36C10D24Q0266.docx

PAGE OF PAGES

THIS RFQ IS IS NOT A SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE

1. REQUEST NO.

2. DATE ISSUED

3. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUEST NO.

4.

CERT. FOR NAT. DEF.

RATING

UNDER BDSA REG. 2

AND/OR DMS REG. 1

5A. ISSUED BY

6. DELIVER BY (Date) 5B. FOR INFORMATION CALL: (No collect calls)

7. DELIVERY

NAME

TELEPHONE NUMBER

FOB DESTINATION

(See Schedule)

OTHER

AREA

CODE

NUMBER

9. DESTINATION

a. NAME OF CONSIGNEE

8. TO:

a. NAME

b. COMPANY

b. STREET ADDRESS

c. STREET ADDRESS

c. CITY

d. CITY

e. STATE

f. ZIP CODE

d. STATE

e. ZIP CODE 10.

PLEASE FURNISH QUOTATIONS TO THE ISSUING OFFICE ON

OR BEFORE CLOSE OF BUSINESS (Date) This is a request for information, and quotations furnished are not offers. If you are unable to quote, please so indicate on this form and return it. This request does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of the submission of this quotation or to contract for supplies or services. Supplies are of domestic origin unless otherwise indicated by quoter. Any representations and/or certifications attached to this Request for Quotations must be completed by the quoter.

ITEM NO.

SUPPLIES/SERVICES

QUANTITY

UNIT

UNIT PRICE

AMOUNT

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

a. 10 CALENDAR DAYS %

b. 20 CALENDAR DAYS %

c. 30 CALENDAR DAYS %

d. CALENDAR DAYS

NUMBER

PERCENTAGE

NOTE: Additional provisions and representations are are not attached.

13. NAME AND ADDRESS OF QUOTER

14. SIGNATURE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN QUOTATION

15. DATE OF QUOTATION

a. NAME OF QUOTER

b. STREET ADDRESS

16. SIGNER

a. Name (Type or print)

b. TELEPHONE

c. COUNTY

AREA CODE

d. CITY

e. STATE

f. ZIP CODE

c. TITLE (Type or print)

NUMBER

IMPORTANT:

11. SCHEDULE (Include applicable Federal, State and local taxes)

12. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(THIS IS NOT AN ORDER)

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

STANDARD FORM 18 (REV. 6-95)

Previous edition not usable Prescribed by GSA-FAR (48 CFR) 53.215-1(a)

REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS

VA

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36C10D24Q0266 08-14-2024 F36B318-24-0000056

Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) OMS - Acquisition Directorate 1800 G Street NW Washington DC 20006

Dirk Kelley Dirk.Kelley@va.gov

Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Winston Salem VA Regional Office 100 North Main Street Winston Salem

NC

27101 09-12-2024

Contractor shall provide all labor, materials, apparatus, tools, equipment, services, transportation, and supervision necessary to perform the 19th Floor Server Room HVAC Replacement project at the Winston Salem, North Carolina, Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO). This project shall be performed and completed in accordance with the attached

Statement of Work.

Pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 36.204, the magnitude of construction is between $25,000.00 and

$100,000.00. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code for this project is 238220 with a small business size standard of $19 million.

In accordance with Public Law (P.L.) 109-461, this acquisition is a total set-aside (100%) for Service-Disabled

Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs).

For further information and submission instructions, refer to Section 2.6 of this Solicitation.

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Table of Contents

1.2 INVOICE INSTRUCTIONS

Payment provided under the terms of this Purchase Order will be made upon delivery, acceptance, and installation of all deliverables submitted and approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

GOVERNMENT INVOICE ADDRESS:

TUNGSTEN (OB10) ELECTRONIC INVOICE SUBMISSION

FSC e-INVOICE PROGRAM THROUGH AUSTIN PORTAL

FSC MANDATORY ELECTRONIC INVOICE SUBMISSION FOR AUSTIN PAYMENTS

Please include the Order Number on all Invoices.

All invoices shall be submitted using the same line item format in the Purchase Order.

Vendor Electronic Invoice Submission Methods:

Fax, e-mail, and/or scanned documents are not acceptable forms of submission for payment requests. Electronic form means an automated system transmitting information electronically according to the accepted data transmissions below.

1. VA Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment System. The Financial Services Center (FSC) in Austin, Texas uses a third-party contractor, Tungsten, to transition vendors from paper to electronic invoice submission. Please visit the following website http://www.tungsten-network.com/US/en/veterans-affairs/ to begin submitting electronic invoices, free of charge.

2. A system that conforms to the X12 electronic data interchange (EDI) formats established by the Accredited Standards Center (ASC) chartered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The X12 EDI Web site is as follows: http://www.x12.org.

Vendor e-Invoice Set-Up Information:

Please contact Tungsten at the phone number or e-mail address listed below to begin submitting electronic invoices to the VA FSC in Austin, Texas for payment processing.

· Tungsten e-Invoice Setup: 1-877-489-6135

· Tungsten e-Invoice E-Mail: VA.Registration@tungsten-network.com

· VA Tungsten Number: AAA544240062

Should any questions arise about the payment status of a properly submitted invoice, the e-invoicing program, or Tungsten, then please contact the VA FSC at the phone number or email address listed below.

· FSC e-Invoice Contact Information: 1-877-353-9791

· FSC e-Invoice E-mail: vafsccshd@va.gov

· FSC Internet: http://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.asp

1.3 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

ITEM INFORMATION

1.00

JB

19th Floor Server Room HVAC Replacement in accordance with the Statement of Work.

Brand Name or Equal to existing HVAC unit.

Contract Period: Base

PRINCIPAL NAICS CODE: 238220 -

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors

PRODUCT/SERVICE CODE: Z2AZ -

Repair or Alteration of Other Administrative Facilities and Service Buildings

GRAND TOTAL

1.4 STATEMENT OF WORK

Statement of Work 19th Floor Server Room HVAC Replacement

1. BACKGROUND

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), more particularly the Winston Salem, North Carolina, Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO), operates separate heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units to maintain proper temperature in various computer server rooms. The Winston Salem VARO needs a replacement of an HVAC unit in the computer server room located on the 19th Floor located at 100 North Main Street, Winston Salem, NC 27101. This requirement is necessary to ensure that the HVAC unit in the computer server room will provide optimal temperature and humidity percentages.

2. DESCRIPTION

The Winston Salem VARO requires a replacement for one (1) Leibert Minimate 2 HVAC unit that is no longer serviceable due to age.

3. SCOPE

The Contractor will furnish all parts, services, tools, equipment, labor, transportation, and supervision for the removal of the existing HVAC unit and replacement with a new HVAC unit.

4. CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS

The Contractor will employ certified technicians in the performance of the HVAC replacement.

5. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

a. Remove the existing Leibert MiniMate 2 Precision Cooling System, Model MMD18A-XHE70.

b. Recover refrigerant and oils in accordance with federal, state, and local requirements.

c. Ensure all parts, including all hardware, and any debris are removed with the existing HVAC unit. If the current ducting is salvageable and can be used with the new HVAC unit, then ducting can be left in place.

d. Install a new in kind HVAC replacement unit with all ancillary parts to include the ducting

e. Install new thermostat in the at-issue server room and configure for compliance with new HVAC unit instructions, if needed. Ensure temperature and humidity are set accordingly.

6. DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall create, update, distribute, file, maintain, reproduce, and allow VA access to documents necessary or appropriate in the performance of work under this Statement of Work. The Contractor, at no expense to VA, must correct and resubmit improperly prepared records rejected by the VA Contracting Officer’s Representative (VA COR).

The Contractor shall provide all applicable material submittals for this project to be reviewed by the VA COR. The VA COR shall review and issue appropriate action (approve, disapprove, revise/resubmit) on each material submittal within five (5) business days of receipt. Material submittals shall also include a Project Superintendent Letter, OSHA Certifications, and Schedule of Values/Project Schedule. Material submittals shall also include Shop Drawings, Product Data, and Samples.

7. CLEAN-UP AND DISPOSAL

The Contractor shall maintain a clean work environment. The Contractor shall remove all packing material, debris, and cartons from the job site on a daily basis. The Contractor shall also dispose of recyclables, trash, and packing materials from the installation site on a daily basis. No recyclables, trash, or packing materials shall be disposed of or discarded in facility-provided recycling containers, trash containers, or dumpsters.

All surrounding surfaces will be kept free of dust and debris. If the VA COR renders the area unacceptable for cleanliness, then the Contractor shall reclean the area, at own expense, until deemed acceptable by the VA COR. The Contractor will also comply with all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), state, local, and all other applicable regulations governing the proper handling and disposal of waste and debris.

8. ACCEPTANCE

All equipment shall be tested and in pristine condition prior to acceptance by the VA COR. A copy of reports, any technical manuals/instructions, and warranty will be provided to the VA COR and VA Contracting Officer upon completion of the project. Any training on the new HVAC unit or thermostat will also be provided at this time to the VA COR.

9. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

While on VA property, any personnel representing the Contractor shall comply with the rules and regulations governing the conduct of personnel as well as the operation of the office facility. The Contractor shall be ultimately responsible for the actions of all individuals in the performance of this contractual action. In the event that damages arise from work performed by any personnel representing the Contractor, the Contractor will be responsible for all resources necessary to remedy the incident. All badges, if required of Contractor personnel, shall be displayed on the person. While debris, refrigerants, and oils are expected in the course of work, a clean, neat appearance will be a standard practice while on VA property.

10. WARRANTY

All items furnished shall be free from defects that would adversely affect the performance, maintainability, and appearance of individual components as well as overall assembly.

All parts, labor, and associated materials of the newly installed HVAC unit will, at a minimum, contain a one (1) year warranty period from the date of installation. If a part has been replaced and/or refrigerant gas or oils has been needed due to leakage during that time, the warranty will continue if the known issue exceeds the one (1) year warranty.

11. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance for this project will be thirty (30) calendar days from the issuance of the Notice to Proceed (NTP) that includes the performance and completion of all services incorporated in this Statement of Work.

12. SCHEDULE

All work will be performed Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays, between the hours of 7:30 am and 3:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST). Federal holidays that are potentially applicable in the 2024 calendar year are as follows: Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

13. KEY PERSONNEL

VA COR, Winston Salem VARO – Brian Hawks who can be contacted at Brian.Hawks@va.gov

Supervisor, Support Services Division, Winston Salem VARO – David Gray who can be contacted at David.Gray5@va.gov.

14. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

a. Parking: Contractor’s vehicles, including those of their employees, are to be parked as directed by the VA COR.

b. Smoke-Free Environment: The Department of Veterans Affairs, including the Winston Salem VARO, is a smoke free environment. Smoking is not permitted at the facility. No smoking will be allowed on the premises, including within vehicles.

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS TO BIDDERS/OFFERORS

2.1 52.211-6 BRAND NAME OR EQUAL (AUG 1999)

(a) If an item in this solicitation is identified as "brand name or equal," the purchase description reflects the characteristics and level of quality that will satisfy the Government's needs. The salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics that "equal" products must meet are specified in the solicitation.

(b) To be considered for award, offers of "equal" products, including "equal" products of the brand name manufacturer, must—

(1) Meet the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristic specified in this solicitation;

(2) Clearly identify the item by—

(i) Brand name, if any; and

(ii) Make or model number;

(3) Include descriptive literature such as illustrations, drawings, or a clear reference to previously furnished descriptive data or information available to the Contracting Officer; and

(4) Clearly describe any modifications the offeror plans to make in a product to make it conform to the solicitation requirements. Mark any descriptive material to clearly show the modifications.

(c) The Contracting Officer will evaluate "equal" products on the basis of information furnished by the offeror or identified in the offer and reasonably available to the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer is not responsible for locating or obtaining any information not identified in the offer.

(d) Unless the offeror clearly indicates in its offer that the product being offered is an "equal" product, the offeror shall provide the brand name product referenced in the solicitation.

(End of Provision)

2.2 52.222-5 CONSTRUCTION WAGE RATE REQUIREMENTS—SECONDARY SITE OF THE WORK (MAY 2014) (a)(1) The offeror shall notify the Government if the offeror intends to perform work at any secondary site of the work, as defined in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of the FAR clause at 52.222-6, Construction Wage Rate Requirements, of this solicitation.

(2) If the offeror is unsure if a planned work site satisfies the criteria for a secondary site of the work, the offeror shall request a determination from the Contracting Officer.

(b)(1) If the wage determination provided by the Government for work at the primary site of the work is not applicable to the secondary site of the work, the offeror shall request a wage determination from the Contracting Officer.

(2) The due date for receipt of offers will not be extended as a result of an offeror's request for a wage determination for a secondary site of the work.

(End of Provision)

2.3 52.225-10 NOTICE OF BUY AMERICAN REQUIREMENT—CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS (MAY 2014)

(a) Definitions. "Commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) item," "construction material," "domestic construction material," and "foreign construction material," as used in this provision, are defined in the clause of this solicitation entitled "Buy American—Construction Materials" (Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause 52.225-9).

(b) Requests for determinations of inapplicability. An offeror requesting a determination regarding the inapplicability of the Buy American statute should submit the request to the Contracting Officer in time to allow a determination before submission of offers. The offeror shall include the information and applicable supporting data required by paragraphs (c) and (d) of the clause at FAR 52.225-9 in the request. If an offeror has not requested a determination regarding the inapplicability of the Buy American statute before submitting its offer, or has not received a response to a previous request, the offeror shall include the information and supporting data in the offer.

(c) Evaluation of offers.

(1) The Government will evaluate an offer requesting exception to the requirements of the Buy American statute, based on claimed unreasonable cost of domestic construction material, by adding to the offered price the appropriate percentage of the cost of such foreign construction material, as specified in paragraph (b)(3)(i) of the clause at FAR 52.225-9.

(2) If evaluation results in a tie between an offeror that requested the substitution of foreign construction material based on unreasonable cost and an offeror that did not request an exception, the Contracting Officer will award to the offeror that did not request an exception based on unreasonable cost.

(d) Alternate offers.

(1) When an offer includes foreign solicitation in paragraph (b)(2) of the clause at FAR 52.225-9, the offeror also may submit an alternate offer based on use of equivalent domestic construction material.

(2) If an alternate offer is submitted, the offeror shall submit a separate Standard Form 1442 for the alternate offer, and a separate price comparison table prepared in accordance with paragraphs (c) and (d) of the clause at FAR 52.225-9 for the offer that is based on the use of any foreign construction material for which the Government has not yet determined an exception applies.

(3) If the Government determines that a particular exception requested in accordance with paragraph (c) of the clause at FAR 52.225-9 does not apply, the Government will evaluate only those offers based on use of the equivalent domestic construction material, and the offeror shall be required to furnish such domestic construction material. An offer based on use of the foreign construction material for which an exception was requested—

(i) Will be rejected as nonresponsive if this acquisition is conducted by sealed bidding; or

(ii) May be accepted if revised during negotiations.

(End of Provision)

2.4 52.236-27 SITE VISIT (CONSTRUCTION) (FEB 1995) ALTERNATE I (FEB 1995)

(a) The clauses at 52.236-2, Differing Site Conditions, and 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 or quoters are urged and expected to inspect the site where the work will be performed.

(b) An organized site visit has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 10:00 am EST.

(c) Participants will meet at the Main Lobby of Wells Fargo Building (100 North Main Street).

(End of Provision)

2.5 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaar/

(End of Provision)

FEB 1999

2.6 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS AND CHECKLIST

1. PURPOSE: This acquisition is to perform construction-related services of removing the existing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit and replacing in kind with a new HVAC unit as further described by the Statement of Work. Said HVAC unit is located in the computer server room on the 19th Floor, which must maintain certain temperature settings. This requirement is for the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) on behalf of the Winston Salem, North Carolina, Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO) that is located at 100 North Main Street, Winston Salem, North Carolina 27101 [Wells Fargo Center].

2. REQUEST FOR QUOTATION: This solicitation is being issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13. VBA, more specifically the Office of Mission Support (OMS) – Acquisition Directorate, intends to award one (1) Firm-Fixed-Price Construction Purchase Order in connection with Solicitation Number 36C10D24Q0266 for the Winston Salem VARO.

3. SDVOSB SET-ASIDE: This procurement is a total set-aside (100%) for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) concerns in accordance with FAR 19.502-2(a) and FAR Subpart 19.14. Quotations received from other than SDVOSB concerns will not be considered. All SDVOSBs must verified in the Small Business Administration (SBA) Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) database via https://veterans.certify.sba.gov/. Vendors must be verified in the VetCert database, administered by SBA, at the time of quotation submission and at the time of award pursuant to Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) 819.7006. Failure to be visible and verified in the VetCert database, at the time of quotation submission, will result in the vendor’s ineligibility for award.

4. SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM): Federal Contractors are required, conforming with FAR 4.1102, to be registered in the SAM database at http://www.sam.gov and must enter all mandatory information prescribed by the system. Interested vendors are required to be registered in SAM at the time of quotation submission for compliance with the annual representations and certifications requirements. Failure to be registered and verified through SAM, at the time of quotation submission, will result in the vendor’s ineligibility for award.

5. RFQ EXPENSES AND PRE-CONTRACT COSTS: This RFQ solicitation does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of a Quotation, or for other costs incurred before award of a Purchase Order.

6. WAGE DETERMINATION: Wages for all Contractors and subcontractors must comply with the Wage Rate Requirements (formerly the Davis Bacon Act). The current Wage Rate Determination is General Decision NC20240004 – 01/05/2024. The Wage Rate Determination that is current at the time of the award will be the applicable determination for the project. Current Wage Rate Determinations are available at: https://sam.gov/content/wage-determinations.

7. BONDS: A payment bond will be required in the penal sum of 100% of the price of the Purchase Order within ten (10) calendar days of award on the Standard Form (SF) 25A. No other bond shall be submitted for this requirement.

8. RFQ ACCEPTABILITY: Quotations shall strictly comply with all instructions in this RFQ solicitation to ensure a complete submission. Failure to furnish a complete submission on or before the due date [addressed in Section 13 below] may result in the Quotation being rendered as non-responsive and/or unacceptable by the Government, thereby eliminated from consideration for award. The submission will be presumed as the best and final Quotation in response to this RFQ solicitation. The Government intends to award one (1) Firm-Fixed-Price Construction Purchase Order without discussions.

9. GENERAL RFQ PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

a. The instructions in this RFQ solicitation prescribe the format of Quotation submissions as well as describe the approach for the development and presentation of the proposed data. The Quotation shall include all information requested in these specific instructions. Failure to include all information requested in these specific instructions may adversely affect the evaluation. Quotations that merely reiterate or promise to accomplish the requirements of the RFQ solicitation will be considered unacceptable. Quotations that are orderly and sufficiently documented by each evaluation factor will be efficient for the Government to understand, which will enable the Government with performing thorough and fair evaluations.

b. Quotation submissions must provide enough information for the Government to ascertain the capability of that particular vendor in performing the construction-related services as described by the SOW, which is a part of this RFQ solicitation. All commitments made in the Quotation may become a part of the Purchase Order. The data submitted with each Quotation should be complete and concise, but not overly elaborate. Excessive reliance on promotional brochures is strongly discouraged.

10. SITE VISIT: A Site Visit has been scheduled for this project, which will be the only opportunity that potential vendors may visit the site. The Site Visit will be conducted on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 10:00 am EST. See FAR Clause 52.236-27 in this RFQ solicitation for further information. All potential vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers are strongly encouraged to attend this Site Visit.

11. TECHNICAL QUESTIONS (REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION): Questions of a technical nature also identified as Requests for Information (RFIs) must be provided in writing and shall be submitted by the prospective vendors to Dirk Kelley. RFIs shall be submitted only via e-mail correspondence to Dirk.Kelley@va.gov, which the RFI Form is attached to this RFQ solicitation (S02 Request for Information Form). Oral RFIs are not acceptable due to the possibility of misunderstanding and/or misinterpretation.

The subject line of any RFI e-mail correspondence for this project must read as follows: ‘19th Floor Server Room HVAC Replacement (318) – Requests for Information’. The submission due date and time for receipt of RFIs is Tuesday, August 27, 2024 by 3:00 pm EST.

12. AMENDMENTS: Amendments to this RFQ solicitation will be posted on Contract Opportunities through SAM at https://sam.gov/content/opportunities. Paper copies of the Amendments will not be individually mailed. No other notification of Amendments will be provided other than posting to Contract Opportunities. Potential vendors are solely responsible for obtaining and acknowledging any Amendments to the RFQ solicitation. Failure to acknowledge any Amendment may result in the vendor being considered as non-responsive.

13. RFQ DUE DATE AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

a. Quotations shall be submitted on or before Thursday, September 12, 2024 by 3:00 pm EST, which is also indicated in Block 10 of the SF 18 for this RFQ solicitation. Quotations shall be submitted, in writing, by e-mail to the Contracting Officer at Dirk.Kelley@va.gov.

b. The size of each e-mail shall not exceed 5 megabytes (MBs). If all required attachments exceed this size limitation, then the Quotation submission must be sent in multiple e-mail correspondence.

c. To properly identify the number of e-mails with each Quotation submission, the e-mail correspondence for Quotation submissions shall be labeled in the subject line as follows: “Email # of # - Quotation for RFQ 36C10D24Q0266, 19th Floor Server Room HVAC Replacement.”

14. RFQ INSTRUCTIONS, FORMAT, AND CONTENT:

a. INSTRUCTIONS

i. These instructions prescribe the format of Quotations and describe the approach for the development and presentation of the proposed data. The Quotation shall include all information requested in the specific instructions and evaluation factors. Failure to include all information requested may adversely affect the evaluation. A Quotation that merely reiterates or promises to accomplish the requirements of the RFQ may be considered unacceptable. A Quotation that is orderly and sufficiently documented by each evaluation factor will enable the Government to easily understand and perform a thorough and fair evaluation.

ii. Submissions shall not contain any classified data. The use of hyperlinks in Quotation submissions are prohibited and any information contained within those hyperlinks will not be evaluated.

iii. Late Quotation submissions will not be accepted for evaluation. To avoid late submissions, the Government recommends the transmission of the Quotation file(s) at least one (1) calendar day before the submission due date and time. Please be advised that the submission timeliness is determined on the receipt date and time in which the Quotation file(s) are received by the Government, not based upon attempted transmissions by the potential vendor.

b. QUOTATION SUBMISSION FORMAT

i. The Quotation submission shall be organized and formatted with five (5) sections combined into the least number of portable document format (PDF) files as practically possible, which are as follows:

Section 1 – SF 18 documents [Completed SF 18 – Page 1 of RFQ solicitation];

Section 2 – Price [Completed Price/Cost Schedule – Page 5 of RFQ solicitation];

ii. The Quotation submission shall be clearly indexed and logically assembled. Each of the five (5) sections in the Quotation submission shall be clearly identified and shall begin at the top of a new page.

iii. Each of the five (5) sections shall contain a Cover Page that establishes the following information: (a) Section Number; (b) RFQ Number; (c) 19th Floor Server Room HVAC Replacement; (d) Vendor Name; (e) Vendor System for Award Management Unique Entity Identification (SAM UEI) Number; and (f) Vendor Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code.

iv. The table below indicates the maximum page count, if applicable, for each of the five

(5) sections in the Quotation submission.

v. Unless otherwise specified, all files must be submitted as an Adobe PDF file.

vi. All documents in the Quotation submission shall be letter-sizer paper (no greater than 8 ½” x 11”). Page layout can be portrait or landscape.

c. QUOTATION CONTENTS

i. Each Quotation submission shall be compliant as set forth below. All information shall be confined to the appropriate section that will then facilitate independent evaluation.

ii. Cover Pages and Table of Contents are not included in the page limitations below.

iii. Pages exceeding the total allowable page limitation for a particular evaluation factor will not be forwarded to the evaluation team, thereby removed from consideration.

Section 1 – SF 18 (Completed SF 18) 1 page

Section 2 – Price (Completed SF 18 Price/Cost Schedule)

1 page

Section 3 – Past Performance (CPARS or two [2] completed PPQs) 10 pages

Section 4 – Technical (Salient Characteristics of Equipment) 5 pages

Section 5 – Certifications/Representations

No Page Limit

d. SECTION 1 CONTENTS – SF 18

i. Quotation submissions shall be completed with an executed SF 18 as to the following items:

▪ Blocks 13a through 13f;

▪ Block 14;

▪ Block 15;

▪ Block 16a; and

▪ Block 16c.

ii. An official having the authority to contractually bind the company must sign Blocks 14 and 16 of the SF 18 in accordance with FAR 4.102.

e. SECTION 2 CONTENTS – PRICE

i. The Price Section shall consist of the SF 18, Price/Cost Schedule [Page 5 of the RFQ solicitation].

ii. All prices shall be fully burdened and represented in two (2) decimal positions only.

Double check any calculations for accuracy.

f. SECTION 3 CONTENTS – PAST PERFORMANCE

i. The Past Performance Section shall consist of Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) data or two (2) completed Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs). The PPQ template has been attached to the RFQ solicitation.

ii. If no applicable CPARS data is available, then one (1) of the two (2) completed PPQs must be for work that the potential vendor performed as the prime contractor.

iii. Each completed PPQ shall be recent and relevant as further defined in the Evaluation Factors, which are a part of the RFQ solicitation. If the completed PPQs are not considered recent and relevant, then the past performance record will equate to a neutral rating that is also further defined in the Evaluation Factors, again a part of the RFQ solicitation.

iv. The Government may, but is not limited to, evaluate present and past performance information through the use of discussions with the PPQ references provided; conduct inquiries with customers; use data independently obtained from other Government databases, commercial sources, or publicly available sources; and/or rely upon personal business experience with the potential vendor.

g. SECTION 4 CONTENTS - TECHNICAL

i. The Technical Section shall be submitted pursuant to the instructions contained herein. Under no circumstances shall inclusive or exhaustive statements such as “we comply with the requirements of the order” or an equivalent declaration be acceptable to meet the requirements of this RFQ solicitation. Quotations that merely reiterate or promise to accomplish the requirements of the RFQ solicitation will be considered unacceptable.

ii. The Technical Section of the Quotation submission shall not include any price and/or pricing information.

iii. THE TECHNICAL SECTION SHALL CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EXISTING HVAC UNIT IDENTIFIED IN THE STATEMENT OF WORK.

h. SECTION 5 CONTENTS – CERTIFICATIONS/REPRESENTATIONS

i. Quotation submissions shall contain a completed and executed VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting — Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction (JAN 2023) (DEVIATION) pursuant to VAAR 852.219-75. This Certificate of Compliance has been attached to the RFQ solicitation.

ii. The Government will not consider Quotation submissions for award without the completed requirements in accordance with VAAR 852.219-75. Any submissions without this specified certification will be deemed ineligible for evaluation and award.

15. DETERMINATION OF NON-RESPONSIVE: Quotations received pertaining to this RFQ solicitation will be reviewed for responsiveness. Failure to provide all required documentation before the submission date/time may deem the Quotation and respective vendor as non-responsive.

16. DETERMINATION OF RESPONSIBILITY: A Determination of Responsibility will be conducted for the prospective awardee prior to award of this project. The Representations and Certifications, along with other information obtained from Government database systems, as well as any other information permissible in FAR 9.105-1 will be used to make the Determination of Responsibility.

Note: Any information received by the Government that would cause for a negative Determination of Responsibility may make that particular vendor ineligible for award.

QUOTATION SUBMISSION - PACKAGE CONTENTS CHECKLIST:

To be considered responsive, all quotations must include, at a minimum, the following six (6) items:

1) SF 18 Request for Quotations:

· The vendor shall complete all information indicated in Blocks 13a through 13f as well as Blocks 15, 16a, and 16c of the SF 18.

· The vendor shall then sign the SF 18 in Block 14.

· The vendor shall also include the completed Price/Cost Schedule from Page 5 of the SF 18.

· Failure to complete, at the time of quotation submission, will result in the vendor’s ineligibility for award.

2) Acknowledgement of All Amendments:

· The vendor shall acknowledge all Amendments to the RFQ solicitation by returning the signed SF 30 Amendments with the electronic quotation submission.

· Failure to complete, at the time of quotation submission, will result in the vendor’s ineligibility for award.

3) SDVOSB Verification with SBA:

· The vendor must be verified in the VetCert database, administered by SBA, at the time of quotation submission and at the time of award. Failure to be visible and verified in the VetCert database, at the time of quotation submission, will result in the vendor’s ineligibility for award.

4) SAM Registration:

· The vendor shall furnish a copy of the active registration in SAM that includes the registration status, expiration date, and SAM UEI Number. Vendors must be active in SAM at the time of quotation submission and at the time of award. Failure to be active in SAM, at the time of quotation submission, will result in the vendor’s ineligibility for award.

5) Representations and Certifications:

· The vendor shall fully and accurately complete the Limitations on Subcontracting, Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction, which the VAAR Clause 852.219-75 Certificate of Compliance is attached to this RFQ solicitation.

· Failure to complete, at the time of quotation submission, will result in the vendor’s ineligibility for award.

6) Past Performance Information:

· Provide Recent and Relevant CPARS data.

· If no CPARS data is available, provide at least two (2) PPQs that are attached to this RFQ solicitation.

2.7 EVALUATION PLAN AND FACTORS

A. INTRODUCTION

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), more specifically the Office of Mission Support (OMS) – Acquisition Directorate, has a requirement for construction-related services of removing the existing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit and replacing in kind with a new HVAC unit as further described by the Statement of Work at the Winston Salem, North Carolina, Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO) under Solicitation Number 36C10D24Q0266 issued through a Request for Quotation (RFQ). This Evaluation Plan describes the evaluation procedures that will be used by the evaluation team for a Purchase Order of construction-related services. The Government intends to award one (1) Firm-Fixed-Price Construction Purchase Order in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13 procedures. Three (3) evaluation factors will be considered for this requirement, which are as follows: (1) Past Performance, (2) Technical, and (3) Price. The non-cost evaluation factors of Past Performance and Technical are equally important as Price.

B. EVALUATION FACTOR CRITERIA

1. Past Performance: The Government will conduct an evaluation of the past performance for each potential vendor (and any major subcontractor) as related to the probability of successful performance based upon the work required by this RFQ solicitation. The past performance evaluation considers recent and relevant records of performance in performing services that met the Purchase Order requirements.

Recent, for purposes of this solicitation, is defined as any contract performance occurring five (5) years of the date of this RFQ. Ongoing projects must have begun no less than one (1) year prior to the issuance of this RFQ.

Relevant, for purposes of this solicitation, is defined as past performance of work on projects that are similar in scope to the type of project anticipated under the resultant Purchase Order. Similar in scope shall be established as construction-related services on the replacement of any HVAC-related equipment.

1. Provide Recent and Relevant Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) data. Government Past Performance Information Systems may be accessed.

1. If no CPARS data is available, provide at least two (2) Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) that are attached to this RFQ solicitation. PPQs will be accepted upon determination by the vendor that no CPARS data is available or accessible for the Government to evaluate.

One (1) of the two (2) PPQs submitted must be for work that the potential vendor performed as a prime contractor. If a PPQ is not received for the performance by the potential vendor as a prime contractor, then this portion of the past performance requirement is not identifiable. Furthermore, the second proposed PPQ then received for the potential vendor as a Subcontractor will not be considered.

*Failure to provide requested CPARS data or the completed PPQs, accessible points of contact, or valid phone numbers could result in the vendor being deemed as non-responsive.

To conduct the performance risk assessment, the Government will use the information provided in CPARS or the PPQs and may use data obtained from other sources. The Government may, but is not limited to, evaluate present and past performance information through the use of discussions with the PPQ references provided; conduct inquiries with customers; use data independently obtained from other Government databases, commercial sources, or publicly available sources; and/or rely upon personal business experience with the potential vendor.

2. Technical: The Government Technical Point of Contact (POC) will evaluate the technical factor by utilizing the salient characteristics of the existing HVAC unit model number contained in the Statement of Work to the information provided with the Quotation submission.

3. Price: The price factor shall be evaluated by the Contracting Officer to determine whether or not it is fair and reasonable in accordance with FAR 13.106-3(a).

C. EVALUATION PROCESS

1. Purpose:

In accordance with FAR Part 13, the purpose of this Evaluation Plan is to establish the method that the Government will select a vendor for the 19th Floor Server Room HVAC Replacement requirement. Evaluations of the vendor submissions will be utilized in determining the Quotations that appear to meet the technical requirements with minimal risk to the Government.

2. Evaluation Procedures:

a. The Contracting Officer will conduct a compliance review for each Quotation submission after the closing date and time of the RFQ solicitation. This initial compliance review by the Contracting Officer shall determine the basic adequacy of each Quotation submission before distributing to the Government Technical POC. Failure to provide a complete Quotation as required by the RFQ solicitation may result in the Quotation being removed from further consideration for award.

Noncompliance with the RFQ solicitation requirements may raise serious questions regarding the past performance and/or price components of the potential vendor and may be grounds to eliminate the Quotation from consideration for award. Failure to include all information requested in the RFQ solicitation may adversely affect the evaluation. Quotations that merely reiterate or promise to accomplish the requirements of the RFQ solicitation will be considered unacceptable. Quotations that are orderly and sufficiently documented by each evaluation factor will be efficient for the Government to understand, which will enable the Government with performing thorough and fair evaluations.

3. Past Performance Evaluation Procedures:

a. The Government will conduct an evaluation of the past performance for each potential vendor (and any major subcontractor) as related to the probability of successful performance based upon the work required by this RFQ solicitation. The past performance evaluation considers recent and relevant records of performance to provide services that met the Purchase Order requirements. For a reference to be considered by the evaluation team, said reference must be both recent and relevant.

b. The evaluation team shall first review, evaluate, and document whether CPARS records or PPQs submitted are considered a recent and relevant record of performance to provide services that met the Purchase Order requirements. The evaluation team will evaluate CPARS records or PPQs for each potential vendor that submits a Quotation.

c. Once a reference satisfies the recency and relevancy requirements, the Government will then evaluate the actual reference to determine the performance record and assess the confidence of the past performance. The evaluation team must then establish an overall past performance rating by consensus and not by vote. Whether certain CPARS records or PPQs are considered recent and relevant shall be determined by a consensus of the evaluation team.

d. The past performance ratings in CPARS or for PPQs shall also be given by a consensus of the evaluation team.

e. The ratings for the past performance evaluation factor are as follows:

High Confidence

Based on the Vendor’s recent and relevant performance record, the Government has high confidence that the Vendor will successfully perform the solicited requirements.

Some Confidence

Based on the Vendor’s recent and relevant performance record, the Government has some confidence that the Vendor will successfully perform the solicited requirements.

Low Confidence

Based on the Vendor’s recent and relevant performance record, the Government has a low confidence that the Vendor will successfully perform the solicited requirements.

Unknown Confidence (Neutral)

No recent and relevant performance record is available or the Vendor’s performance record is so sparse that no meaningful confidence assessment rating can be reasonably assigned.

f. If no CPARS is provided in the Quotation submission, then at least two (2) PPQs shall be submitted with the Quotation. One (1) of these PPQs must be for work that the potential vendor performed as a prime contractor. The two (2) PPQs submitted shall contain past performance information for two (2) projects that constitute recency and relevancy [see definitions above for Recency and Relevancy].

g. If PPQ information is not considered recent and relevant, then no recent and relevant performance record will be identifiable that equates to a neutral rating. A neutral rating is described as no relevant performance record identifiable, which will then equate to a neutral rating that has no positive or negative evaluation significance. If a PPQ is not considered recent and relevant, then the reason of such determination is documented.

h. A summary in each past performance evaluation worksheet shall be identified and completed for each PPQ as follows: (a) referenced contract number or order number, (b) performed as the prime contractor or subcontractor, and (c) justified with a statement of Recent/Relevant.

4. Technical Evaluation Procedures:

a. The Government Technical POC shall review each Quotation to ensure the proposed HVAC equipment meets the requirement for the at-issue project.

b. Each Quotation will be compared to the salient characteristics of the existing HVAC unit model number as provided in the Statement of Work.

c. The ratings for the technical factor are as follows:

High Confidence

The Government has high confidence that the Vendor understands the requirement, proposes a sound approach with all salient characteristics addressed in the Statement of Work, and will be successful in performing the Purchase Order.

Some Confidence

The Government has some confidence that the Vendor understands the requirement, proposes a sound approach with most salient characteristics addressed in the Statement of Work, and will be successful in performing the Purchase Order.

Low Confidence

The Government has low confidence that the Vendor understands the requirement, proposes a sound approach with only certain salient characteristics addressed in the Statement of Work,…