201 - The Solicitation.pdf

GSA Solicitation No. 47PD0225R0011

Document: C201-SB GC/April 2024 (The Solicitation)

Construction Contract for: MATSSC Plaza Renovation

The Solicitation

Table of Contents

I. General Information A. The Solicitation and Contract B. List of Solicitation Documents C. Authorized Representatives D. Pre-Proposal Conference E. Estimated Price Range F. FAR 52.228-1 Bid Guarantee G. FAR 52.236-27 Site Visit – Construction H. Receipt of Offers

II. Proposals

A. Proposal Contents B. Proposal Format C. Price Proposal D. Technical Proposal E. Other Information to be Submitted with Proposal F. Requirements of Joint Venture Offerors

III. General Provisions

A. Availability of Funds B. Requests for Clarification or Interpretation C. Notice to Small Business Firms D. Information Concerning the Disclosure of Solicitation Results E. Affirmative Procurement Program F. Notice Concerning Preparation of Proposals G. Bond Requirements H. Contractor Performance Information I. Safeguarding and Dissemination of Controlled Unclassified Information

(CUI) Building Information

J. INFORM

K. Mega Construction Project Program

IV. FAR/GSAR Solicitation Provisions

A. FAR 52.211-1 Availability of Specifications Listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR 101-29

B. FAR 52.211-3, Availability of Specifications Not Listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Items Description

C. FAR 52.216-1 Type Of Contract D. FAR 52.222-5 Construction Wage Rate Requirements-Secondary Site of

Work E. FAR 52.222-23 Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure

Equal Employment Opportunity for Construction F. Buy American Requirements G. Buy American Exceptions H. FAR 52.233-2 Service of Protest I. FAR 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference J. GSAR 552.102 Incorporating Provisions and Clauses by Reference K. GSAR 552.252-5 Authorized Deviations in Provisions (Nov

2021)(DEVIATION FAR 52.252-5)

L. Project Labor Agreement M. Additional Provisions

(i) GSAR 552.236-74, Evaluation of Options (Mar 2019)

(iii) GSAR Clause 552.236-77, Government’s Right to Exercise Options (Mar 2019)

N. Certified Cost or Pricing Data

V. Instructions to Offerors and Clauses A. FAR 52.215-1 Instructions to Offerors – Competitive Acquisition B. FAR 52.219-18 Notice of Competition Limited to 8(a) Eligible Participants C. Security Requirements D. Additional Clauses

VI. Method Of Award

A. Evaluation of Offers B. Determination of Responsibility C. Price Reasonableness/Price Realism D. Unbalanced Price E. Non Price Factors F. Evaluation of Joint Ventures

I. General Information

I.A. The Solicitation and Contract

(1) This Solicitation is set-aside for Small Businesses in accordance with FAR 19. This Solicitation sets forth requirements for proposals for a Contract to construct the Project described in the attached Agreement. Proposals conforming to the Solicitation requirements will be evaluated in accordance with the Method of Award set forth herein.

The Government will award the Contract to the selected Offeror, subject to the conditions set forth herein.

(2) Neither the Solicitation nor any part of an Offeror's proposal shall be part of the Contract except to the extent expressly incorporated therein by the Contracting Officer.

(3) The Offeror's proposal submitted in response to this Solicitation shall constitute a firm offer. No contract shall be formed unless and until the Contracting Officer has countersigned the SF 1442 submitted by an Offeror, and delivered to the Contractor a copy of the SF 1442 with original signatures together with the Agreement reflecting the Offeror's proposed prices.

Note: The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), Pub. L. No. 117-169, enacted in August 2022, provided GSA with significant funding for (a) measures necessary to convert facilities to high-performance green buildings, (b) acquisition and installation of construction materials and products with substantially lower levels of embodied greenhouse gas emissions, and (c) emerging and sustainable technologies. The Contract resulting from this Solicitation will be funded in part by IRA appropriations, and it contains numerous IRA-specific requirements. Requirements include, but are not limited to, requirements regarding pricing, invoicing, submittals, materials, and construction. Offerors shall carefully review this Solicitation, the Agreement, the Statement of Work, the Specifications, and the Drawings. In addition, please note that this Solicitation contains an evaluation factor favoring certain construction materials with the lowest possible levels of embodied carbon. Offerors are responsible for accurately pricing and, if successful, fully performing all Contract requirements.

I.B. List of Solicitation Documents The Solicitation Documents are comprised of:

(1) The Solicitation

(2) Standard Form (SF) 1442 – Solicitation Offer

(3) 75% - 50% Drawings, dated December 2, 2024

(4) 75% - 50% Project Manual, dated December 2, 2024

(5) Wage Determination PA20240003 Mod 14, dated December 6, 2024

(6) 101 – The Agreement (Attached to SF 1442)

(7) 301 – Representations and Certifications (Attached to SF 1442)

I.C. Authorized Representatives

The following individuals are designated as the authorized GSA representatives under this Solicitation:

Authorized Representative Information:

Contracting Officer’s Information

Name: Stephen Kohri

Address: 100 S Independence Mall W. Philadelphia, PA 19106

Telephone: (215) 356-5457

Email: Stephen.Kohri@gsa.gov

Alternate POC Information

Name: Stephen Zorzi

Address: 100 S Independence Mall W. Philadelphia, PA 19106

Telephone: (215) 221-4275

Email: Stephen.Zorzi@gsa.gov

I.D. Pre-Proposal Conference

Date: December 18, 2024 Time: 10:00 AM EST Location: VIRTUAL

I.E. Estimated Price Range

The estimated price range for the Project is more than $10,000,000.

I.F. FAR 52.228-1 Bid Guarantee (Sep 96)

(a) Failure to furnish a bid guarantee in the proper form and amount, by the time set for opening of bids, may be cause for rejection of the bid.

(b) The bidder shall furnish a bid guarantee in the form of a firm commitment, e.g., bid bond supported by good and sufficient surety or sureties acceptable to the Government, postal money order, certified check, cashier’s check, irrevocable letter of credit, or, under Treasury Department regulations, certain bonds or notes of the United States. The Contracting Officer will return bid guarantees, other than bid bonds—

(1) To unsuccessful bidders as soon as practicable after the opening of bids;

and

(2) To the successful bidder upon execution of contractual documents and bonds (including any necessary coinsurance or reinsurance agreements), as required by the bid as accepted.

(c) The amount of the bid guarantee shall be 20 percent of the bid price or $3,000,000, whichever is less.

(d) If the successful bidder, upon acceptance of its bid by the Government within the period specified for acceptance, fails to execute all contractual documents or furnish executed bond(s) within 10 days after receipt of the forms by the bidder, the Contracting Officer may terminate the contract for default.

(e) In the event the contract is terminated for default, the bidder is liable for any cost of acquiring the work that exceeds the amount of its bid, and the bid guarantee is available to offset the difference.

I.G. FAR 52.236-27 Site Visit – Construction (Feb 95)

(1) The clauses at FAR 52.236-2, Differing Site Conditions, and FAR 52.236-3, Site Investigations and Conditions Affecting the Work, will be included in any contract awarded as a result of this solicitation. Accordingly, Offerors are urged and expected to inspect the site where the work will be performed.

(2) Pre-registration is required for all attendees to the pre-proposal Site Visit. The Site Visit shall be limited to not more than four (4) representatives from each Offeror. Offerors shall submit a Visit Authorization Request (VAR) identifying all attendees from their respective team. Participants must have a valid, Government issued picture identification, driver’s license preferred, to gain access for the pre-proposal Site Visit. Notification of the location of entry, where attendees are required to meet, and all other requirements for the Site Visit will be issued to the Offerors. Submit the VAR to the point of contact listed below.

(3) Site visits will be held at the following dates and times:

Date: January 8, 2025 Time: 9:00 am EST

I.H. Receipt of Offers

(1) In order to be considered for award, offers conforming to the requirements of the Solicitation must be received via email only to the Contracting Officer and alternate point of contact no later than 5:00 PM EST on the following date and at the following address. Technical proposals only. Do not submit a price proposal until requested as part of phase 2.

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_236_2 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_236_3

Date: January 28, 2025; Technical Proposal Only. Do Not Submit a Price Proposal until Requested as Part of Phase 2.

Address: Stephen.kohri@gsa.gov, Stephen.zorzi@gsa.gov

II. Proposals

II.A. Proposal Contents

Proposals shall consist of the following documents, completed and executed in accordance with this Solicitation:

1. Technical Proposal

2. Representations and Certifications

3. Proprietary Information Agreement

4. Other Documents as Required

Price Proposals are not required for Phase 1. They will be required during Phase 2 at a date TBD. “Standard Form 24 - Bid Bond” and “GSA Form 527 – Contractor’s Qualification and Financial Information” will also be required in Phase 2.

II.B. Proposal Format GSA is using a two-phased process. It is first releasing a 75% design package that contains sufficient detail to allow it to solicit Phase 1 technical proposals only, and not price. Upon completion of the evaluation of the Phase I technical proposals, an advisory shortlist will be developed. All offerors will be notified as to whether their firm was included on or excluded from the advisory shortlist. It shall be noted that exclusion from the advisory shortlist shall not preclude offerors from submitting a Phase II price proposal. Once the 100% design documents are complete, GSA will solicit Phase II Price proposals from the firms that submitted Phase 1 technical proposals.

As noted in I.H. above, and in accordance with FAR 52.215-1(c)(1), all proposals must be submitted electronically via electronic mail (email) to the Contracting officer and Alternate POC above. The offeror must submit their proposal with a total file size of less than 25MB. It is recommended the offeror submit their proposals with a read receipt request. Email the Technical Proposal as described in I.H above. Hard copy submissions will not be accepted. Do not submit a price proposal in Phase 1.

Instructions for submitting a Price Proposal in Phase II are described immediately below.

II.C. Price Proposal Do not submit during Phase 1.

mailto:Stephen.kohri@gsa.gov mailto:Stephen.zorzi@gsa.gov

(1) Contents

The Price Proposal shall consist of the SF 1442 and the Agreement, with prices and/or rates indicated for each price element shown on the pricing form included in Section II of the Agreement. Indicate the Base Contract Price, or if no such distinction is made, the Contract Price, in Block 17 of the SF 1442, which must be fully executed by the Offeror.

(2) Qualifications, Exclusions and Conditions

If the Offeror communicates in its proposal any qualifications, exclusions, or conditions to the proposed prices not provided for in the Contract Documents, the Contracting Officer may reject the proposal and exclude the Offeror from further discussions.

(3) Additional Proposal Requirements

GSA is required to track spending for each of the three appropriations it received under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) -- for low-embodied carbon (LEC) materials, emerging and sustainable technologies, and high-performance green building measures -- and has established “budget activities” for each of these appropriations. A contract line item number (CLIN) for each of these budget activities has been included in the Agreement as necessary. In addition, subCLINs will be used to track spending on each of the LEC materials designated for IRA funding -- asphalt, concrete, glass, and steel.

Offerors must include separate prices for IRA work under the corresponding IRA CLINs and subCLINs.

Amounts for each IRA CLIN should reflect all expenses necessary to accomplish acquisition and installation of IRA work elements. A list of possible expenses follows below; this list is not exhaustive.

• Expenses of acquiring and transporting products and materials required for IRA-funded work to the construction site;

• Labor, general and administrative expenses, and overhead and profit reasonably attributable to installation of IRA-funded work;

• Expenses for materials, tools, riggings and equipment (including safety equipment) required to install IRA-funded work;

• Design, submittal and documentation expenses reasonably attributable to IRA-funded work;

• Demolition and disposal expenses reasonably necessary for and attributable to IRA-funded work

• Expenses necessary to return space to its condition preceding IRA-funded work;

• Environmental remediation expenses required in execution of IRA-funded work;

and

• Phasing and commissioning expenses reasonably attributable to IRA-funded work.

II.D. Technical Proposal

Non-Price Factors, when combined, are significantly more important than Total Evaluated Price.

The Technical Proposal shall include the information requested below for the non-price factors described in Section VI.

1. Relative Importance - Following is a list of evaluation factors that will be used in conjunction with price to identify the offer providing the best value to the

Government.

a. Factor 1 – Project Management Plan and Approach – 45%

b. Factor 2 – Prior Experience on Relevant Projects – 20%

c. Factor 3 – Past Performance on Relevant Projects – 15%

d. Factor 4 - Socioeconomic Status - 5%

e. Factor 5 - Sustainability - 15%

2. Evaluation Factors Defined

Factor 1: Project Management Plan and Approach –

The Government will evaluate the offeror’s understanding of the project through both written and oral examination (if deemed necessary):

Written Plan – The written Project Management Plan and Approach description is an opportunity for the offeror to demonstrate its project understanding by addressing the following topics:

The offeror’s overall approach to managing and delivering the project within the stated budgetary and time constraints

Significant project risks and their mitigation Quality control Cost and change management

Oral Presentation (If Deemed Necessary) – To allow offerors an opportunity to further demonstrate their project understanding and abilities, the Government may invite shortlisted offerors to give oral presentations to augment the written information submitted under this factor. The oral presentation will be held in-person in Philadelphia, PA or as otherwise agreed to by GSA and the offeror.

Factor 2: Prior Experience on Relevant Projects - This factor will measure the number of opportunities the offeror has had to learn by doing. The Government will examine the breadth, depth and relevance of the offeror’s prior experience in performing projects similar in size, scope and complexity to the one described in the solicitation.

Factor 3: Past Performance on Relevant Projects – This factor will measure the quality of the offeror's collective experience in performing projects similar in size, scope and complexity to the one described in the solicitation. The quality of construction efforts associated with past projects will be evaluated. The Government will utilize the project information submitted under Prior Experience above and other available sources to assess the relevance and quality of work performed on similar projects. Evidence of past performance as a team will be viewed as an asset.

Factor 4 - Socioeconomic Status - An offeror that qualifies as a Small Business but is not an 8(a), SDB, HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB will be rated lower than an offeror that qualifies as either an 8(a), SDB, HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB.

An offeror that qualifies in two or more socioeconomic categories will be rated more highly than offerors who qualify in one of the socioeconomic categories. An offeror that does not qualify for any socioeconomic category will receive a neutral rating for this factor, not a deficiency.

Factor 5 - Sustainability - This factor will measure the offeror’s proposed Low Embodied Carbon Materials as they relate to their Global Warming Potential (GWP). Scoring will be based upon the GWP of each required LEC material.

Format of Proposals and Submission Requirements

1. Offerors are encouraged to make their proposals only as voluminous as is necessary to respond to the preparation instructions set forth in the solicitation. In addition, notice should be taken of any size or page limitations specified in the instructions and factors below.

2. Offerors are required to submit proposals as delineated below:

a. Technical submission - Must contain all of the necessary information to address the evaluation factors as set forth in the solicitation including evidence of bonding capacity. It must be submitted and typed on non-reduced 8-1/2” x 11” pages using font size 12 with 1” margins on all four sides. Any forms and charts must be clearly labeled and referenced and are not subject to the font size limitation. The Government encourages the offeror to print the proposal double-sided so as to be environmentally responsible. Each side of paper with print is considered one page of text.

The Phase 1 proposal should be submitted as a single volume via email.

Pricing Proposal – The pricing proposal, bound separately from the technical proposal, must contain the following information:

i. Signed Standard Form 1442 with all amendments acknowledged

ii. Completed and signed offer sheet

iii. GSA Form C301, Representations and Certifications

iv. GSA form 527, Contractors Qualifications and Financial information

v. Any other information required by the solicitation

3. The proposal should clearly demonstrate that the Offeror has a thorough understanding of the project. Statements made by the Offeror that he/she understands, can or will meet the solicitation requirements or paraphrasing the solicitation or parts thereof will be considered inadequate. Phrases such as "Standard procedures will be employed" or "well known techniques will be used" will also be considered inadequate. Offerors are responsible for including sufficient details to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of each proposal.

Proprietary information shall be clearly marked. Submission of marketing brochures is not acceptable unless provided as supplementary information only.

Award

1. GSA will award a contract to the offeror whose proposal is considered to be the best value to the Government with respect to technical merit and price. The combined weight of the technical evaluation factors is significantly more important than price.

2. The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award a contract without discussions with offerors (other than exchanges conducted for the purpose of minor clarifications and to provide information about the requirements). However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. Therefore, each initial offer should contain the offeror's best terms from a price and technical standpoint.

Evaluation Procedures for Technical Proposal

The Government will evaluate each offeror's technical proposal using the evaluation factors set forth in the solicitation. The relevant importance of the technical factors is set forth in Section III.E.1 (Evaluation Factors / Relative Importance) above.) The list of the evaluation factors is as follows:

Factor 1 - Project Management Plan and Approach (15 page limit)

Factor 2 - Prior Experience on Relevant Projects (15 page limit)

Factor 3 - Past Performance on Relevant Projects (no limit)

Factor 4 - Socioeconomic Status (list all that apply)

Factor 5 - Sustainability (fill out required table and provide all Environmental Product Declarations (EPD’s)

Pages that exceed the page limitations will be removed or not read and will not be evaluated by the Government. All pages (including table of contents, cover pages, etc) will be counted unless it is otherwise stated in the solicitation.

“Relevant Projects” (having a Similar Size and Complexity) are those that include renovations of facilities that have similar characteristics to those described in the bullets below. GSA will review and rate presented projects, however projects that exhibit similar characteristics to those described below will be rated higher when considering the firm’s performance capabilities.

• Construction Projects valued at approximately $15 Million or Higher;

• Major Plaza Renovations or Modernizations;

• Structural Steel Replacement in existing buildings

• Hardscaping and Landscaping Projects

• Large Stormwater management facility installations

• Federal Clientele

• Reached Substantial Completion within the last 10 years.

• Phased Construction in an Occupied Building

Factor 1 - Project Management Plan and Approach. This factor will be used to evaluate Offeror’s understanding of the project as measured by its proposed management approach. It will include a written submission. GSA may require an oral presentation to supplement the written submission.

1. Standard for Evaluation - This standard is met when all required items under Factor #1 – Project Management Plan and Approach are submitted. The Management Plan shall not exceed 15 pages. The resumes do not count toward the page limitation. Each resume shall not exceed 2 pages.

The more that an Offeror's approach to planning, organizing and controlling the execution of the construction services on the project maximizes the opportunity for successful completion of the project on time, on budget, and within quality expectations, the more favorably it may be judged.

The more an offer demonstrates key personnel that have the capacity to meet the requirements on projects of similar scope and complexity, the more favorably it may be judged. Offerors that demonstrate high levels of experience on similar projects, and collaboration and integration may be evaluated more favorably.

2. Submittal Requirements - The Project Management Plan and Approach shall be submitted and must include the requested information identified below.

a. Written Submission

• Narrative - Provide a narrative (that may include flowcharts, spreadsheets, diagrams etc.) describing the Offeror’s approach to collaboration, integration, planning, organizing and controlling the execution of the construction on the project.The narrative shall address the below items:

1. Provide a detailed description of the Offeror’s project specific management approach that promotes the delivery of an excellent quality project on-time and on-budget. The description must address the Offeror’s approach to managing the project to meet or exceed performance criteria.

2. Provide a discussion of the most significant risks associated with this project and how the offeror proposes to mitigate these risks. The offeror's risks management strategy for each of the identified risks and proactive measures the offeror will use to manage and minimize risks during the project. Additionally, define the critical material supply chain issues and the offer’s plan to address them.

3. Describe the Offeror’s Quality Control plan (QCP). The QCP should describe the Offeror’s methodology for controlling quality during construction and should demonstrate the Offeror’s understanding of the high level of quality expected on a project of this type due to the high risk of working in an active utility plant.

4. Describe the Offeror’s approach to safety on this project in

5. Describe the Offeror’s plan for meeting the requirement of providing security clearances for all personnel. Address how the offerors will ensure that subcontractor’s provide timely clearance information so as not to delay the contract.

6. Describe the offeror’s plan for working in an occupied building.

Include an approach for preventing and or addressing excessive noise, dust issues, etc.

2. Organization Chart, Staffing Matrix and Resumes of Key Personnel

Provide an expanded organization chart and staffing matrix to include, key personnel, any supplemental key personnel, or other significant resources for the Offeror’s delivery strategy. At a minimum, provide resumes for the following key personnel (resumes should be no more than 2 pages:

1. Project Executive

2. Project Manager

3. Construction Superintendent

4. Any other personnel the offeror considers to be “key” personnel

Resumes of key personnel should include;

1. Name

2. Title/Position

3. Employer

4. Summary of Experience

5. Responsibilities/Duties

6. Experience on Relevant Projects (Provide Specifics)

7. Licenses/Certifications

8. Education

9. References

A “relevant” project is described in the beginning of Section IV under “Relevant Projects”.

Factor 2 - Prior Experience on Relevant Projects. This factor evaluates the experience of the offeror in providing similar construction services.

1. Standard for Evaluation - This factor considers the extent of the Offeror’s prior experience in providing similar services. The Offeror must demonstrate successful experience on at least 3 projects substantially completed in the last ten years. Only the first three projects will be the basis for the evaluation.

Additional projects may, however be given favorable consideration.

This factor will be evaluated based upon the written response to the RFP by the Offeror and the prior experience demonstrated on the presented projects.

Projects of Similar Scope and Complexity will be rated more favorably than projects that are less similar. See definition of relevant projects above.

Additional favorable consideration may be given for:

1. The quantity of projects of Similar Scope and Complexity.

2. Projects are the same as listed under the key personnel resumes

3. GSA projects

2. Submittal Requirements - For each project presented in relation to this factor, the Offeror must explain how the characteristics of the submitted project relate to the characteristics of the project described in this solicitation. This section is limited to a maximum of fifteen (15) pages. For each project presented the Offeror shall submit the following data/information:

i. Project title

ii. Location of Project

iii. Scope of work provided by the offeror

iv. The Offeror’s level of authority on the project (prime contractor, joint venture partner, major subcontractor, etc.). Joint Ventures, projects may be submitted for the Joint Venture as an entity or for individual members of the joint venture. All firms in a Joint Venture arrangement must display prior experience under this factor either as an individual firm or Joint Venture. Relative past experience completed by the joint venture will receive more relative consideration than past experience completed by only one entity of the Joint Venture. Firms that fail to include experience from both firms of the joint venture in lieu of experience from the joint venture itself shall be rated less favorable.

v. Total dollar value of the contract (awarded price and final contract price)

vi. Dollar value of the Offeror’s effort on the project

vii. Type of contract (e.g. firm fixed price, cost reimbursable, incentive fee, award fee, time and materials, CMc, etc.)

viii. Dates of contract start and completion

ix. Facility details, including type of facility, tenant mission and population, square footage, security level, etc.

x. A Narrative explaining how the characteristics of the submitted project relate to the characteristics of the project described in this solicitation.

xi. Name, title, address, phone number and email address of the customer contact and building owner who can attest to the quality of the work provided. (It is incumbent upon the offeror to ensure the information submitted is current and accurate).

Factor 3 - Past Performance on Relevant Projects This factor evaluates recent past performance for the Offeror. It measures the quality of the Offeror’s collective experience in performing projects similar in size, scope and complexity to the one described in the solicitation.

1. Standard for Evaluation In evaluating past performance, the SSEB may consider the following:

a. The Government will utilize the project information submitted under

Factor #2 - Prior Experience on Relevant Projects above in addition to other available sources to assess the quality of work performed on relevant projects. The evaluation will include: an assessment of the overall quality of past performance; record of conforming to contract requirements and to standards of good workmanship; the adherence to contract schedules, including the administrative aspects of performance; the responsiveness of management; the history of reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction; the business-like concern for the interest of the customer and; the Offeror’s overall performance on their contracts.

b. In addition to the information in the Offeror’s proposal itself, the Government may consider information obtained through interviews with the Offeror’s customers and/or the building's owner or a representative of the owner. The Government may consider the past performance of managers, key personnel or other affiliates playing a significant role in contract performance.

c. In addition to any information contained in or referred to in the Offeror’s proposal, the Government may consider the past performance of the offeror or its team members on any other projects performed within the past (10) years of which the Government has knowledge. The Government has no obligation to ensure that an equal number of references are obtained for each offeror.

d. The Offeror’s safety record will be a consideration under this factor and will be evaluated based upon responses to the Past Performance Questionnaire.

e. The Offeror’s level of authority on the project (prime contractor, joint venture partner, major subcontractor, etc.). Joint Ventures, projects be submitted for the Joint Venture as an entity or for individual members of the joint venture. All firms in a Joint Venture arrangement must display past performance under this factor either as an individual firm or Joint Venture. Relative past performance completed by the joint venture will receive more relative consideration than past performance completed by only one entity of the Joint Venture. Firms that fail to include past performance from both firms of the joint venture in lieu of past performance from the joint venture itself shall be rated less favorable.

f. An Offeror who has no record of past performance will receive a neutral rating.

g. If GSA receives negative past performance information, the offeror may be given an opportunity to respond.

2. Submittal Requirements

a. Two references, including name, address, telephone number, and email address for each project identified for the Projects proposed in Factor 2.

b. Offerors shall have references to submit; one Past Performance Questionnaire for each project identified in Factor 2. References should email the completed Past Performance Questionnaire to Steve Kohri at stephen.kohri@gsa.gov and/or the assigned contract specialist by the date identified in the solicitation. The email subject line must contain the name of the offeror, the name of the reference and the solicitation number. Surveys submitted directly by an offeror will not be considered. The Government reserves the right to contact the identified references provided in an Offeror’s proposal should a survey not be received by the date proposals are due.

Factor 4 - Socioeconomic Status. An offeror that qualifies as a Small Business but is not an 8(a), SDB, HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB will be rated lower than an offeror that qualifies as either an 8(a), SDB, HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB. An offeror that qualifies in two or more socioeconomic categories will be rated more highly than offerors who qualify in one of the socioeconomic categories.

Factor 5 – Sustainability

1. Background and Overview -This project is funded in part by Section 60503 of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), which provides funding for purchase of construction materials with substantially lower levels of embodied greenhouse gas emissions. GSA’s IRA Low Embodied Carbon asphalt, concrete (and cement), glass and steel requirements establish numeric global warming potential (GWP) limits for certain EPA-approved construction materials: concrete (and cement), asphalt, steel, and glass (IRA-Eligible Materials). For each material, GWP limits have been established for the best performing 20% of materials in terms of embodied carbon (Top 20% Limits), the best performing 40% of materials in terms of embodied carbon (Top 40% Limits), and better than industry average (Better Than Average Limit).

This Evaluation Factor calls for Offeror commitments to furnishing IRA-Eligible Materials with the lowest possible GWP values. IRA Limit Commitments proposed under this evaluation factor will be incorporated into the successful offeror’s resultant contract.

Individual materials’ GWP values may be found on individual manufacturers’ environmental product declarations (EPDs) (see the sam.gov pre-solicitation notice for some publicly-available tools that may help identify potential suppliers). EPDs must meet the standards reflected in GSA’s IRA Low Embodied Carbon asphalt, concrete (and cement), glass and steel requirements (see Compliance Documentation criteria listed for each IRA Eligible Material).

2. Technical Acceptability - Offerors will only meet the standard for technical acceptability under this Factor if they commit to furnish all required IRA-Eligible Materials with a GWP better (lower) than each IRA-Eligible Material’s Better Than Average Limit.

3. Scoring - Offerors meeting the standard for technical acceptability, above, will receive a number of Raw Scores, one for each IRA-Eligible Material required by the Contract:

a. Offerors will receive a Raw Score of 90 for each IRA-Eligible Material commitment that is better (lower) than GSA’s Top 20% Limits.

b. Offerors will receive a Raw Score of 40 for each IRA-Eligible Material commitment that is only better (lower) than GSA’s Top 40% Limits.

c. Offerors will receive a Raw Score of 20 for each IRA-Eligible Material commitment that is only better (lower) than GSA’s Better Than Average Limit.

Offerors shall complete the “IRA Sustainability Factor Table” attached to this solicitation by filling out the applicable IRA Limit they commit to meet for each IRA- Eligible Material. Based upon the offeror’s selection in the “IRA Limit Commitment” column, the associated Raw Score, a Preliminary Weighted Score, and the Preliminary Total Weighted Score will be automatically calculated.

In addition, for each IRA-Eligible Material identified in the IRA Sustainability Factor Table, offerors shall submit EPDs listing that material’s GWP. Such EPDs must meet the standards reflected in GSA’s IRA Low Embodied Carbon asphalt, concrete (and cement), glass and steel requirements (see Compliance Documentation criteria listed for each IRA-Eligible Material).

Raw Score Supplement - Offerors will receive a supplemental 10 points on Raw Scores for each IRA-Eligible Material where the material’s submitted EPD reflects the lowest GWP value received in the competition for that material. For instance, where two offerors propose materials meeting the Top 20% Limit for glass, and Offeror A submits a glass EPD reflecting a GWP value lower than that reflected in Offeror B’s glass EPD, Offeror A and B will receive raw scores of 100 and 90 for that material, respectively.

During evaluations, the Government will add Raw Score Supplements, if any, to offeror’s Preliminary Weighted Scores to calculate Final Weighted Scores. In the event of a tie for lowest-GWP values for a given material, those tied offerors will all receive the Raw Score Supplement for that material.

Note 1: By submitting an offer, Offeror consents to unrestricted GSA use of supplier names and the GWP values associated with supplier materials. Such information may be disclosed publicly or used to inform other low embodied carbon procurement activities. Technical solutions, supplier pricing and supplier-offeror terms and conditions will not be shared. Any objection shall be transmitted to the Contracting Officer by the due date for offers and shall adhere to 41 C.F.R.

§ 105-60.601.

Note 2: For each offeror that is unable to submit any of the compliant EPDs by the proposal due date, the offeror shall submit a statement for each such missing compliant EPD (a) certifying that it is unable to submit a compliant EPD by the proposal due date, and (b) promising to submit a compliant EPD within 120 days from the contract award ((a) and (b) collectively constituting an “EPD Pledge”).

Failure by an offeror to submit either a compliant EPD or an EPD Pledge (as described in the immediately preceding sentence) for each IRA-Eligible Material listed in the IRA Sustainability Factor Table by the proposal due date shall result in the offeror’s proposal being unacceptable.

Offerors submitting an EPD Pledge in lieu of a compliant EPD for a given IRA-Eligible Material will not be eligible for a Raw Score Supplement for that material, as described above. IRA-Eligible Material will still be bound by

IRA Limit Commitments made in their IRA Sustainability Factor Table. Note as well that the contract resulting from this solicitation shall have the following provision: “Within 120 days after contract award, the Contractor shall submit a compliant EPD for any IRA-Eligible Material for which the Contractor was unable to submit a compliant EPD by the proposal due date (if any). Such EPD must reflect GWP values that comply with the IRA Limit Commitments incorporated into the contract. GSA shall not issue a Notice to Proceed with construction services to the Contractor until the Contractor has submitted a compliant EPD for each IRA-Eligible Material for which the Contractor was unable to submit a compliant EPD by the proposal due date.”

II.E. Other Information to Submit with Proposal

(1) Representations and Certifications

Offerors are reminded their SAM registration status must be “Active”, at the time their offer is submitted, to be considered for award (see 52.204-7). Offerors submitting a proposal in response to this Solicitation shall complete electronic Annual Representations and Certifications in conjunction with required Entity registration in System for Award Management (SAM), accessed via System for Award Management.

Offerors shall also submit with their proposal, the Annual Representations and Certifications (FAR 52.204-8), using the attached Offeror’s Representations and Certifications (C301).

(2) Qualifications of Offerors (to be completed in Phase 2)

Offerors submitting a proposal in response to this Solicitation shall submit with their proposal evidence of their financial responsibility and capacity to perform the Contract. Offerors shall submit this information on GSA Form 527 – Contractor’s Qualifications and Financial Information. Where applicable, point of contact, including names and telephone numbers, are required for all contracts listed.

II.F. Requirements of Joint Venture Offerors

(1) All offers submitted by joint ventures must include a copy of an executed joint venture agreement (with original signatures) which fully discloses the legal identity of each member of the joint venture, the relationship between the members, the form of ownership of each member, and any limitations on liability or authority for each member.

(2) An authorized representative of each member of the joint venture must sign the SF 1442 accompanying an offer regardless of any agency relationship established between the members.

(3) In the case of corporations that are joint venture members, the corporation secretary must certify that the corporation is authorized to participate in the joint venture, either by so certifying in the joint venture agreement, or by submitting a https://www.sam.gov/ separate certification to the Government. The joint venture must also provide a certificate that identifies a principal representative of the joint venture with full authority to bind the joint venture.

(4) Representations and certifications, financial information, and past performance information must be submitted for each member of the joint venture.

III. General Provisions

III.A. Availability of Funds

Issuance of this Solicitation does not warrant that funds are presently available for award of a Contract. Award of the contract shall be subject to the availability of appropriated funds, and the Government shall incur no obligation under this Solicitation in advance of such time as funds are made available to the Contracting Officer for the purpose of contract award.

III.B. Requests for Clarification or Interpretation

The Government will attempt to answer all requests for clarifications or interpretations of the Solicitation Documents prior to the date set for receipt of offers, but do not warrant that all such requests will be answered within 15 calendar days. Prospective Offerors should make such requests not less than 15 calendar days prior to the date set for receipt of offers.

III.C. Notice to Small Business Firms

A program for the purpose of assisting qualified small business concerns in obtaining certain bid, payment, or performance bonds that are otherwise not obtainable is available through the Small Business Administration (SBA) (Small Business Administration). For information concerning SBA's surety bond guarantee assistance, contact your SBA District Office.

III.D. Information Concerning the Disclosure of Solicitation Results

This acquisition is being conducted under the provisions of FAR Part 15 as a negotiated procurement. In accordance with FAR 3.104 and FAR 15.207, after receipt of proposals, no information regarding the identity of those submitting offers, the number of offers received, or the information contained in such offers will be made available until after award except as provided by FAR 15.503.

III.E. Affirmative Procurement Program

GSA has implemented an Affirmative Procurement Program (APP) intended to maximize the use of recovered materials, environmentally preferable, and bio-based products. Offerors should familiarize themselves with the requirements for using and reporting on the use of such materials in performance as set forth in the Agreement.

Refer to Clause FAR 52.223-10 encouraging vendors to practice waste reduction.

http://www.sba.gov/ http://www.sba.gov/

III.F. Notice Concerning Preparation of Proposals

Offerors are cautioned to carefully read the entire Solicitation and the Agreement to be included in the Contract contemplated by the Solicitation in order to be fully aware of all requirements and clauses in the contemplated Contract. Verify that all blanks requiring information to be supplied in an Offer have been properly filled out, that all pricing and other numerical data is accurately calculated, and that all copies of the Offer contain the same information.

III.G. Bond Requirements

If a bid guarantee is required to be submitted with your offer, any contract awarded will require a performance bond and payment bond as specified in the Agreement. Offerors who utilize individual sureties should note the requirement for a certified, audited, financial statement for each person acting as an individual surety under clause FAR 52.228-1 Bid Guarantee and the requirements of clause FAR 52.228-11 Pledge of Assets.

III.H. Contractor Performance Information

(1) Evaluating Contractor Performance: The General Services Administration is using the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) module as the secure, confidential, information management tool to facilitate the performance evaluation process. CPARS enables a comprehensive evaluation by capturing comments from both GSA and the contractor. The website for CPARS is Contractor Performance Assessment

Completed CPARS evaluations may then be used by Federal acquisition community for use in making source selection decisions. CPARS assists acquisition officials by serving as the single source for contractor past performance data.

(2) CPARS Registration: Each award requiring an evaluation must be registered in CPARS. The contractor will receive several automated emails. Within thirty days of award, the contractor will receive an email that contains user account information, as well as the applicable contract and order number(s) assigned. Contractors will be granted one user account to access all evaluations.

(3) Contractor CPARS Training: Contractors may sign up for CPARS training. A schedule of classes will be posted to the CPARS training site (CPARS Training) and updated as needed.

(4) Contractor Representative (CR) Role: All evaluations will be sent the Contractor Representative (CR) named on your award. The CR will be able to access CPARS to review and comment on the evaluation. If your CR is not already in the CPARS system, the contracting officer will request the name and email address of the person that will be responsible for the CR role on your award.

http://www.cpars.gov/ http://www.cpars.gov/ https://www.cpars.gov/lc.htm

Once an evaluation is ready to be released the CR will receive an email alerting them the evaluation is ready for their review and comment. The email will indicate the time frame the CR has to respond to the evaluation; however, the CR may return the evaluation earlier than this date.

GSA shall provide for review at a level above the contracting officer (i.e., contracting director) to consider any disagreement between GSA and the contractor regarding GSA’s evaluation of the contractor. Based on the review, the individual at a level above the contracting officer will issue the ultimate conclusion on the performance evaluation.

Copies of the evaluations, contractor responses, and review comments, if any, will be retained as part of the contract file.

III.I. Safeguarding and Dissemination of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Building Information

Certain information contained in the Solicitation Documents may have been designated as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) building information. With respect to such information, Offerors shall agree to the terms for receipt of such information, as set forth in the provision “Administrative Matters” in Section III of the Agreement, as a condition of receipt of such information.

III.J. INFORM

A. Overview of the IN-depth Feedback through Open Reporting Methods (INFORM) Process

This solicitation is part of GSA’s post award communication process called INFORM. The process is designed to enhance the quality and usefulness of post-award communications by providing greater transparency and openness into the procurement process. INFORM seeks to increase GSA-industry communication by providing clearer and more complete information to explain the award decision.

Through the INFORM process, GSA will seek to share additional information with offerors in writing and/or through an oral feedback meeting1 that is not required by statute or regulation. For Part 15 including mandatory debriefs and Part 16, and in addition to any information required by FAR 15.503 and 15.506, GSA is providing each offeror with the opportunity to participate in the INFORM process as further discussed below.

B. Detailed Description of the INFORM Process

B.1. Component 1 - Notification of Award

1 The oral feedback meeting may be held in person or via an electronic means.

After award and in accordance with any post-award notification timeframes required by regulation (i.e., FAR Parts 15.503(b) and 16.505(b)(6)), the contracting officer will issue written notices to the successful and unsuccessful offerors (the Notification Letter and Evaluation Statement (NLES)). The notices will contain:

● All information required by statute or regulation;

● An unredacted copy of the complete technical evaluation for that particular offeror that includes a full description of the unsuccessful offeror’s strengths, weaknesses, risks, and deficiencies;

● An overall technical evaluation summary for that particular offeror and the successful offeror that includes evaluated price; overall technical ranking, rating, or score.

B.2. Component 2 - Request for Oral Feedback Meeting or Written Questions

Within three business days after receipt of the NLES, an offeror may, but is not required to:

● submit a written request to the contracting officer for an oral feedback meeting;

● submit a list of written questions to the contracting officer; or

● take no further action.

If the offeror timely elects to request an oral feedback meeting or submit a list of written questions, GSA will consider any such request to constitute a required debriefing pursuant to FAR 15.506. If an offeror does not request an oral feedback meeting or submit a list of written questions within the three day time period, the receipt of the NLES concludes the INFORM process and satisfies the FAR requirement for debriefs pursuant to FAR 15.506.

If the offeror submits a list of written questions in lieu of the oral feedback meeting, the contracting officer will attempt to respond within five business days of receipt of the written questions. Unless otherwise stated, the contracting officer’s response to the written questions will conclude the INFORM process and any corresponding post-award debriefing as further set forth at FAR 15.506.

If the offeror requests an oral feedback meeting, the offeror should provide the following information:

● Primary point of contact;

● List of participants with titles (e.g., Senior Vice…