About this file

This is a Request for Information (RFI) document for federal contract opportunity 333302-26RF-0010043 (IDIQ) for Planned Maintenance and Inspection Services for Environmentally Controlled Walk-In Units at the Smithsonian Institution. The document contains 21 questions and answers clarifying contract requirements and expectations for potential contractors.

The contract uses a hybrid pricing model combining Firm Fixed Price (FFP) planned maintenance and inspections with an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Time & Materials component for repairs. Under FFP, the contractor must maintain all environmentally controlled walk-in units (ECWs) to operate within specified environmental control ranges, perform semi-annual PM&I inspections occurring twice yearly six months apart, provide necessary supervision and materials, and maintain equipment per Attachment B and manufacturers' recommendations. The contractor bears out-of-pocket material costs up to $300 per unit annually for replaceable items including lubricants, filters, and strainers; costs exceeding this threshold require pre-approval. The First Site Visit is included in the FFP scope. Under IDIQ work (pre-approved by the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative), the contractor bills for materials above the threshold, emergency responses during and outside normal business hours, repairs, equipment replacements, and inspections of non-inventory units. All PM&I work occurs during normal business hours. ROM repair estimates must be provided within 24 hours with plus/minus pricing ranges, followed by FFP quotes within two weeks if requested. The contractor maintains inventory on Excel spreadsheets, arranges facility access with designated point-of-contact personnel, and coordinates emergency access through the COTR. Only one contractor will be awarded and must implement site-specific lockout/tagout procedures per OSHA 1910.147 standards. Performance evaluation criteria include timely SOW completion, documentation quality, responsiveness, schedule adherence, and overall reliability.

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Other files

File Type Posted
Amendment 2.pdf PDF
RFI Responses 22 thru 26.pdf PDF
33330226RF0010043 Final with (SF33).pdf PDF
Amendment 1.pdf PDF
Attachment A - walk-in inventory2.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
Sign In Sheet for Site Visit.pdf PDF
Attachment C - first site visit.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
Walk-in PMI Contract SOW .docx DOCX document
Bid Sheet for walk-in Solication.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
Attachment A - walk-in inventory.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
Attachment D - Asset Management (AMD) Requirements.docx DOCX document
33330226RF0010043 Final.pdf PDF
Attachment B - Walk-ins First Site Visit Survey Attributes.xlsx XLSX spreadsheet
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Question Response

Can the Smithsonian confirm whether the current ECW inventory (Attachment A) represents all units to be included in the Firm Fixed Price PM scope at contract award, and how newly added or The revised Attachment A will serve as the initial inventory for the contract.

Are there any ECWs currently offline, decommissioned, or scheduled for replacement within the base year that should still be included

All ECWs must be included in the PM&I, even if they are currently offline

Will ECWs under other maintenance contracts require only visual/summary inspections, and will those units be clearly identified at task-order issuance?

Part one: At contract start, ECWs covered by warranties or other maintenance agreements will receive visual/summary inspections only until those agreements expire. A list identifying these units will be provided

Request for Information 333302-26RF-0010043 (IDIQ) Planned Maintenance and Inspection Services for Environmentally Controlled Walk-In Units

Request for Information 333302-26RF-0010043 (IDIQ) Planned Maintenance and Inspection Services for Environmentally Controlled Walk-In Units

Can the Smithsonian clarify what activities are considered included under Firm Fixed Price PM versus billable repair work under IDIQ Time & Materials?

Under the firm fix price PM: 4.1 All pieces of equipment are to be maintained in a manner that enables them to operate at specified environmental control ranges. The routine Planned Maintenance shall also include all items in Attachment B.

include, but are not limited to, the minimum inspection/maintenance requirements as listed in Attachment B.

4.0 Contractor shall furnish all necessary supervision, fabrication, personnel, design sketches, materials, labor, tools, and equipment to perform PM&I services.

These services include, but are not limited to, testing, repairing, cleaning of strainers and coils, adjustments, parts cleaning, lubricating, and cleaning/replacing of filters on an as-needed basis. These services shall be outlined per Attachment B and manufacturers’ recommendations.

The Contractor is responsible for providing any replaceable maintenance materials up to the out-of-pocket threshold for all of the systems that they maintain.

All other expenses shall be pre-approved by the COTR.

On all systems maintained, the Contractor is responsible for providing any replaceable materials including, but not limited to, lubricants, strainers, service valve gaskets, cleansers, and filters that need to be replaced during maintenance. The maximum out-of-pocket expense for these maintenance materials for the Contractor shall be $300.00 per piece of equipment per year.

Under the IDIQ work (ALL pre-approved by COTR): 1. All material for PM&I above the material threshold. 2. Emergency on-site response call (normal work hours). 3. Emergency on-site response call (non-normal work hours). 4. All requested repairs or replacement of equipment.

5. Any requested inspection of ECWs not on the contract inventory.

Is minor corrective work discovered during PM allowed to be completed immediately under PM, or must all corrective actions be quoted and

All repair work needs to be pre-approved by COTR.

Is the First Site Visit considered part of the Firm Fixed Price PM scope, or will it be issued as a It is considered part of the firm fix price of the PM&I.

What asset management system or platform will the contractor be required to use, and will training or access credentials be provided by the Smithsonian?

The contractor is not required to use the Smithsonian Asset Management system. The contractor should maintain the inventory on an Excel spreadsheet and be able to provide all pertinent records and reports. No training is provided by the Smithsonian.

333302-26RF-0010043 (IDIQ) Planned Maintenance and Inspection Services for Environmentally Controlled Walk-In Units

What level of data completeness is required during the First Site Visit if asset information (model, serial, refrigerant) is missing or unreadable?

All due diligence is requested by Smithsonian for the contractor to complete the report. The contractor will be provided with a copy of the last inspection report to assist in this process. Any missing information should be listed as unavailable.

Are photographs, trend logs, or alarm histories required as part of asset documentation submissions?

No photographs are required by the contractor. Items stored inside the walk-in should not be photographed. Photographs of deficient equipment needing IDIQ work are encouraged to help describe the problem to the funding entity. All service calls or deficiencies should be provided in the monthly report and the inspection report. Trend logs, life expectancy of equipment and/or other predictive information should be maintained by the contractor for the annual assessment report. All alarms resulting in a service call shall be included in the monthly report.

Will PM work generally be performed during normal business hours, or should contractors anticipate night/weekend access requirements for

All PM&I work shall be completed during normal business hours. No non-normal PM&I work hours are anticipated.

Will Smithsonian staff escorts be required for all locations, and how will access be coordinated for routine PM and emergency service calls?

For routine PM, the contractor will contact the ECW POC to schedule access and escorts as needed.

For emergency service calls, the COTR will coordinate access and escorts.

Are there blackout periods (events, animal care schedules, lab operations) that restrict PM scheduling at certain facilities?

This contract is new; no known blackout times are available. The contractor will have to schedule in advance with the ECWs' POC to confirm access availability.

What level of detail is expected in Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) repair estimates, and is there a target turnaround time for approval?

The ROM should be the contractor’s best estimate based on experience. It would be best if the contractor gives a ROM with a plus or minus percentage for the price range. The target turnaround time for the requested ROM quote is twenty-four (24) hours. 4.3 A Firm Fixed Price repair quote shall be provided within two (2) weeks after the ROM quote if requested by the COTR. The turnaround time for FFP approval will be based on the funding party’s response.

333302-26RF-0010043 (IDIQ) Planned Maintenance and Inspection Services for Environmentally Controlled Walk-In Units

Will repair task orders be issued with Not-To- Exceed (NTE) values, and is contractor authorization required prior to exceeding ROM ranges?

NTE task orders will not be the norm- only in necessary cases with unknown factors. A FFP should be the norm. ROMs are only used to give information to the funding party to help make a decision to proceed to an RFP with a firm fixed price. ROM pricing will not be authorized for IDIQ work.

Is there a historical average for the number of service calls or repair task orders issued annually under similar ECW contracts?

Based on limited data for the last serval years the estimate is anywhere between 0 -10 per year for service calls. In the past two years there have been four major equipment replacements and/or repairs. The contractor will help let the Walk-in owners be aware of needed repairs and replacements.

No similar ECW contracts information is available.

Are there ECWs containing hazardous, biohazard, or low-level radioactive materials that require special training, escorts, or certifications for access?

All contents of the Walk-in should be treated as priceless items. The low-level radioactive ECWs are exempted form interior PM&I. All other Hazards should be investigated with the POCs of the ECW for safety protocol. No known certifications or extensive training for hazard material are available at this time. All necessary escorts should be arranged with the POC.

Will the Smithsonian provide site-specific safety orientations or training prior to First Site Visits and PM work?

No training will be provided by the Smithsonian for site specific safety orientations or prior to the First Site Visit and PM&I work. All safety requirements should be verified with the POC of the ECW.

Are lockout/tagout procedures standardized across facilities, or location-specific?

Smithsonian safety's response: Lockout/tagout is covered in the SI Safety Manual Chapter 12 which basically follows the OSHA Standard in 1910.147. The expectation is that contractors implement the requirements of the standards and address the site-specific control of hazardous energy as it applies to the project. In some cases, depending on the work, contractors may have to coordinate with OFMR to identify the sources of hazardous energy lockout points.

Contractors should outline in detail their lockout/tagout procedure in the site-specific safety plan or JHA/AHA. So yes, we would be looking for the location or site-specific procedures that is planned to be implement.

333302-26RF-0010043 (IDIQ) Planned Maintenance and Inspection Services for Environmentally Controlled Walk-In Units

Will multiple contractors be awarded under this IDIQ, and if so, how will task orders be distributed (rotation, best value, availability)?

Only one contract is awarded for the Solicitation. The awarded contractor will have the first option to provide an IDIQ proposal for IDIQ work based on the contract labor and material markup rates.

What performance metrics (response time, documentation quality, PM completion rates) will be used to evaluate contractor performance and option-year renewals?

Performance will be evaluated based on timely completion of all SOW requirements, documentation quality, responsiveness, adherence to PM schedules, and overall reliability. Full compliance is expected for option year renewal.

Is there a minimum or target PM completion schedule (quarterly, semiannual, annual) for ECWs under the Firm Fixed Price portion of the contract

The PM&I inspection is completed on a semi-annual basis. 4.2 The second semi-annual PM&I shall take place six (6) months after the first. Price sheet line 3: Planned maintenance and inspection (occurs twice a year)

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