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

INTRODUCTION: This is a Pre-Solicitation Notice for Project Number 636-25-306, Upgrade Surgery Air Handlers (OM) that requires Architect and/or Engineering (A-E) Design Services to design an upgrade o... INTRODUCTION: This is a Pre-Solicitation Notice for Project Number 636-25-306, Upgrade Surgery Air Handlers (OM) that requires Architect and/or Engineering (A-E) Design Services to design an upgrade of the surgery air handlers at the Omaha VA Medical Center (VAMC) and for Project Number 636-25-502, Air Handler Replacement (GI) that requires A-E Design Services to design an air handler upgrade/replacement at the Grand Island Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) under one contract action. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PRICE PROPOSAL. NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE WILL BE ISSUED UNTIL AFTER AN EVALUATION HAS BEEN MADE ON THE SUBMITTED SF 330s. The contemplated A-E Services that are anticipated to be awarded will be procured in accordance with the Selection of Architects and Engineers Act (Public Law 92-582), Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 36.6, and VA Acquisition Regulation 836.6. DESCRIPTION: The VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System is seeking a professional A-E firm to provide all A-E design services required for the design and delivery of plans, specifications, cost estimates, related studies, and all associated engineering services for the upgrade of the surgery air handlers at the Omaha VAMC and for air handler upgrade/replacement at the Grand Island CBOC. The design project for the Omaha VAMC will upgrade surgery air handlers at the Omaha VA Medical Center, which will focus on the optimization and replacement of Roof Top Units (RTU) #2, #3, & #7 to air handling units for current and future supply services. The design project for Grand Island CBOC will replace/upgrade the air handler units at the Grand Island CBOC, which will require upgrades to various parts of the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. FINAL CONSTRUCTION: Drawings for Bid (Sealed by A-E) including cost estimates, specifications, and calculations for both projects, shall be completed within 245 calendar days after issuance of the Notice to Proceed. The A-E work shall include, but is not limited to: Site Investigations necessary to determine the existing conditions at the site of work. Schematic plans, design development plans, and final construction drawings. Specifications, phasing plan and cost estimates. Design narrative and engineering calculations. Construction period services to include submittal review, site visits and construction inspections. Bid Deduct Alternates of 10% of the approved construction budget shall be developed, planned, and estimated as necessary to assure award of contract within available funds. Bid Deduct Alternates shall be clearly identified on contract drawings and price breakdown shall be provided for in addition to the base offer s construction estimate. All offerors are advised that in accordance with VAAR 836.606-73, the total cost of the contract for A-E services must not exceed 6 percent of the estimated cost of the construction project plus any fees for related services and activities. Additionally, FAR Clause 52.236-22 (c) - Design Within Funding Limitation, will be applicable to this procurement action. Design limitation costs will be provided to the most highly rated A-E firm selected to complete the design. Interested firms should submit their SF 330 electronically to the Contracting Officer: Angela Frost / Email Address: Angela.Frost2@va.gov. SF 330s are due on April 7, 2025, at 10:00 AM (CT). Use the instructions located in section fourteen (14) below for submitting your SF 330. NO FAX OR PAPER/CD RESPONSES WILL BE ACCEPTED: Personal visits for the purpose of discussing this announcement will not be entertained or scheduled. Selection shall be in order of preference from the firms considered Most Highly Qualified. Questions may be directed only by e-mail to Angela.Frost2@va.gov. In accordance with FAR 36.209 Construction Contracts with A-E Firms and 36.606 (c), all interested contractors are hereby put on notice that no construction contract may be awarded to the firm that ultimately designs this requirement. Security Issues, Late Bids, Unreadable Offers Late submission of offers are outlined at FAR Part 52.215-1(c). 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 Part 15.207(c). Password protecting your SF 330 is not permitted. The Contracting Officer will file the offer electronically which will allow access only by designated Government individuals. The selection of the most qualified contractor will follow the guidance provided in FAR 36.6 Architect-Engineer Services. Additionally, this solicitation is also issued in accordance with Public Law 109-461, the Veterans Benefits, Healthcare Information and Technology Act of 2006, Sections 502 and 503, as a set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) contractors. Pursuant to 38 USC 8127(d), competition is restricted to SDVOSB firms, as there is a reasonable expectation that two or more offers from SDVOSB contractors will be received under this solicitation. Apparent successful offerors must apply for and receive verification from the U.S Small Business Administration Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) in accordance with 38 CFR Part 74 by submission of documentation of Veteran status and ownership and control sufficient to establish appropriate status. Failure to be both VERIFIED and VISIBLE on VetCert at the time SF 330s are submitted, when the proposal is received as a result of the solicitation issued to the most qualified firm, and on the date of contract award will result in the offeror s proposal/SF 330 being deemed not acceptable. All offerors are urged to contact the VetCert and submit the aforementioned required documents to obtain VetCert verification of their SDVOSB status if they have not already done so. 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. The estimated magnitude for construction (not design) for the Upgrade Surgery Air Handlers project is between $2,000,000.00 and $5,000,000.00 and the estimated magnitude for construction (not design) for the Air Handler Replacement project is between $2,000,000.00 and $5,000,000.00. Contract Award Procedure: At time of award, the contractor must be certified by VetCert and registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database. Register via the SAM internet site at www.sam.gov. Failure of an SDVOSB to be VERIFIED and VISIBLE in VetCert shall result in elimination from consideration as a potential contract awardee. Failure of a SDVOSB to be registered in SAM at the time of contract award shall result in elimination from consideration as a proposed contract awardee. Contractors that appear on Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) debarred list at the time of contract award shall be eliminated from consideration as a proposed contract awardee. The proposed services will be obtained by a Negotiated Firm-Fixed Price Contract. The review/design including but not limited to architectural, structural, mechanical including HVAC and control replacement, electrical, civil, plumbing, 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 $25.5 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: The VA will utilize the following selection criteria: Offerors shall submit the information requested and any other requirements provided in the Statement of Work. Proposals will be evaluated using the following: Factors 1 through 5 are of equal importance and shall collectively account for 90% of the Evaluation Rating. Factors 6 and 7 are of less importance and shall each count for 5% of the Evaluation Rating. 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. Experience in construction period services to include 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 shall be included as an evaluation criterion when construction period services is included in the statement of work for A-E services. 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. 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. Responding firms, either multi-disciplined or collaborating with consultants, must demonstrate capability but not limited to healthcare architectural, structural, mechanical including HVAC and control replacement, electrical, civil, plumbing, communications, environmental, fire protection, cost estimating, Building Commissioning, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, specification writing, and construction surveillance skills as described herein. Responses to this notice should include recent (within the past 5 years) experience in designing projects of this nature. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. This is a request for SF 330 A-E Qualification 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. The three most highly rated firms based on the technical review of all of the SF 330 s received will be invited to provide oral presentations. A solicitation will only be issued to the most highly qualified vendor after oral presentations have been concluded and evaluated. The second and third place rated firms will be notified that they were not selected most qualified but that they may still be contacted for solicitation in the event that award does not proceed with the most highly qualified firm. Submission Requirements: Firms must provide a customer reference list with addresses and telephone numbers, and bidding records (AE Estimate Cost of Construction vs. Construction Awarded Amount), if applicable for all projects listed as related experience, and a project workload schedule showing proposed team members for the project period. All responding firms, including consultants to the primary firm are required to submit their SF 330 Part 1 and Part 2 electronically to the Contracting Officer. Contracting Officer: Angela Frost / Email Address: Angela.Frost2@va.gov. The SF 330, Part I must clearly indicate the office location where the work will be performed, and the qualification of the individuals and subcontractors proposed to work on the contract and their geographical location. You must submit your electronical copy, and any supplemental information (such as spreadsheets, backup data, technical information), using any of the electronic formats and media described below. However, contractors will be 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 SF 330 packages: Files readable using the current Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). 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 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; SF 330s shall be provided on standard letter size 8-1/2 by 11-inch paper, limited to a maximum of fifty (50), single-sided, single-spaced, and numbered pages. If more than fifty (50) single-sided pages are submitted, all pages after fifty (50) pages will not be evaluated. The font for text shall be Times New Roman 12-point or larger. Please note that we can no longer accept .zip files due to increasing security concerns. Size:Â Maximum size of the e-mail message must be less than twenty (20) megabytes. If the size limits are exceeded, the VA may not receive the file and/or you may not be considered. Only one email is permitted. VA Primary Point of Contact: Angela Frost Email: Angela.Frost2@va.gov