Worldwide AE Support Services
Added: Jul 21, 2014 5:52 am This is a request for information (RFI), as described in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Sub-Part 15.201(c)(7). The purpose of the RFI is to obtain market research, pursuant to FAR Part 10, Market Research, and to identify businesses capable of performing the functions described herein. Offerors shall clearly identify their business status (small, large, 8(a), women-owned, etc.) in the first paragraph of its cover letter. Offerors shall be considered large businesses if the business status is not provided.This notice is issued solely for information gathering and planning purposes. It does not constitute a request for proposal, or a commitment on the part of the government to conduct a solicitation, for the services identified below in the future. Offerors are advised the government will not pay for information submitted in response to this RFI, nor will it compensate offerors for any costs incurred in the development/submission of its qualifications package.The procurement may be set-aside, in some capacity, for small businesses. The decision will be based on whether a sufficient number of small business enterprises are determined to be the most highly qualified offerors, at the conclusion of the Stage 1 technical evaluation.The U.S. Department of State (DOS), Office of Logistics Management, on behalf of the Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), anticipates awarding at least two indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts to qualified architectural/engineering (A/E) firm-led teams (prime or joint venture) to support the Department's planning, construction, facility rehabilitation, system replacement, physical and technical security upgrade, construction and renovation of communications facilities (information management and emanation security systems), and building maintenance projects and programs at various worldwide Foreign Service posts, as well as OBO offices in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.This announcement covers professional support services including, but not limited to: the preparation of facility assessments and comprehensive maintenance plans; architectural, interiors, and engineering studies; signage and wayfinding plans; master plans; construction specifications development; and construction contract statements of work; cost estimates for design and construction; operation and planning support services; data integration; engineering feasibility studies; construction environment profiles; business assessment validations; blocking and stacking diagrams; site utilization studies/plans; life-cycle analysis; CADD, BIM, and site data archive services; R&D efforts related to building technology; QA/QC initiatives including training; the review of design documents prepared by others; studies and analyses; facility, project, and construction management services. Although no complex interdisciplinary services are required under this contract, limited physical and security design for security and surveillance systems, special forced entry and ballistic resistant construction, and communication centers and their associated systems may be required. Limited design services may be also be performed as part of this contract. Contract services shall include the following, at minimum: architecture, historic preservation, landscape architecture, interior design, environmental graphic design, electrical, mechanical, fire protection, structural (including blast/seismic), civil/geotechnical engineering, planning, cost estimating, facility management, project management, and construction management. Teams responding to this announcement must be professionally licensed within their discipline, have demonstrated experience coordinating the participating disciplines, working with applicable U.S. laws, codes, and standards, and other U.S. Government requirements.Each contract shall consist of a one-year base period with four one-year optional service periods. The Government guarantees a minimum of $50,000 in task orders over the life of each contract. The total amount of orders issued under each contract shall not exceed $5,000,000 per year. It should be noted that although this is an unrestricted procurement, a partial or total small business set-aside may be considered if sufficient responses are received from highly qualified offerors and warrants moving in that direction.OBO utilizes accredited web-based Extranet systems (ProjNet and ProjNet-C) for the secure exchange of DOS design/construction data. These services will be initiated to selected contractors with their first task orders. All drawing files that are produced must be in or compatible with AutoCAD Release 2013 or higher and REVIT Architecture 2013. Department of State projects shall demonstrate the value of true integrated design that balances aesthetics, cost, constructability and reliability, following the Guide to Excellence in Diplomatic Facilities.A two-stage process shall be used in the award selection, as follows:In Stage 1, prospective offerors will submit portfolios of accomplishment that establish their design and leadership capabilities as the Lead Team and the key discipline core team members that would be responsible for the direction of task orders under this is support services contract. Offerors will be point-scored by a Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP) based on criteria provided in this announcement. Offerors will be ranked and a short-list issued for consideration in Stage 2.In Stage 2, the short-list of offerors will assemble their technical teams and submit detailed information as to their proposed team, management plan, and past performance on construction documents and relevant submittals. Stage 2 submissions will be reviewed by the TEP. The short-listed offerors will also be required to make presentations to the TEP. The TEP will make a determination of the most highly qualified team consistent with the announced evaluation criteria and will recommend that offeror for award to the OBO Director.  STAGE 1 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUTATION CRITERIAThe Stage 1 submission should include the following items, divided into tabbed sections in the order listed below. For the purposes of this evaluation, the core team is comprised of the following ten disciplines: (1) site planning and landscape architecture (2) architecture and master planning (3) space planning and interior design (4) mechanical engineering (5) civil and structural engineering (6) electrical engineering (7) sustainability (8) physical and technical security (9) project management and (10) pre-construction management.The assembled content for the Stage 1 submission shall be no more than 80 single-faced or 40 double-sided pages (exclusive of tabbed divider sheets and cover letter) in an 8 ½" x 11" format. The primary text font size shall not be smaller than 10 pt; photo titles, subtext, etc. shall not be smaller than 8 pt. The Stage 1 submission should include the following items, divided into tabbed sections in the order listed below:(1) Cover Letter. Provide a cover letter referencing the Fedbizopps announcement to which the offeror is applying, briefly describing the A/E team and its location, organizational makeup, and noteworthy accomplishments.(2) Standard Form 330. Standard Form 330 Architect-Engineer Qualifications, Part II only. Identify the individual, firm, partnership, corporation, association or other legal entity permitted by law to practice the profession of architecture or engineering that will have contractual responsibility for the work. Proposed team information (requirements 3, 4, and 5) may be documented in this stage using Standard Form 330, Part I, Sections A tough H, but it is not required.(3) Leadership of Multi-Disciplinary Services (20 points maximum). Provide a narrative describing the offeror's philosophy of design, challenge of public and international architecture, integrated design leadership, and their commitment to integrated, sustainable, and high-performance projects.(4) Design and Engineering Innovation (30 points maximum). Submit a portfolio representative of the Lead Team members' abilities to provide design innovation in problem-solving. Offerors shall submit a portfolio of not more than five examples total that have been designed and fully constructed in the last ten years (maximum of 5 pages per example.) The narrative shall address the approach to design thinking and problem-solving process. Examples for each innovation, solution, or process should discuss the challenges and how the client's program, need, functional, or operational objectives benefitted. This section of the submission should cite professional affiliation awards, peer-based professional or industry awards, and provide a client reference contact for each project, including name, title, address, email, phone, and fax numbers. A representative diagram or other appropriate drawings, and a minimum of two photographs must be included for each example.  (5) Core Team Lead Discipline Member Profiles (50 points maximum). Identify Lead Team members of the ten core disciplines and submit a biographical sketch (maximum of tee pages per person) including education, professional experience, and recognition for design or engineering efforts inclusive of the portfolio examples. Identify and describe areas of responsibility and commitment to each project.The short-listed offerors will be notified in writing and requested to submit more detailed information including sub-consultants for Stage 2 evaluation. The government will provide detailed evaluation criteria for both the Stage 2 submission and the interview at an appropriate time after the short-listed firms from Stage 1 are announced.Since a contract may result in an award over $500,000, large businesses will be required to submit a small business subcontracting plan prior to contract award. The small business size standard North American Industry Classification System code is 541330, $14.0 million average.Selection shall be in accordance with the Brooks Act, P.L. 92-582 (40 U.S.C. 1101-1104). After the successful offeror(s) has been selected, the resultant contract award will be dependent on the conclusion of successful negotiations.In order to be eligible for award of this contract, the successful offeror(s) must possess, or be eligible to obtain, a Defense Security Service (DSS) Secret Facility Clearance (FCL), with Secret safeguarding capability, issued in accordance with the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, DOD 5220.22-M. Personnel requiring access to classified information or Controlled Access Areas (CAAs) at DOS locations must possess a Secret personnel security clearance issued by the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (DISCO). Additionally, the successful offeror selected for contract award must possess, or immediately obtain an Information System (IS) or standalone computer, approved by DSS, for processing classified information. Performance on this contract will require access to the Department's ProjNet-C, for receipt and transmission of all classified information, and a DSS-approved classified IS for processing classified information. Offerors already possessing the necessary FCL should submit their appropriate Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code with their Stage 2 submissions. If an uncleared offeror from the Stage 2 short-list is recommended to the Director for selection, the Department of State will sponsor the uncleared firm for an FCL. Firms which form joint ventures must also comply with the above FCL requirements. Each entity comprising the joint venture must be issued an FCL, as well as the joint venture. Sponsorship does not guarantee that the firm will receive the clearance. Contract award cannot be made until the selected firm has been issued at least an Interim Secret FCL. A period of 90 calendar days, from the date of sponsorship, will be allowed for an uncleared contractor to obtain a Secret FCL. If the firm has not obtained the FCL after 90 days, the Government may terminate negotiations with the offeror and may move to select another short-listed firm for award.Foreign firms are not eligible for FCLs. Only U.S. firms organized and operating in the U.S. or Puerto Rico, or a U.S. possession or trusted territory, are eligible for facility clearances. U.S. firms which are determined to be under Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) are not eligible for an FCL unless actions (as directed and approved by DSS) can be taken to effectively negate or reduce associated FOCI risks to an acceptable level. This process often takes more than the 90 calendar days allotted for clearance. Information on the clearance process can be found on the DSS website, at http://www.dss.mil, under Industrial Security. Certain team subcontractors/consultants may also require FCLs and personnel security clearances. Uncleared team subcontractors/consultants must be sponsored by the short-listed firm, only after that firm receives its own FCL. Firms being considered for award under this acquisition are limited to "United States Person" offerors, as defined in the Act. The offeror(s) must complete and submit one copy as part of its qualification package the pamphlet (bound separately), Certifications Relevant to Public Law 99-399, Statement of Qualifications for Purpose of Section 402 of The Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986. (The pamphlet is attached to this announcement and may also be obtained from the Contracting Officer listed at the end of this notice.) A firm being considered for award must meet the definition of a "United States person" of P.L. 99-399, Section 402 thereof, as follows: (1) be legally organized in the United States more than five years prior to the issuance of a request for proposal; (2) have its principal place of business in the United States; (3) have performed within the U.S. administrative, technical or professional services similar in complexity, type of construction, and value of the project being solicited; (4) employ U.S. citizens in a least 80 percent of principal management positions in the U.S.; and (5) have existing technical and financial resources in the U.S. to perform the contract. Firms not meeting the "United States persons" requirement will not be considered. Offerors that meet the requirements described in this announcement are invited to submit the required Stage 1 documents. Offerors shall submit one original signature, two hard copies, and one digital (PDF) version on CD. The submission shall incorporate tabs to clearly identify the different solicitation requirements. Offerors may find a copy of the SF-330 at the following website: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/SF.Offerors are advised that inaccurate or incomplete submissions, or those not meeting the submission requirements, may result in immediate disqualification.  All Stage 1 submissions (including one hard copy, separately bound, of the statement of qualifications of P.L. 99-399), must be received by 10:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on August 26, 2014. Requests for clarification must be received, in writing, by Mr. Brian Mulcahy, not later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on August 4, 2014. The e-mail address to submit clarification questions is mulcahybf@state.gov. Clarifications received after the deadline, and telephone requests for information, shall not be accepted. The mailing address, including hand-delivery and courier service (Federal Express, UPS), is as follows: Mr. Brian Mulcahy, U.S. Department of State, Office of Logistics Management, 1735 North Lynn Street, Room 425E, Arlington, VA 22209.
S-AQMMA-14-R-0394 Department of State Office of Acquisition Management
7/21/14, 5:52 AM