two additional return grilles in each OR to prevent recirculation/ entrainment of air from the non-sterile zone back into the sterile zone. CFD models shall be completed during schematic design to validate proper air distribution prior to design proceeding. In addition to the HVAC system the following will be addressed in the renovation of these spaces: Replacing the ceiling mounted light booms in ORs 1 & 2. Relocating one ceiling mounted light boom in OR 3 & OR 4 to obtain better lighting of the surgical field. Patch and paint all ceilings and walls in area of renovation. Replace lights in all four ORs with a sealed LED fixture suitable for use in an OR with dimming capability. Demolish abandoned pump and piping that previously served AHU-23 in ceiling plenum of OR 3 & 4 storage rooms back to mains in penthouse. Construction the walls surrounding ORs 1 & 2 to deck. Seal any openings above the ceiling in walls to deck surrounding ORs 3 & 4. Replace sprinkler heads in ORs. Provide a phasing plan to keep one set of operating rooms and surrounding departments operational throughout the duration of construction. Design shall be phased so that ORs 3 & 4 are renovated while ORs 1 & 2 remain in service. Once ORs 3 & 4 are in service, ORs 1 & 2 will be taken offline to be renovated. Whole system shutdowns will be limited to weekend work if possible. Existing ductwork will be cleaned prior to putting a set of ORs back in service. All outages and shutdowns shall be closely coordinated with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) with minimum 2 weeks notice, any major shutdown impacting utilities to space (power, HVAC, medical gas) will be coordinated on a night or weekend. All work shall be planned and scheduled to minimize the construction activity impact on the operation of the medical center. All work shall be conducted with strict adherence to Cheyenne Medical Center and Veteran s Health Administration regulations, infection control requirements, and life safety requirements. Provide three (3) design period visits to the site. Participate in design review meetings for each deliverable over Microsoft Teams. Provide six (6) site visits during the construction phase of this project with a schedule determined by mutual agreement between the COR & the A&E firm. Provide on-site inspection with written evaluation and/or punch list upon completion of each phase. Provide all typical CA services such as answering RFIs, evaluating change orders, and reviewing submittals. Contractor shall place emphasis on cost and scope management. An estimate of construction cost based on level of design detail will be required at each design phase. Refer to the appended A/E Submission Instructions for Minor and NRM Construction Program (VA Guide PG-18-15) for minimum deliverable requirements at each phase. Also include any other submittal requirements detailed in this SOW. The NAICS code for this project is 541330 Engineering Services. The current small business size standard for 541330 is $16.5 million. OFFERORS WILL BE EVALUATED ON THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: The submitted SF-330s will be evaluated on the following criteria: This acquisition will be in accordance with FAR Part 36.602-1 and VAAR Part 836.601-1. The following evaluation criteria will be used to evaluate SF-330 technical proposals: The A/E must demonstrate its qualifications with respect to the published evaluation criteria for all services. Evaluation Criteria (1) through (4) are considered most important and equal among themselves; Criteria (5) through (7) are of slightly less importance than (1) through (4) but are equal value among themselves. 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. Use of Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small businesses. Experience in construction period services. Criterion1 - Professional Qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services. Offerors will be evaluated in terms of the qualifications, competence and experience of the key personnel and technical team proposed to accomplish this work. Additionally, offerors will be evaluated on their record of working together as a ream. Key personnel are individuals who will have major contract or project management responsibilities and/or will provide unusual or unique expertise. Provide a licensed and/or certified workforce in all the following disciplines - Architecture, Interior Design, Civil, Structural, Mechanical & HVAC, Electrical, Fire Protection Engineering, LEAN/Six Sigma, LEED/Green Globes and AAMI. Lead designer in each discipline shall be registered but does not have to be registered in the particular state of this project. Submission requirements: Provide resumes for all proposed key personnel. Resumes are limited to one page each and should cite project specific experience and indicate proposed role in this contract. Provide professional registration, certification, licensure and/or accreditation. Indicate participation of key personnel in example projects in the SF-330 Part 1 Section G. Criterion 2 - 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. Offerors will be evaluated on specialized experience and technical competence, to include offeror s proposed personnel, in the performance of services similar to those anticipated under this contract with regard to: Specialized knowledge of medical equipment sterilization processes and designs, transport systems for supplies and instruments, hospital infection control, and space planning. AE firm should be familiar with VA/AAMI/ANSI/ASME/ASHRAE/CDC/NFPA/OSHA codes and guides listed in the SPS Design Guide (pg. 18-12). Submission requirements: Provide up to five (5) projects completed or substantially completed within the past five (5) years that best illustrate specialized experience of the proposed team in the areas outlined above. Example projects shall note project s square footage. All projects provided in the SF-330 must be completed by the office/branch/regional office/individual team member proposed to manage and/or perform work under this contract. To enable verification, firms should include the DUNS number along with each firm name in the SF-330 Part 1, Section F Item 25 Firms from Section C Involved in this Project, block (1). Include a contract number or project identification number in block 21. Include an e-mail address, and phone number for the point of contact in block 23(c). Include in the project description the contract period of performance, award contract value, current contract value, a summary of the work performed that demonstrates relevance to specialized experience as outlined above. If the contractor served as a subcontractor on a project, indicate the value of the work they provided towards the performance of the overall project. If a project was performed by a joint venture, and not all joint venture partners are on the team proposed for this contract, the offeror/team should specifically address the work performed by the joint venture partner offering/teaming on this contract. Likewise, if the offeror/team member worked as a subcontractor on a project, the description should clearly describe the work actually performed by the offeror/team member and the roles and responsibilities of each on the project, rather than the work performed on the project as a whole. If the project description does not clearly delineate the work performed by the entity/entities offering/teaming on this contract, the project could be eliminated from consideration. NOTE: If the Offeror is a joint venture, information should be submitted as a joint venture; however, if there is no information for the joint venture, information should be submitted for either joint venture partner, not to exceed a total of five (5) projects for this criterion. Projects shall be submitted on the SF-330. For submittal purposes, a task order on an IDIQ contract is considered a project, as is a stand-alone contract award. Do not list an IDIQ contract as an example of a completed project. Instead, list relevant completed task orders or stand-alone contract awards that fit within the definition above. Examples of project work submitted that do not conform to this requirement will not be evaluated. Failure to provide requested data, accessible points of contact, or valid phone numbers could result in a firm being rated lower. All information for Criterion 2 should be submitted in Part 1, Section F of the SF-330. The Government WILL NOT consider information submitted in addition to Part 2, Section F in evaluating Criterion 2. Criterion 3 - Capacity to accomplish the work in the required time. Firms/teams will be evaluated in terms of their ability to plan for and manage work under the contract and capacity to accomplish the work in the required time, to include capacity within the key disciplines required by this project. Additionally, offerors will be evaluated on the volume of work awarded by the VA during the 12 months before the closing date. Submission requirements: Describe the firm s ability to concurrently perform and manage multiple projects in different locations to meet aggressive schedules, multiple disciplines, and control costs and the firm s capacity to accomplish multiple projects simultaneously. Criterion 4 - Past Performance. Offerors will be evaluated on past performance with Government agencies and private industry in terms of work quality, compliance with schedules, cost control, and stakeholder/customer satisfaction. Additionally, offerors will be evaluated on the reputation and standing of the firm and its principals with respect to professional performance, general management, and cooperativeness. Offerors will be also evaluated on their record of significant claims against the firm. Evaluating past performance and experience will include information provided in Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) or CPARS/ACASS for Criterion 1 projects and may include other information provided by the firm, customer inquiries, Government databases, and other information available to the Government including contacts with points of contact in other criteria. Failure to provide requested data, accessible points of contact, or valid phone numbers could result in a firm being rated lower. NOTE: Past performance information for projects listed under Criterion 1. Submission requirements: SUBMIT A COMPLETED CPARS/ACASS EVALUATION FOR EACH PROJECT UNDER CRITERION 1. IF THERE IS NOT A COMPLETED CPARS/ACASS EVALUATION, the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) included in this notice is provided for the offeror or its team members to submit to the client for each project the offeror includes under Criterion 1. AN OFFEROR SHALL NOT SUBMIT A PPQ WHEN A COMPLETED CPARS/ACASS IS AVAILABLE. IF A CPARS/ACASS EVALUATION IS NOT AVAILABLE, ensure correct phone numbers and email addresses are provided for the client point of contact. Completed PPQs should be submitted with your SF-330. If the offeror is unable to obtain a completed PPQ from a client for a project(s) before the response date set forth in this notice, offerors should complete and submit with their responses the first page of the PPQ (Attachment), which will provide contract and client information for the respective project(s). Offerors may submit a PPQ previously submitted under a different Notice/RFP (legible copies are acceptable) if it is on the same form as posted with this Synopsis. Offerors should follow up with clients/references to ensure timely submittal of questionnaires. If requested by the client, questionnaires may be submitted directly to the Government's point of contact, Network Contracting Office 19, Attn: Ilze Karklins-Powers via email at ilze.karklins-powers@va.gov prior to the response date. Offerors shall not incorporate by reference into their response PPQs or CPARS previously submitted in response to other A/E services procurements. However, this does not preclude the Government from utilizing previously submitted PPQ information in the past performance evaluation. Also, submit information regarding whether any significant claims have been filed against the offeror. Criterion 5 - Location in the general geographical area (Cheyenne, WY) and knowledge of the (Cheyenne, WY); provided, that application of this criterion leaves an appropriate number of qualified firms, given the nature and size of the project. Provided that the application of this criterion leaves an appropriate number of qualified firms, given the nature and size of the contract, firms/teams will be evaluated on the locations of their office or offices that will be performing the work under this contract. Submission requirements: Indicate firms/teams location, including main offices, branch offices and any sub consultants offices and demonstrate how this will be advantageous to the Government. Criterion 6 - Use of Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small businesses. The extent to which potential contractors identify and commit to the use of service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses, Veteran-owned small businesses, and other types of small businesses as subcontractors will be evaluated. Submission requirements: Indicate Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) firms/teams proposed to be used on this project. Criterion 7 - Experience in construction period services. Professional field inspections during the construction period, review of construction submittals, support in answering requests for information during the construction period, and support of construction contract changes to include drafting statements of work, and cost estimates will be evaluated. Submission requirements: Indicate from projects submitted in Criteria #2 the extent and magnitude of the construction period services regarding the areas stated above included in those projects. 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 as published at the following site: www.cfm.va.gov; ASME, OSHA, IBC 2009, NFPA and NEC building codes and standards. Coordinate all work through the COR of Facilities Management Service. Contractor is responsible for all cleanups and refuse disposal throughout the construction period. The 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 construction work. Microsoft Project scheduling and management software will be used by both the A-E 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. The estimated magnitude of construction is between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000. 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 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 A-E will provide documents at each submission as indicated in the statement of work. The NAICS code for this procurement will be 541330, Engineering Services. The current small business size standard for 541330 is $16.5 million. Requirement for Electronic Submission Unless paper offers are specifically authorized, all responses to this pre-solicitation notice must be submitted electronically as described below. The only acceptable paper form for this requirement is the receipt of past performance questionnaires. 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 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. 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. Use only one of the terms Quotation, Offer, or Bid depending on the solicitation type. Size: Maximum size of the e-mail message shall not exceed five (5) megabytes. The SF330, in its entirety, shall not exceed one email of 5MB. The SF330 will not exceed thirty (30) pages, excluding past performance items (CPARS and/or Past Performance Questionnaires). If the page limits are exceeded, the pages in excess of the limit will not be read or considered. Only one email is permitted unless otherwise stated in this paragraph or in writing by the Contract Officer submitting the solicitation. 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 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 Veterans Affairs Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) 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 Department of Veteran Affairs CVE at the time of offer submission. Failure to be both VERIFIED by CVE and VISIBLE on VetBiz at the time of offer submission and contract award will result in the offeror s proposal being deemed non-compliant. All offerors are urged to contact the CVE and submit the required documents to obtain CVE verification of their SDVOSB status if they have not already done so. VAAR 852.219-10 VA NOTICE OF TOTAL SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (JUL 2019) (DEVIATION) (a) Definition. For the Department of Veterans Affairs, Service-disabled Veteran-owned small business concern or SDVSOB: (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 (see VAAR 802.201, Surviving Spouse definition); (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; (iv) The business has been verified for ownership and control pursuant to 38 CFR 74 and is so listed in the Vendor Information Pages database, (https://www.vip.vetbiz.va.gov); and (v) The business will comply with VAAR subpart 819.70 and Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations regarding small business size and government contracting programs at 13 CFR part 121 and 125, including the nonmanufacturer rule and limitations on subcontracting requirements in 13 CFR 121.406 and 125.6, provided that any reference therein to a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern (SDVO SBC), is to be construed to apply to a VA verified and VIP-listed SDVOSB. The nonmanufacturer rule and the limitations on subcontracting apply to all SDVOSB and VOSB set-asides and sole source contracts. (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 eligible service-disabled Veteran-owned small business concerns. Only VIP-listed service-disabled Veteran-owned small business concerns (SDVOSBs) may submit offers in response to this solicitation. Offers received from concerns that are not VIP-listed service-disabled Veteran-owned small business concerns shall not be considered. (2) Any award resulting from this solicitation shall be made to a VIP-listed service-disabled Veteran-owned small business concern that meets the size standard for the applicable NAICS code. (c) Representation. By submitting an offer, the prospective contractor represents that it is an eligible SDVOSB as defined in this clause, 38 CFR part 74, and VAAR subpart 819.70. Pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 8127(e), only VIP-listed SDVOSBs are considered eligible. Therefore, any reference in 13 CFR part 121 and 125 to a service disabled Veteran-owned small business concern (SDVO SBC), is to be construed to apply to a VA verified and VIP-listed SDVOSB and only such concern(s) qualify as similarly situated. The offeror must also be eligible at the time of award. (d) Agreement. When awarded a contract (see FAR 2.101, Definitions), including orders under multiple-award contracts, or a subcontract, an SDVOSB agrees that in the performance of the contract, the SDVOSB shall comply with requirements in VAAR subpart 819.70 and SBA regulations on small business size and government contracting programs at 13 CFR part 121 and 125, including the nonmanufacturer rule and limitations on subcontracting requirements in 13 CFR part 121.406 and 125.6, provided that for purposes of the limitations on subcontracting, only VIP-listed SDVOSBs shall be considered eligible and/or similarly situated (i.e., a firm that has the same small business program status as the prime contractor). An independent contractor shall be considered a subcontractor. An otherwise eligible firm further agrees to the following: (1) Services. In the case of a contract for services (except construction), it will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs. (2) Supplies or products. (i) In the case of a contract for supplies or products (other than from a nonmanufacturer of such supplies), it will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs. (ii) In the case of a contract for supplies from a nonmanufacturer, it will supply the product of a domestic small business manufacturer or processor, unless a waiver is described in 13 CFR 121.406(b)(5) is granted. (3) General construction. In the case of a contract for general construction, it will not pay more than 85% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs. (4) Special trade contractors. In the case of a contract for special trade contractors, it will not pay more than 75% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs. (5) Subcontracting. Any work that a VIP-listed SDVOSB subcontractor further subcontracts will count towards the percent of subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. For supply or construction contracts, cost of materials is excluded and not considered to be subcontracted. For mixed contracts and additional limitations, refer to 13 CFR 125.6. (e) Joint ventures. A joint venture may be considered an SDVOSB if the joint venture is listed in VIP and complies with the requirements in 13 CFR 125.18(b), provided that any reference therein to service-disabled Veteran-owned small business concern or SDVO SBC, is to be construed to mean a VIP-listed SDVOSB. A joint venture agrees that, i...