36C24823R0196 - PRE SOL - SF330 Request.pdf

Pre-Solicitation Notice

SUBJECT FY23: Architectural & Engineering Study VISN 8 Replace Cast Iron Fittings and Valves Steam Distribution Systems

GENERAL INFORMATION

CONTRACTING OFFICE’S ZIP CODE* 33125

SOLICITATION NUMBER 36C24823R0196

RESPONSE DATE/TIME/ZONE 07-31-2023 11:00 EASTERN TIME, NEW YORK, USA

ARCHIVE

60 DAYS AFTER THE RESPONSE DATE

SET-ASIDE SDVOSBC

PRODUCT SERVICE CODE C223

NAICS CODE 541310

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Department of Veterans Affairs West Palm Beach

POSTAL CODE Miami VA Healthcare System COUNTRY 1201 NW 16th Street 33125

USA

CONTACT INFORMATION

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 8 (NCO 8) Miami VA Healthcare System 1201 NW 16th Street Miami FL 33125

POINT OF CONTACT Contracting Specialist Jean O. Pierre Jean.Pierre1@va.gov 786-647-6723

Contracting Officer Apolinar Vargas Apolinar.Vargas@va.gov 786-790-5241

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS Jean.Pierre1@va.gov EMAIL DESCRIPTION NCO 8 Contracting Specialist

DESCRIPTION

PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR STANDARD

FORM (SF) 330S ARCHITECT-ENGINEER QUALIFICATION PACKAGES ONLY. ALL INFORMATION NEEDED TO

SUBMIT SF 330 DOCUMENTS IS CONTAINED HEREIN. NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE, TECHNICAL

INFORMATION, OR BIDDER/PLAN HOLDER LIST WILL BE ISSUED. THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT PAY, NOR

REIMBURSE ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH RESPONDING TO THIS REQUEST. THE GOVERNMENT IS

UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

1. INTRODUCTION: This is a Pre-Solicitation Notice that requires Architect and/or Engineering (A&E)

Study for Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) 8 to “Replace Cast Iron Fittings and Valves

Steam Distribution Systems” at all VISN 8 Sites. This project is 100% Set-Aside for Service-Disabled

Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns (SDVOSB). The NAICS code for this procurement is 541310

“Architectural Services” and the annual small business size standard is $12.5M. The projected award date for the anticipated A&E contract is on or before September 15, 2023. All information needed to submit SF330 documents is contained herein. The magnitude for construction (not design) of this project is more than $10,000,000 - FAR 36.204 (h).

Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 36.6 selection procedures apply. The architectural/engineering sources listed herein are being procured utilizing the Selection of

Architects and Engineer’s statute, also known as the Brooks Act or Qualifications Based Selection

(QBS), FAR Part 36.6, VAAR Part 836.6, and VAAM Part 836.6. All submissions will be evaluated in accordance with (IAW) the evaluation criteria identified in the Selection Criteria. At least three (3) of the firms deemed to be the most highly qualified, after initial source selection, will be chosen for discussions/interviews. Firms will be selected based on demonstrated competence and qualifications for the required work as submitted. Firms that design or prepare specifications in conjunction with this contract are prohibited from participating in any future construction contracts based on those documents.

2. DESCRIPTION: The Government is seeking an A&E firm to provide all parts, services, labor, supervision, and specialty services to conduct a full campus-wide steam distribution survey within all

VISN 8 sites to identify the locations of all cast iron, ductile, or malleable fittings, valve housings, piping, and components in high pressure and medium pressure steam systems, in accordance with items herein specified. This requirement covers systems operating at a pressure of 15 Pounds per

Square Gauge (PSIG) or greater and hot water distribution systems for hot water or other liquids at a temperature of greater than 257 degrees Fahrenheit. This requirement only covers above-ground piping. The A&E shall furnish services for a complete study of all VISN 8 sites. The anticipated scope is defined here for reference and final confirmation needs to be coordinated with the Government.

See attached statement of work for more detailed information.

3. The review/design of architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, civil, or other engineering features of the work shall be accomplished by architects or engineers registered in a State or possession of the United States, in Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia and be authorized to complete professional design services in the state of Florida.

4. The project Study shall follow applicable standards and codes described in VA Program Guides and design materials. Master Construction Specifications Index, VA Construction Standards Index, VA

Standards Index, and Criteria are available in the Technical Information Library (TIL) on the VA

Website address: http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/.

5. The awarded A&E firm shall complete the study and all specifications in sufficient detail such that qualified outside general contracting companies can prepare accurate and timely proposals for the desired work. The awarded A&E firm is responsible for ensuring that the specifications and studies supplied fully represent all of the work described in the Request for Proposal (RFP). The Medical

Center must remain operational throughout the construction period and a detailed sequence of work will be provided by the A&E firm to minimize the impact of the construction.

6. All offerors are advised that in accordance with VAAR 836.606-71, the total cost of the contract for

A&E services must not exceed 6 percent of the estimated cost of the construction project plus any fees for related services and activities. Additionally, FAR Clause 52.236-22 (c) - Design Within

Funding Limitation, will be applicable to this procurement action. Design limitation costs will be provided to the most highly rated A&E firm selected to complete the design.

7. Personal visits for the purpose of discussing this announcement will not be entertained or scheduled. Selection shall be in the order of preference from the firms considered Most Highly

Qualified. Questions may be directed only by e-mail to Jean.Pierre1@va.gov.

8. In accordance with FAR 36.209 – Construction Contracts with A&E Firms and 36.606 (c), all interested contractors are hereby put on notice that no construction contract may be awarded to the firm that ultimately designs this requirement.

9. In accordance with VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) 852.219-10, 50% of the cost of personnel for contract performance of the contract shall be spent on employees of the SDVOSB concern or employees of other eligible SDVOSB concerns. See VAAR Clause 819.7003 for eligibility requirements regarding SDVOSB or Veteran Owned Small Business Set-Aside.

10. The selection of the most qualified contractor will follow the guidance provided in FAR 36.6 –

Architect-Engineer Services. Additionally, this solicitation is also issued in accordance with Public

Law 109-461, the Veterans Benefits, Healthcare Information, and Technology Act of 2006, Sections

502 and 503, as a set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) contractors. Pursuant to 38 USC 8127(d), competition is restricted to SDVOSB construction firms, as there is a reasonable expectation that two or more offers from SDVOSB contractors will be received under this solicitation.

Federal Acquisition Registration (FAR) requires that federal contractors register in the Central

Contractor Registration (CCR) database at www.sam.gov and enter all mandatory information into the system. The award cannot be made until the contractor has registered. Offerors are encouraged to ensure that they are registered in SAM prior to submitting their qualifications package.

http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/ mailto:Jean.Pierre1@va.gov http://www.sam.gov/

11. SF 330s will be evaluated in accordance with the selection criteria as stated in this pre-solicitation notice. These evaluations will determine the most highly qualified firms for this requirement. In accordance with FAR 36.602-3-(c), at least three (3) of the most highly qualified firms will then be notified of the Government’s intent to hold discussions.

Discussions will be held with the top three (3) selected most highly qualified firms in the form determined to be most advantageous and economical by the contracting officer. This may include in writing, via phone interview, or in-person interview presentations. The firms invited to participate in discussions will be notified by email and provided further instructions, including any questions or topics to address. Following the completion of discussions, the firms will be evaluated and ranked for selection based on the selection criteria, and the most highly qualified firm will be selected and subsequently sent the solicitation. The final evaluation and ranking will consider the SF 330 submission for each firm, as well as additional information obtained via discussions.

A site visit may be authorized for the highest-rated firm during the negotiation process at no cost to the Government. If negotiations are not successful with the highest-rated firm, the firm will be notified that negotiations have been terminated. Negotiations will then be initiated with the next highest-rated firm, and so on until an award can be made or the requirement is canceled.

12. SELECTION CRITERIA: The VA will utilize the following selection criteria in descending order of importance to evaluate firms: The evaluation factors consist of Factor 1 - Technical Qualifications;

Factor 2 - Experience; Factor 3 - Past Performance; Factor 4 - Capacity to Accomplish Work in the

Required Time; Factor 5 - Commitment to Use SDVOSB’s, VOSBs and other types of small businesses as subcontractors. Each factor shall have equal importance to determine the top-ranked firms with the highest overall rating.

SF 330 Evaluation - Stage I (Pre-selection)

Factor 1: TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (This factor will be evaluated as one (1) factor. There are no subfactors.)

Offerors will be evaluated in terms of the qualifications, competence, and experience of the key personnel and technical team proposed to accomplish this work and their record of working together as a team. Key personnel are individuals who will have major contract or project management responsibilities and/or will provide unusual or unique expertise. Firms should assemble and submit a team of in-house and/or sub-contractors/consultants with a professional staff consisting of the disciplines below. Provide a balanced licensed workforce to include, but is not limited to, required disciplines to complete general design work. Disciplines other than the below can also be submitted if the firm anticipates that this person may be needed during task order performance. Firms that do not submit all positions below may be rated lower.

• Inspector (P.E. preferred but not required)

• Quality Assurance Manager (P.E. preferred but not required)

• Mechanical Engineer (P.E. required)

Complete form SF 330 with the firm name, address, and role in this Contract. Provide the contractual relationship, name, full mailing address, and a brief description of the role of each firm that will be involved in the performance of this contract. List the prime contractor or JV partners first. If a firm has branch offices, indicate each individual branch office that will have a key role on the team. The named subcontractors and outside associates or consultants must be listed. Provide resumes for all proposed key personnel.

Present an organizational chart of the proposed team showing the names and roles of all key personnel listed and the firm they are associated with.

The firm must hold certification from The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for the assembly of pressure piping in accordance with the applicable rules of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC).

NOTE: The firm, and A/E on staff, representing the project and signing/stamping drawings in each discipline must be licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico under local law requirements.

Factor 2: EXPERIENCE (This factor will be evaluated as one (1) factor. There are no subfactors.)

Offerors will be evaluated in terms of their experience and technical competence for similar work anticipated under this contract. Offeror should demonstrate experience with the fabrication and assembly of steam pressure piping. Sample contracts must show familiarity with ASME Piping Codes and Valve Standards, including but not limited to, ASME B16.34, ASME B31.1, and ASME B31.3. and other ASME B16 Series of Standards, as well as with the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and other ASME B31 piping codes. Projects provided for an experience that may include design, erection, examination, inspection, maintenance, operation, and management must involve work similar in size, scope, and complexity to the work required under this solicitation.

Provide a total of five (5) recent example project contracts that best illustrate the specialized experience and technical competence of the proposed team in the areas outlined above. Recent is defined as a contract or task order completed or substantially completed (at least 50% complete) within five (5) years of the qualification’s submission date. Relevant is defined as the performance of services similar to the types of projects described in the Statement of Work. Identify which project meets the above requirements. The information provided will be used to evaluate the relevancy and depth of each Offeror’s experience. Offerors are responsible for providing work descriptions in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of project relevancy to this procurement.

If more than five (5) projects are submitted, only the first five (5) will be evaluated. If the project is older than five (5) years, it will be considered less relevant. If the contractor served as a subcontractor on a project, indicate the value of the work they provided towards the performance of the overall project. If a project was performed by a joint venture, and not all joint venture partners are on the team proposed for this contract, the offeror/team should specifically address the work performed by the joint venture partner offering/teaming on this contract. Likewise, if the offeror/team member worked as a subcontractor on a project, the description should clearly describe the work performed by the offeror/team member and the roles and responsibilities of each on the project, rather than the work performed on the project as a whole. If the project description does not clearly delineate the work performed by the team member/team entity on this contract, the project could be eliminated from consideration.

NOTE: “Offeror(s)” refers to the proposed prime contractor, and all proposed major subcontractor(s). If the Offeror is a Joint Venture (JV), information should be submitted as a JV; however, if there is no information for the JV, information should be submitted for each JV partner. Projects shall be submitted on the SF 330.

NOTE: A Task Order on an IDIQ contract is considered a project, as is a stand-alone contract award. Do not list an IDIQ contract as an example of a completed project. Instead, list relevant completed task orders or stand-alone contract awards that fit within the definition above. Examples of project work submitted that do not conform to this requirement may not be evaluated. Failure to provide requested data, accessible points of contact, or valid phone numbers could result in a firm being rated lower. The experience provided must be verifiable using the Point of Contact (POC) provided.

Factor 3: PAST PERFORMANCE (This factor will be evaluated as one (1) factor. There are no subfactors.)

Evaluating past performance will include information provided in Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ) or CPARS for Factor 2 projects and may include other information provided by the firm, customer inquiries, Government databases, and other information available to the Government including information received from points of contact in other criteria. Failure to provide requested data, accessible points of contact, or valid phone numbers could result in a lower rating.

NOTE: Past performance information shall be provided for projects listed under Factor 2. The Government’s evaluation will also consider records of significant claims against the firm because of improper or incomplete architectural and engineering services.

SUBMIT A COMPLETED CPARS EVALUATION FOR EACH PROJECT UNDER FACTOR 2. IF THERE IS NOT A COMPLETED CPARS EVALUATION, the Past Performance Questionnaire will be provided for the offeror or its team members to submit to the client for each project the offeror includes under Factor 2. AN OFFEROR SHALL NOT SUBMIT A PPQ WHEN A COMPLETED CPARS IS AVAILABLE. If the project provided has a CPARS, it must be used by the offeror to demonstrate past performance. If CPARS submission is used to validate past performance, it will be the most recent evaluation in the system (i.e., for projects submitted as completed, the final 100% completed CPARS will be provided). The Government reserves the right to check the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) to verify the accuracy of the CPARS submitted.

IF A CPARS EVALUATION IS NOT AVAILABLE, ensure correct phone numbers and email addresses are provided for the client’s point of contact. Completed PPQs should be submitted with the SF 330. If the offeror is unable to obtain a completed PPQ from a client for a project(s) before the response date set forth in this notice, offerors should complete and submit with their responses the first page of the PPQ, which will provide the contract and client information for the respective project(s). Offerors should follow up with clients/references to ensure timely submittal of questionnaires.

While the Government may elect to consider data from other sources, the burden of providing detailed, current, accurate, and complete past performance information rests with the Offeror and the government is under no obligation to check other sources and/or may not contact all the identified POCs.

NOTE: Subcontractor’s Consent – Past performance information pertaining to a subcontractor cannot be disclosed to the prime offeror without the subcontractor’s consent. Provide, with the proposal, a letter of consent from referenced subcontractors authorizing the release of their past performance information for this requirement.

Factor 4: CAPACITY TO ACCOMPLISH THE WORK IN THE REQUIRED TIME (This factor will be evaluated as one (1) factor. There are no subfactors.)

Capacity to accomplish work in the required time. Utilize form SF330. Page limitation is five (5) pages, and the font size minimum is 11 points.

Offerors will be evaluated in terms of their ability to plan for and manage work under the contract and their capacity to accomplish work over the period of performance established. Provide an assessment of the available capacity of key disciplines to perform work in the projects’ required time.

Describe the firm’s ability to concurrently perform and manage multiple projects in different locations to meet aggressive schedules using multiple disciplines while controlling costs. Clearly indicate the firm’s capacity to accomplish multiple projects simultaneously.

The VA will consider the volume of work awarded by the VA during the previous 12 months. The VA will also use information from the Federal Procurement Data System and the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) as part of its evaluation of the firm’s capacity. This factor is evaluated by looking at a firm's SF 330 response to "Personnel by Discipline" for the quantity of personnel they have in the work disciplines important to the design projects typically required for the VA. The assumption is that the more personnel a firm has in the work disciplines important to VA design projects, the greater their capacity to accomplish work in the required time. The general workload and staffing capacity of the design office will be evaluated. The firm's ability to respond to the needs of the VA will be evaluated under this category.

Factor 5: COMMITMENT TO USING SDVOSBs, VOSBs, AND OTHER TYPES OF SMALL BUSINESSES AS

SUBCONTRACTORS

(This factor will be evaluated as one (1) factor. There are no subfactors.)

The extent to which potential contractors identify and commit to the use of Service-Disabled Veteran- Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs), Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs), and other types of small businesses as subcontractors.

Firms must clearly identify all subcontractors that are Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, or other types of Small Businesses as subcontractors.

Firms should indicate that they commit to the use of small business concerns to the maximum extent practicable.

Provide documents in the form SF 330. Maximum of two pages. The font size minimum is 11 points.

13. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: All responding firms are required to submit Standard Form 330, Architect-Engineer Qualifications, Part I, and Part II. The SF 330, Part I must clearly indicate the office location where the work will be performed, the qualification of the individuals and subcontractors proposed to work on the contract, and their geographical location.

You must submit your qualifications, and any supplemental information (such as past performance, spreadsheets, backup data, and technical information), electronically to Jean.Pierre1@va.gov no later than the due date and time of the submission.

Files must be readable using the current Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). When submitting construction drawings, contractors are required to submit one set in AutoCAD and one set in Adobe

PDF.

a. SF 330 submissions received after the due date and/or time will be handled IAW FAR 15.208

(b).

b. Please see FAR 15.207(c) for a description of the steps the Government shall take regarding unreadable offers.

c. To avoid rejection of an offer, vendors must make every effort to ensure their electronic submission is virus-free.

d. Password-protecting your offer is not permitted.

e. Please note that the Government can no longer accept .zip files.

f. SF 330s shall be provided on standard letter size 8-1/2 by 11-inch paper, limited to a maximum of thirty-five (35), single-sided, single-spaced, and numbered pages. This includes a title page, table of contents, and any other relevant information. If more than thirty-five

(35) single-sided pages are submitted, all pages after thirty-five (35) pages will not be evaluated. The font for text shall be Times New Roman 12-point or larger.

Part II of the SF 330 and any Contractor Performance Assessment Rating System (CPARS) reports and Past Performance Questionnaires will not count as part of the page limitations.

g. The SF 330 shall be submitted in one email and have a file size shall be no larger than 5 MB.

No hard copies will be accepted.

h. Email subject lines must be labeled “Architectural & Engineering Study VISN Wide Replace

Cast Iron Fittings and Valves Steam Distribution Systems – Solicitation Number

36C24823R0196”.

i. All SF 330 submissions must include the following information either on the SF 330 or by accompanying document: 1) Cage Code; 2) Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) (if assigned, historical purposes); 3) Unique Entity Identifier (UEI); 4) Tax ID Number; 5) E-mail address and Phone number of the Primary Point of Contact; 6) A copy of the firm’s SBA Registry

j. All Joint Ventures must be CVE verified at the time of submission and firms shall submit agreements that comply with 13 CFR 125.15 prior to contract award.

k. NOTE: Only submissions from SDVOSB concerns will be acceptable for this project. In order for an SDVOSB to be considered as a proposed contractor, the firm must be verified and visible by Small Business Association (www.sba.gov) and registered in the System for Award

Management (SAM) database (www.sam.gov) at the time of submission of their qualifications. Failure of a proposed SDVOSB to be verified by the SBA at the time the SF

330 is submitted shall result in elimination from consideration as a proposed contractor.

14. VA Primary Point of Contact:

Jean O. Pierre, NCO 8 Contracting Specialist

Email: Jean.Pierre1@va.gov

Apolinar Vargas, NCO 8 Contracting Officer

Email: Apolinar.Vargas@va.gov

See attached document: Attachment 1- Statement of Work.

mailto:Apolinar.Vargas@va.gov