36C24424R0001 0004_1 10-23-24.pdf

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO. 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office. is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30 PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

(Type or print) (Type or print)

(Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code)

(If other than Item 6)

(Specify type of modification and authority)

(such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

1 8

503-19-112

00244

Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 4

00244

Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 4

To all Offerors/Bidders

36C24424R0001

X

X X

Novemebr 1st 2024 12:00PM EST

X

This amendment is being issued to project 503-19-112 replace steam system 36C24424R0001 to 1)Provide RFI responses

Elijah McIntosh

Solicitation 36C24424R0001:503-19-112 Replace Steam System Project Construction The Veterans Integrated Service Network #04 (VISN 04) Contracting Office / Altoona Veteran Administration Medical Center intends to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to award a single, firm fixed-price contract for Construction Services related to Replace Steam System at the Altoona VAMC 2907 Pleasant Valley Blvd Altoona, PA, 16602. All construction must be in compliance with applicable codes, VA policy/standards, and the terms of this contract. The contractor shall provide all tools, travel, trades, labor, materials, permits, licenses and supervision for construction of the Replace Steam System project as specified in the drawings and specifications.

The period of performance is 720 calendar days from receipt of the Notice to Proceed.

The solicitation, specifications and drawings will be available at Contracting Opportunities http://beta.SAM.gov. Amendments to the solicitation will also be posted on this website. All parties must obtain solicitation documents and amendments to the solicitation through the web site. Hard copies will not be mailed.

Interested parties must go to the http://beta.SAM.gov web site to be entered on the Interested Vendors Mailing List and to obtain copies of the Interested Vendors Mailing List. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to frequently check the website for all notices, amendments, etc., regarding this solicitation. The Government will not be responsible for any notification not sent or received by the Contractor regarding the solicitation. The contract will be awarded in accordance with the procedures specified in the solicitation. The solicitation will be issued as an Request for Proposal (RFP) conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR Subpart 15.

This project is being solicited as a tier evaluation the government intends to solicits offers from both small and other than small business concerns that will be evaluated in the following tier order IAW VAAR 819.7010:

(a) Service disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB);

(b) veteran-owned small business (VOSB);

(c) all other small business concerns;

(d) other than small business.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code for this procurement is 236220 Commercial & Institutional Building & Construction, with a small business size standard of $45 million in annual receipts for the past three years.

The Magnitude of Construction cost is between over $10,000,000 FAR 36.204 (h) More than $10,000,000.

All questions pertaining to this solicitation must be received in writing via e-mail to Elijah.mcintosh@va.gov. NO TELEPHONE REQUESTS WILL BE HONORED. All questions and Government responses will be posted to the Sam.gov website.

A pre-bid conference/site visit will be conducted for this solicitation approximately one week after solicitation posting.

Site Visit Date: Tuesday October 15th 2024 at 1000 EST Site Visit location:

James E Van Zandt VA Medical Center Building 2 Meet in Building 2 conference room 121 2907 Pleasant Valley Blvd Altoona, PA 16602

RFI Due Date: Friday October 18th by 14:30 EST, no late RFI request will be honored

Proposal Due Date: Friday November 1st By 12:00PM EST, no late proposals will be accepted or evaluated.

All respondents must be registered in the System Award Management System (SAM) data base at time of proposal submittal.

Offerors must be verified in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) at http://www.vetbiz.gov/ at time of proposal offering in accordance with Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Subpart 819.7003(b) .

Any offeror not CVE or SAM verified at time of proposal submittal will be disqualified and proposal will be rejected.

Amendment 0004 is being issued to provide responses to the RFIs received.

1. Exhibit C – Calculation of Self-Performed Work Reference: Pages 10 and 14 of the solicitation.

Question:

Both Page 10 and Page 14 of the solicitation mention including Exhibit C – Calculation of Self-Performed Work. Is this exhibit obsolete, or should it still be included with the submission?

Exhibit C is obsolete it is no longer required due to VAAR 852.219-75 and FAR 52.219- 14 differing on how to check the percentage. VAAR 852.219-75 is required to be completed and submitted as part of proposal package.

2. Clarification on Exhibit B Package Requirements in Exhibit A Reference: Exhibit A, Page 4.

Question:

Exhibit A states to “Prepare and send Exhibit B Package to the reference(s) for each of the no more than three Construction Projects or Specialty Trade if applicable provided in Exhibit A Part 1.” What is meant by this statement? Shouldn't the Exhibit B forms be filled out by subcontractors listed under Exhibit A Part 2? If that is correct, who are the “reference(s)” being referred to in Exhibit A, and which subcontractors qualify as "Specialty Trades"?

The statement directs the contractor to then send exhibit Bs to the reference(s) you provided in exhibit A. The reference(s) being referred to in Exhibit A are the ones you provided Company A/B/C that you have partnered with on various past projects.

Per US Bureau of Labor statistics Specialty trades are defined as “The Specialty Trade Contractors subsector comprises establishments whose primary activity is performing specific activities (e.g., pouring concrete, site preparation, plumbing, painting, and electrical work) involved in building construction or other activities that are similar for all types of construction, but that are not responsible for the entire project. The work performed may include new work, additions, alterations, maintenance, and repairs. The production work performed by establishments in this subsector is usually subcontracted from establishments of the general contractor type or operative builders, but especially in remodeling and repair construction, work also may be done directly for the owner of the property. Specialty trade contractors usually perform most of their work at the construction site, although they may have shops where they perform prefabrication and other work. Establishments primarily engaged in preparing sites for new construction are also included in this subsector.”

Consisting of the groups below. It is possible that other trades that would also identify themselves as a specialty trade; this is simply the list that the US Government has deemed to be specialty at this time.

The specialty trade contractors subsector consists of these industry groups:

- Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors: NAICS 2381

- Building Equipment Contractors: NAICS 2382

- Building Finishing Contractors: NAICS 2383

- Other Specialty Trade Contractors: NAICS 2389

3. Subcontractor Requirements in Exhibit A Part 2 Reference: Exhibit A Part 2.

Question:

Exhibit A Part 2 states that we should “name subcontractors and/or Teaming Partners to be utilized on this contract.” Does that mean we need to list a proposed subcontractor for every trade on the project? If so, does the government expect every listed subcontractor to complete an Exhibit B?

It is necessary to provide information on the major subcontractors that would have the bulk of the experience in the work being requested. In this instance given the nature of the project, the mechanical subcontractor should be included, as they are likely to do the bulk of the piping. As a general contractor, it is your responsibility to use your best judgement and discretion to determine which subcontractors you feel are major and should be included. The government does not direct means and methods we simply are seeking the relevant information to ensure we are making a best value decision. This information is being used to make that decision if the prime selected does not have the relevant experience to perform this project alone the government needs to see the full picture on how you will perform the project.

4. Clarification of Major Subcontractor Definition and Exhibit A Completion Reference: Exhibit B and Exhibit A.

Question:

Exhibit B states that “Offerors shall have major subcontractors identify on the Exhibit A two references, owners (if they were the Prime) or other Prime contractors they have worked for.” What is the government’s definition of a “major subcontractor”? Which subcontractors must complete Exhibit A forms? Further, Exhibit B only states that major subcontractors should provide two references—it does not specify that they need to complete Exhibit A forms. Does the government intend for major subcontractors to complete two Exhibit A forms or simply provide reference information?

Major Subcontractor means one who takes a portion of a contract from the principal contractor or from another subcontractor worth 10% or more of the contract value.

The intent is to ensure we have the proper information to make an informed decision.

The government evaluation will be based on the information provided without major subcontractor information we cannot evaluate their past performance relevant to this project.

Any subs that are going to sub out the majority of the work to a second-tier subcontractor should fill out an Exhibit A; if the subs are going to retain the majority of the work then an Exhibit B is acceptable. If a major subcontractor is going to fill out an Exhibit A, they are to fill it out as if they are the prime contractor. Please annotate in your proposal the major subcontractors you are intended to use.

5. Inclusion of Subcontractor Past Performance in Section 3 Reference: Solicitation, Page 13, Section 3 – Past Performance.

Question:

Page 13, under Section 3 – Past Performance, paragraph b, mentions highlighting Exhibit A information for both prime and subcontractors. Does the government expect the prime contractor to include subcontractor past performance information in this section? Is it optional to include this information, or does the government prefer subcontractor past performance not be included here?

The government will rely on the past performance information provided to make a best value decision.

6. Exhibit B Written References and Key Personnel Identification Reference: Solicitation, Page 13, Subparagraph g.

Question:

Subparagraph g suggests that written references and key individual roles need to be described for subcontractors submitting Exhibit B forms. Do all Exhibit B submissions require written references from owners, prime contractors, or others? If so, does that mean key personnel from every subcontractor bidding the project must be identified as well? Please clarify exactly what the government expects from this paragraph.

The governments expectations are that the key personal for the contractor and subcontractors be identified. Key personal would be those that have decision making ability or will be significantly involved in the project’s success.

7. Exhibit A Submission Limits Reference: Solicitation, Page 14, Section 4, Subparagraph c.

Question:

Page 14 states that up to four Exhibit A Part 1 forms can be submitted. Does this limit apply to the combined total of Exhibit A submissions by the prime contractor and major subcontractors, or is the limit of four exclusive to the prime contractor, with additional submissions allowed from major subcontractors?

Please submit as necessary to ensure the government has the full picture of you and your subcontractors past performance history in similar projects. The government will default to rely on the prime’s past performance history if there is no history from subcontractors to rely on. Unless there are compelling circumstances that would require more then four major subcontractors, we ask that you limit Exhibit A submissions to four major subcontractors.

FAR 15.305 says:

The evaluation should take into account past performance information regarding predecessor companies, key personnel who have relevant experience, or subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant to the instant acquisition.

The key word is “should,” which is not the same as “must.” The GAO has confirmed that FAR 15.305 “permits, but does not require, procuring agencies to consider the experience and past performance of these additional entities and personnel in evaluating an offeror’s past performance.”

Agencies often do consider the past performance of predecessor companies, key personnel, and subcontractors–but don’t assume; check the solicitation to be sure! (And if the agency seems iffy about considering the past performance of a subcontractor, a new SBA rule we’ll discuss a little later could save the day).

To further summarize if we are not provided enough relevant information from subcontractors to take into account that past performance information, we will be unable to do so. We are seeking a best value decision this does not solely reliant on the prime contractor’s past performance.

8. Conflict Between Exhibit B and PPQ Requirements Reference: Solicitation, Page 14, Section 4, Subparagraph g, and Exhibit B.

Question:

Page 14 of the solicitation states that Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) must be directly associated with Prior Experience Projects listed on Exhibit A Part 1 forms.

However, Exhibit B states that subcontractors do not need to send out PPQs. Which requirement is accurate? Are major subcontractors required to submit PPQs, or are they exempt as indicated in Exhibit B?

As referenced above the subcontractors are not required to fill out an Exhibit A, butit behooves the contractors to provide as much past performance information as possible to ensure the government can make the most informed best value decision. This is not to put extensive work on the prime or subcontractors, but this is a business decision on what is considered sufficient by the prime contractors and subcontractors.

9. Difference Between Quality Control Sections Reference: Solicitation Page 12, Section 2, Subparagraphs c and e.

Question:

What is the difference between the Quality Control portion of the proposal listed in Section 2, Subparagraph c, and the portion listed in Subparagraph e? Are they both asking for the same information, with Subparagraph e providing a more detailed set of expectations for what should be included, or are they two separate sections that will be evaluated independently?

Subparagraph C ensures that the quality control and safety oversight are provided and are acceptable reporting methods for the government. Subparagraph E evaluates the quality control program specific to this project for its actual feasibility.

End of Document