Questions and Answers RFP Generators Installation.pdf

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS – Q&As

RFP NO. 19EC75-25-R-0003

The Embassy of the United States of America in Quito, Ecuador requires installation services for fourteen (14) residential generators and forty (40) Automatic Transfer Switches (ATSs), to be performed at residences located in Quito - Ecuador.

The questions and answers below are responsive to the inquiries received. Prospective offerors had the opportunity to submit questions to the Embassy regarding this solicitation, until August

25, 2025, at 16:00 hours.

QUESTION NO. 1

Please clarify in more detail the tests that are performed on the generators and ATS for acceptance.

ANSWER

Commissioning shall follow manufacturer procedures. Refer to the generator and ATS manuals that were attached to the RFP. Please refer to SOW 8.16 A-D for additional information.

QUESTION NO. 2

Please indicate who will be responsible for supplying the diesel fuel for the start-up and testing the equipment.

ANSWER

As part of the commissioning process, the contractor is responsible for providing the diesel fuel required. Please refer to SOW 1.2:

“1.2 The contractor shall provide the labor, equipment, materials, and all tools for performing the work. All material and tools required by the Contractor will not be provided by the Embassy and shall be at the Contractor’s expense, except for the work, Contractor Installed (GFCI) material listed in 3.0 GOVERNMENT MATERIAL (GM). The Contractor is required to furnish engineering, equipment, labor, and perform all work within a fixed-price contract:”

QUESTION NO. 3

Payments can be made according to the progress of the work, i.e., if the installation of two of the generators is completed in one month, that amount can be invoiced.

ANSWER

Yes, after commissioning and a properly submitted invoice will result in payment. Recommend reviewing the solicitation and section G.3 PAYMENT.

QUESTION NO. 4

If any item is required for the installation and needs to be imported, what would be the procedure and delivery time, or can an item with similar characteristics that can be obtained on the local market be proposed?

ANSWER

The U.S. Government does not expect any additional installation equipment to be imported. The

Government furnished equipment and material provided by the Embassy are the following:

• Generator

• ATS

• Generator Distribution Panel

• Feeder Cables

• Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF).

However, any additional materials must comply with OBO standards as stated in the RFP, local products that meet the standards are acceptable.

QUESTION NO. 5

The pipes must be painted, for example: exhaust pipes, service pipes.

ANSWER

For most pipes, no. Please refer to SOW Section 8.16 B for specifications regarding the generators’ drainage clean out, which requires a “black painted steel pipe.”

QUESTION NO. 6

Please indicate the heights of the exhaust pipes for each location.

Please refer to the chart for exhaust pipe information.

# Location Exhaust modification Length of the exhaust

(m)

1 Duque's Compound Yes 10

2 Rioja's Compound Yes 4

3 Antzara's Compound Yes 10

Mr. Pimiento / 99339

No

No additional pipe shall be installed beyond what is provided by the manufacturer.

Houses 99467 / 99317

No

No additional pipe shall be installed beyond what is provided by the manufacturer.

Quinde's Building

No

No additional pipe shall be installed beyond what is provided by the manufacturer.

Mirlo Compound

No

No additional pipe shall be installed beyond what is provided by the manufacturer.

8 DCMR Yes 10

Aveiro Building

No

No additional pipe shall be installed beyond what is provided by the manufacturer.

10 Antigua Compound Yes 10

Bermeo Compound

No

No additional pipe shall be installed beyond what is provided by the manufacturer.

Rosaleda Compound

No

No additional pipe shall be installed beyond what is provided by the manufacturer.

13 Vivalto Building Yes 6

14 Perlo Rey Compound Yes 10

QUESTION NO. 7

Which materials the contractor should supply for the genset and ATS installation?

Refer to question 4. All materials that are not included in the list shall be considered.

QUESTION NO. 8

Is the contractor for this contract responsible to collocate in place each of the generators?

No. Generators will be pre-positioned by another contractor.

QUESTION NO. 9

Are the exhaust pipes required to be insulated?

ANSWER

Yes. Please refer to SOW 8.16 B – Mechanical Material and Installation, which requires thermal insulation for exhaust pipes when such pipes are located outside the protective fence and/or present a burn hazard to occupants. Refer also to the response to Question #6 for identification of the exhaust pipe subject to thermal insulation installation.

QUESTION NO. 10

Are silencers required for generators?

No.

QUESTION NO. 11

Are vibrator insulators required for gensets?

ANSWER

Yes. Please refer to the SOW 8.16 B Mechanical Material and Installation :

“Installation of the Government Furnished (GF) generator, and contractor furnished associated material and equipment, not limited to exhaust piping and thermal insulation, anti-vibration systems, seismic supports, fuel piping, drainage,”.

Contractor shall also follow Manufacturer’s installation recommendations.

QUESTION NO. 12

Are seismic restraints required for exhaust pipes?

Yes. Please refer to the SOW 8.16 B Mechanical Material and Installation, and project applicable codes for seismic protection requirements. Design specifications for seismic restrains are included in Standard Residential Generator Installation Details – Typical Fuel Oil and Exhaust

Piping Hanger Details – G-20, under Attachment 1.

QUESTION NO. 13

Is a factory technician need to be engaged for gensets star-up?

No.

QUESTION NO. 14

Is a megger test required as part of the genset commissioning?

ANSWER

Please refer to the SOW 8.16D Commissioning. Contractor is required to follow testing and commissioning procedures indicated by the equipment manufacturer. Megger testing is not required for the generator windings. However, the electrical wiring installation, outside the generators, are required to comply with NFPA 70-110.7 Wiring Integrity.

QUESTION NO. 15

Is the contractor responsibility to repair any chipping or penetrations over walls and concrete slabs?

ANSWER

Yes. Please refer to SOW paragraph 8.14 Work Requirements.

“The Contractor shall be responsible for repairing of any damage incurred to buildings, pavement, or other Government properties because of activities. The surfaces affected by construction activities shall be repainted with same paint product as approved by the COR. These shall include walls, floors, and equipment.”

QUESTION NO. 16

For companies new in SAM.gov, could you please indicate whether simply being active on

SAM.gov guarantees that our offer will be considered? Or if we also need to submit other types of certifications that aren't clearly specified in the SOW? For example, Experience certificates, Financial solvency certificates, SRI certifications, IESS certifications, etc

ANSWER

SAM is one requirement for consideration for award. However, please refer to Section L and

Section M of the Request for Proposal (RFP), to find additional details and instructions:

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR

QUOTERS

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

QUESTION NO. 17

If other types of certifications are needed, could you please indicate precisely which ones they are? Do we have to include this certifications in the Offer?

Yes, please refer to Section L and M of the RFP

QUESTION NO. 18

Is a Performance Policy required? If so, can you tell me what the value should be?

ANSWER

Yes, please refer to Section H.1.1 of the RFP The Contractor shall furnish (1) a performance and guaranty bond and a payment bond on forms provided by and from sureties acceptable to the Government, each in the amount of 20% of the contract price, or (2) comparable alternate performance security (irrevocable letter of credit) approved by the Government such as letter of credit/guaranty shown in Section J.

QUESTION NO. 19

In SOW, you indicate that the contract is for a fixed price. Could you please clarify whether this term refers to the sum of the partial bids for each of the fields or to each of them in particular?

ANSWER

Yes, the total of the proposal is the result of the summatory of all the generators installed, and breakdown of each generator is requested.

QUESTION NO. 20

Could you please be more specific and define exactly what refers to Provision of DBA insurance at the DCMR in Campo Alegre,? What is the scope of this, how long is the guarantee, the amounts, etc?

Contractor shall contact a DBA insurance provider and request a quotation for insurance, the offeror may obtain DBA insurance directly from any Department of Labor approved providers at the DOL website at http://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc/lscarrier.htm

The Contractor shall obtain adequate insurance for damage to, or theft of, materials and equipment in insurance coverage for loose transit to the site or in storage on or off the site. DBA

(Defense Base Act) Insurance will be required upon the work commencement and through the duration of the work. The DBA insurance may be obtained from any authorized DBA insurance company, See FAR 52.228-3, Workers’ Compensation Insurance (Defense Base Act) (JUL

2014) The Offeror shall include in their prices, the Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance premium costs covering employees.

QUESTION NO. 21

Please confirm if, at this stage of the contract (proforma only), diagrams or drawings may be submitted using open-source software or other formats (e.g., PDF, vector images), and not necessarily in AutoCAD (DWG).

Yes.

QUESTION NO. 22

EXHAUST PIPES

1. Please specify, for each site, the exact length of the exhaust pipe, the number of bends, the diameter, and the type of pipe required according to the generator’s power.

http://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc/lscarrier.htm

- Length of exhaust pipe Refer to question #6.

- Number of bends contractors to estimate and provide all fittings according to each site condition. Please refer to SOW Paragraph 8.17A Engineering.

- Diameter of pipe contractors to estimate according to each site condition. Please refer to SOW 8.17A Engineering.

- Pipe and insulation shall comply with OBO specifications in Attachments 2 and sheet G13 of Attachment 1: Standard Residential Generator Installation Details.

2. Considering that all generators are inside soundproof enclosures and already have internal silencers, please confirm if any additional external silencers are required at certain sites.

Refer to question #10.

3. For sites where the generator is fully outdoors (e.g., DCMR, Duque, Mirlo, Rosaleda, etc.), please confirm if an exhaust extension is necessary, or if the existing exhaust is sufficient.

Refer to question #6, which identify the properties that requires exhaust extension.

QUESTION NO. 23

GENERATORS

1. In the SOW drawings, generators are shown as open units; however, in reality, they are inside noise-attenuating enclosures. Please confirm if it will still be necessary to install additional vibration or noise-dampening systems on the concrete bases.

ANSWER

Please refer to the Government’s response to Q10 and Q11 above. Noise-dampening systems are not required.

2. If required, please specify the type of dampening elements that must be installed.

No. Dampening elements are not required.

3. DEF: Please provide the exact requirements and dimensions for the DEF drainage system for 75 kVA and 100 kVA generators.

ANSWER

Contractor shall provide black steel pipe and shut-off valve for connection of the 75

KVA and larger generators’ drainage cleanout (CO). The total length of DEF drainage system should be sufficient to allow access to the drainage outlet. This system should include, but is not limited to, the threaded nipple, 90-degree elbow, and valve. Please refer to the SOW 8.16 B Mechanical Material and Installation.

4. Please confirm whether the generators must be anchored to the concrete bases.

Yes. Please refer to the SOW 8.16 B Mechanical Material and Installation and

Standard Residential Generator Installation Details Notes located on sheets G-1 to G-

7 in Attachment 1.

5. Please clarify who will be responsible for configuring the initial operating parameters

(startup/shutdown times, etc.) before the first start-up: the equipment supplier, Embassy technical personnel, or the Contractor.

ANSWER

The contractor is responsible, during commissioning, of configuring the generator in accordance with the manufacturer requirements. Please refer to the SOW 8.16 D

Commissioning.

6. Please indicate who will provide the diesel fuel for the initial start-up. If the

Contractor is responsible, specify the exact number of gallons required for each unit.

ANSWER

Refer to question #2. To the question about exact number of gallons, refer to the generator manuals that were attached to this RFP.

7. Please confirm responsibility and cost coverage in the event of factory defects or damage during transport/handling, whether at start-up or later due to excessive outages.

ANSWER

Contractor under this contract is not responsible for factory defects or generator damage during transportation and handling until the generators are placed in the concrete bases.

8. Please indicate who is responsible for transporting the equipment from the current storage facilities to the installation sites.

ANSWER

Refer to question #8. Generator transportation and placement on the concrete bases is not included in this SOW. All other government furnished equipment (GFE) will be delivered by the government to a specified location in advance of construction. Once the government turns the equipment over to the contractor, the contractor will be responsible for storage and any damage to the GFE. Please refer to H.14.2 Custody of Materials and SOW 3.1 and 3.2 for all specific equipment provided by the government.

9. Please clarify who will be responsible for the cost of the crane required for generator installation at each site.

Refer to question #8.

10. Please confirm whether the generators will be delivered in their original wooden crates or unpacked.

Generators will be provided unpacked.

11. If delivered in crates, please indicate who is responsible for removing them from the crates and for disposing of the packaging material in compliance with Quito’s municipal recycling requirements.

Generators will be provided unpacked.

QUESTION NO. 24

SPARE PARTS

1. Regarding the two-year spare parts kit, please confirm the following:

o Provide the exact part numbers for oil, fuel, and air filters, and any other required items.

o Confirm the exact number of filters required, noting that oil and fuel filters are typically replaced every 6 months, unless operating hours dictate otherwise.

o Specify the replacement frequency for air filters in this case, and the exact number required, considering dust or contamination at each site.

o Confirm if radiator coolant must be included in the spare parts list, and indicate the exact volume required per generator.

o Confirm if lubricating oil must be included, specifying gallons by generator rating and replacement frequency.

o Indicate whether it is acceptable to propose alternative brands of filters, oils, and coolants available in the Ecuadorian market.

o If not acceptable, please provide the contact information of the original generator supplier for spare parts procurement.

o Please confirm if the Embassy may assist with importing spare parts from the

U.S. under a customs exemption mechanism to avoid Ecuadorian import duties.

o Confirm if any additional spare parts are required (e.g., oil pressure sensors, temperature sensors, etc.).

ANSWER

Provision of the manufacturer’s recommended spare part for the first annual preventive maintenance shall be considered according to the SOW. Spare parts quantities, replacement frequency, part numbers and any other specific detail shall comply with manufacturer’s requirements. Refer to the generator manuals that were attached to the

RFP. Only OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts will be accepted.

QUESTION NO. 25

SWITCHGEAR / PANELS

1. Please confirm if the distribution and transfer panels can be installed directly adjacent to each other, with cable passing through side openings, in order to avoid external conduit runs.

ANSWER

No. Panels shall not be installed directly adjacent to each other, with cable passing through side openings. Conduit between panels must be installed.

2. Considering the panels are sealed, please confirm if they may be moved to a workshop to create the required openings for cable entry.

ANSWER

Yes. Once government turns over the GFE, contractor is responsible for any handling damage. Refer to answer of question # 23.8.

3. Please specify the diameter required for the cable entry from the generator to the main distribution panel.

It depends on the size of the generator; it varies from 1 to 5 inches.

4. Please specify the diameter required for the cable entry between each transfer panel and the utility meter panel.

It depends on the size of the generator; it varies from 1 to 3 inches.

5. Please confirm if an additional panel is required for connections to the utility company, and whether it should be provided by the Contractor.

No additional panel is required.

6. Please clarify if panels will be delivered per site or all at once, and whether secure storage space will be available at each site, or if the Contractor must provide off-site storage.

Panels will be delivered per site along with the generator. Off-site storage is not required.

7. Please confirm responsibility and cost coverage in case of factory defects or transport/handling damage, both at commissioning and during subsequent operation.

Refer to question #23 part 7

8. Please indicate whether general ATS configuration will be the Contractor’s responsibility or if a supplier technician will be provided.

The contractor is responsible for the commissioning of the generators and ATSs.

9. Please confirm if the panels will be delivered in their original wooden crates or unpacked.

Refer to question #22 part 10.

10. If delivered in crates, please indicate who is responsible for unpacking them and for disposal of packaging material in accordance with Quito’s municipal recycling requirements.

Refer to question #22 part 10.

QUESTION NO. 26

CABLING

1. Please confirm the length of cable per reel, whether they are supplied on wooden spools, and if they can be handled manually or require special equipment.

ANSWER

Consider wooden spools of 500 ft and 100 ft. Please see question 23 part 8 for handling requirements for GFE.

2. Please clarify whether cables will be delivered pre-cut per generator, or as full reels for the Contractor to manage and cut.

Cables will be delivered as full reels for the Contractor to manage and cut.

3. If provided as full reels, please confirm whether storage space will be available at the sites, or if the Contractor must provide off-site storage.

ANSWER

Refer to SOW Paragraph 8.9. Limited storage space for the reels will available on each site. The contractor shall be responsible for secure material and tools.

4. Please confirm whether a grounding cable must be run from the generator control panel to the main distribution panel located near the ATS.

ANSWER

Grounding system will be provided by other contractor. Contractor under this SOW required to connect the panels and generators to the grounding system.

5. Please specify whether the grounding cable provided is bare or insulated.

The grounding cable is bare.

6. Please clarify if the supplied cabling includes control cables for auto-start, battery charger, and block heater, or if these must be provided by the Contractor.

ANSWER

The cables for control and battery charger shall be provided by the Contractor. There is no additional cable for the block heater.