INTRODUCTION: This is a Pre-Solicitation Notice requesting SF 330s for Architect/Engineer (A/E) Design Services for Project Number 437-17-104: Renovate Basement for Clinical Administration Support Offices at the Fargo VA Health Care System located in Fargo, ND. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE WILL BE ISSUED via FBO. A solicitation will be issued directly to the top rated firm for which negotiations will commence in accordance with FAR part 36. The anticipated A/E Services 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: Design work shall include, but shall not be limited to providing all labor, materials, equipment, etc. necessary to completely design project 437-17-104 in accordance with the A/E design contract requirements, the Scope of Work, the A/E Submission Requirements document, NFPA, Life Safety Code (LSC), local building codes, staff input from design meetings and other requirements as determined during the course of the design. The project shall include, but shall not be limited to providing construction documents, to include but not limited to: drawings (using the VA standard title block), specifications (downloaded from the VA website), a cost estimate, construction Scope of Work synopsis with estimated duration of construction period timeframe, Sole Source information, item costs and justifications, and a brand name/or equal list. An independent fire code/Life Safety Code review and documentation provided to VA shall be required under this project by a firm contractor for by the A/E. It is expected the space will be entirely demolished and reconstructed as part of the project. The design shall provide offices for staff currently located within leased space and additional office space if it is determined during design that there is adequate space. There shall be a mix of offices, open cubicles and other support space (toilets, copier room, etc.) as determined during the design process. Exit corridors shall be maintained (stairwell access, exit from SPS space, etc.). It is expected most all finishes (ceiling, walls, floors) shall be replaced. The design team shall review the existing site and determine what might be done in order to provide an acoustical tile and grid ceiling system throughout the area under construction. The corridors will require special attention if a new acoustical tile and ceiling system may be installed due to low hanging and numerous utilities. There will be some locations where room and corridor finishes shall be patched or replaced as determined by design and the extent of expected damage from demolition and new installation requirements. Infection control procedures shall be noted on the contract documents, to include all required temporary construction barriers. All penetrations resulting from construction activities shall be noted to be filled or patched to match existing (wall or floor) construction. New penetrations or ones remaining from demolition work (wall or floor) shall be required to be fire stopped. The space shall be provided with all new HVAC systems. A new air handling unit (or several) shall be provided to air condition the space. Perimeter heating shall be replaced and new hot water perimeter heating installed. Any existing air conditioning shall be removed and replaced. The space shall be provided with new plumbing (toilets, water fountain, etc.) and sprinklers as determined during the design. It is expected the space will be provided with all new lighting, power outlets, phone/data outlets and other systems (fire alarm, PA speakers, etc.). Phasing notes shall be included as determined during the project design. The corridor work will be required to be completed after normal business hours since patient, visitor and staff will still utilize the corridors. There shall be a minimum of ten percent (of the estimated construction cost) in Deduct Bid Alternates incorporated into the project design. FINAL CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS: Drawings including cost estimates, specifications, and calculations, will be submitted within the negotiated period of performance after award. The A/E schedule shall allow for VA review period ending with A/E receipt of VA comments for each submission no later than 10 business days after VA receives the submission. The A/E work shall include, but is not limited to: (a) Site Investigations necessary to determine the existing conditions at the site of work. (b) Schematic plans, design development plans, and final construction drawings. (c) Specifications, phasing plan and cost estimates. (d) Design narrative and engineering calculations. (e) Construction period services to include submittal review, site visits and construction inspections. Bid Deduct Alternates of 10% of the estimated 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 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 and eligible firms should submit two paper copies and two CD copies of their current SF 330 to: NCO 23, Construction Contracting Office, Des Moines Division, 5435 NW 100th St., Suite 301, Johnston, IA 50131, ATTN: Michael Casper. The SF 330s are due on January 10, 2017 at 12:00 PM (CST). Use the instructions located in section fourteen (14) below for submitting your SF 330. NO FAX OR EMAIL RESPONSES WILL BE ACCEPTED: Personal visits for the purpose of discussing this announcement will not be entertained or scheduled. Questions may be directed only by e-mail to
[email protected]. In accordance with FAR 36.209 Construction Contracts with A/E firms and FAR 36.606 (c) Negotiations - all interested firms are hereby put on notice that no construction contract may 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. Security Issues, Late Bids, Unreadable Offers (a) Late submission of offers are outlined at FAR Parts 52.212-1(f) and 52.215-1(c). Particular attention is warranted to the portion of the provision that relates to the timing of submission. (b) Please see FAR 15.207(c) for a description of the steps the Government shall take with regard to unreadable offers. (c) 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 and FAR 15.207(c ). (d) 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 A/E firm will follow the guidance provided in FAR 36.6 Architect-Engineer Services. Additionally, this pre-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 Businesses (SDVOSBs). All eligible responding firms must be registered and verified with the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) in accordance with 38 CFR Part 74 and VAAR 819.70 by submission of documentation of Veteran status and ownership and control sufficient to establish appropriate status. Failure to be both VERIFIED by CVE and VISIBLE on VetBiz.gov 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 and the Government will proceed negotiating with the next highest qualified firm. 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. 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) of this project is between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 per VAAR 836.204(f). (a) Contract Award Procedure: At time of award, the A/E frim must be certified by VetBiz 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 by CVE and VISIBLE in VetBiz shall result in elimination from consideration as a proposed contract awardee. Failure of an SDVOSB to be registered in SAM at the time of contract award shall result in elimination from consideration as a proposed contract awardee. The proposed services will be obtained by a negotiated Firm-Fixed Price Contract. (b) 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. (c) 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 drawings and specifications 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 $15 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 IAW FAR 36.602-1 and VAAR 836.602-1: (a) Professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services; (b) Past performance on contracts with Government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules; (c) 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; (d) Specific experience and qualifications of personnel proposed for assignment to the project and their record of working together as a team; (e) Reputation and standing of the firm and its principal officials with respect to professional performance, general management, and cooperativeness; (f) Capacity to accomplish the work in the required time; (g) Record of significant claims against the firm because of improper or incomplete architectural and engineering services; and (h) 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. Responding firms, either multi-disciplined or collaborating with consultants, must demonstrate capability in healthcare architecture, traffic engineering, surveying, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, 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. Discussions with the three most highly rated firms based on the technical review of all the SF 330s received will be conducted. A solicitation will only be issued to the most highly qualified firm after discussions have concluded and been evaluated. Submission Requirements: Firms must provide a customer reference list with addresses and telephone numbers, and bidding records (low bid vs. estimate) 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 two paper copies and two CD copies of their current SF 330, Architect-Engineer Qualifications, Part I and Part II. 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 CD copy, and any supplemental information (such as spreadsheets, backup data, technical information), using any of the electronic formats and media described below. However, firms 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: (a) Files readable using the current Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). (b) Files in Adobe* PDF Files: When scanning documents scanner resolution should be set to 200 dots per inch, or greater; (c) Other electronic format.  If you wish to submit an offer using another format other than described in these instructions, e-mail the Contract Specialist/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 SF 330; (d) SF 330s shall be provided on standard letter size 8-1/2 by 11 inch paper, limited to a maximum of seventy-five (75), single-sided, single-spaced, and numbered pages. If more than seventy-five (75) single-sided pages are submitted, all pages after seventy-five (75) pages will not be evaluated. The font for text shall be Times New Roman 12-point or larger. (e) Please note that we can no longer accept .zip files due to increasing security concerns. VA Primary Point of Contact: Antonio Vargus, Contract Specialist Email:
[email protected]