S05_Ver2 RFI Pre-Bid IFB Sol 36C25226B0027 A-0003 CON 556-23-104 _07092026.xlsx
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- Solicitation number
- 36C25226B0027
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This is a Request for Information (RFI) response document and amendment summary for an Invitation for Bid (IFB) solicitation. The document consolidates pre-bid clarifications for IFB 36C25226B0027, Project 556-23-104, issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration at Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, Illinois. The project involves installation of chilled water piping from Building 188 to Buildings 1, 3, and 48, with a bid due date of 9:00 AM CDT on July 14, 2026, and virtual public bid opening at 10:00 AM CDT the same day. The solicitation requires submission of a single lump sum base bid price (no deduct alternates), with no liquidated damages clause applicable to the project. Bidders must include Illinois prevailing wage rates as specified in the attached wage determination document and must not include sales tax in their proposals, as the Government will provide an Illinois Sales Tax Exemption Certificate. Key scope clarifications include that Building 5 valved taps for future use are in scope, the chilled water piping route from Building 3 to Building 48 is excluded from construction but a GPR study for the proposed future route is included, and no deduct alternates for bypass valve assemblies are required since the project will be completed without temporary cooling systems if tie-ins occur during off-cooling season. Additional critical requirements address staffing roles, noting that a superintendent cannot serve dual or triple roles as Site Safety and Health Officer (SSHO), Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC), or both simultaneously; however, the superintendent may fulfill the CQC System Manager role if possessing adequate experience and skills. The Government will retain its own commissioning agent or consultant separate from contractor responsibilities. Asbestos survey reports from 2011 are available for the tramway, Building 3, and Building 188, with the contractor responsible for performing testing if hazardous materials are suspected. Amendments 0001 through 0003 incorporate previous RFI responses and clarifications posted through July 9, 2026.
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RFI Response 06232026
| IFB SOL 36C25226B0027 CON 556-23-104 Chilled Water Piping from Bldg.188 to Bldgs. 1, 3 and 48 for Pre -Bid Solicitation Questions - RECEIVED 05/26/2026 |
| Captain James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) Solicitation for Bidders |
| This IFB Pre-Bid response is intended to clarify the scope, not conflict with it. |
| If a response appears to conflict with the scope, please contact the VA COR. |
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | VA / CONTRACTING RESPONSE 06/23/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | ||
| 1 | Price Proposal Worksheet and Section 1.3 & Drawing GI001 | The current Price Proposal Worksheet only reflects a single Lump Sum Base Bid. In Paragraph 1.3, and on Drawing GI0001, Statement & Schedule of Bid Items lists four (4) separate Bid Items, the Base Bid and three (3) Alternates. Please reissue a revised Price Proposal Worksheet representing all of the pricing that needs to be submitted for the Bid. | The solicitation documents issued for IFB 36C25226B0027 include a single Lump Sum Base Bid on the current Price Proposal Worksheet. The Government confirms that no deduct alternates are to be submitted for this solicitation. This direction is consistent with the station’s clarification in response to RFI question No. 6. The Government WILL NOT reissue the Price Proposal Worksheet to include the three deduct alternates. | |||
| Offerors shall submit only a SINGLE LUMP SUM price for the Base Bid, as reflected in the current bid form. | 0002 | |||||
| 2 | We have been informed that this Project has previously been bid. Have all of the previous PPI Questions and Responses been incorporated into the current Bid Documents? If not, please distribute them for review to quote this Project. | [AE Response: VA-Contracting to respond to questions regarding Solicication. VA will issue the conformed documents to Bidders on 30 June 2026 (VA email to AE dated 12 June 2026).] | 0002 | |||
| All previous RFI questions and responses will be incorporated via Amendment 0003 on or shortly thereafter June 30, 2026. | ||||||
| 3 | Instructions…. | |||||
| Bidders/Offerors | In reviewing this Section, we could not determine whether or not there are Liquidated Damages associated with this Project. Please advise as to what the daily amount is, if they are included in this Project. | A complete search of the solicitation document—covering the General Conditions (FAR 52.236 series), Supplemental Conditions, Special Instructions to Bidders, and all referenced provisions—shows no clause such as FAR 52.211‑12, Liquidated Damages—Construction, nor any project‑specific LD language establishing a daily rate. | 0002 | |||
| Therefore, this project does not include Liquidated Damages, and no daily LD amount applies. | ||||||
| 4 | SF 1442 line 13 states bid is due at 10:00a CT. Solicitation page 6 of 60 states bid is due at 9:00a CT. Please confirm which time is correct. | Contracting set the Virtual Bid opening for 10:00 PM (CDT) Bids are due one (1) hour prior to bid opening to avoid any transmission issues. So as stated on Page 6 of the solicitation: | ||||
| 0002 | ||||||
| BIDS DUE: Vendor bids are due via email as shown above at 9:00 AM (CDT) on Friday, June 12, 2026. | ||||||
| The virtual public bid opening will be held at 10:00 AM (CDT) on Friday, June 12, 2026, at the link and/or the phone number provided above. | ||||||
| AMENDMENT 0001 Published to SAM.gov on June 02, 2026 changes the Bid due date and bid opening. To avoid any risk of a late submission under FAR 52.214‑7 Late Submissions, the enforceable bid due time is 9:00 AM CDT on July 14, 2026, as stated in Solicitation Amendment 0001: | ||||||
| BIDS DUE: Vendor bids are due via email to the CS and CO as noted |
above NO LATER THAN 9:00 AM (CDT) on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
The virtual public bid opening will be held at 10:00 AM (CDT) on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at the link and/or the phone number provided above.
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | VA RESPONSE 06/11/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | |
| 5 | Drawing C101 | Keynote 2 references construction fencing but no specifications are included. Please provide. | AE Response: See spec section 010000 par. 1.6.L. | 0002 | |
| 6 | General Requirements Para 1.3A Statement of Bid Item(s) | States: Deductive Alternate No. 3: Base Bid, Minus DEDUCTIVE ALTERNATE NO. 2 MINUS ADDITIONAL Items as described by this Paragraph. Question: Is the value and the scope of work associated with Deductive Alternate No. 1 also to be deducted with the acceptanceof this Alternate No. 3 or as specifically stated in this Paragraph? | FHCC Lovell COR Response: NO ALTERNATE BID DEDUCTS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED. | 0002 | |
| 7 | Solicitation | Please confirm that Building 5 is included in this scope. Title of project doesn't mention Building 5. | FHCC Lovell COR Response: Building 5 valved taps for future use are is in scope. | 0002 | |
| 8 | 01 00 00 Page 1 & Drawing MS001 | This Specifications Page and Drawing references Building 48, however there are no Plans such as MP103 (Last Enlarged Plan) or Specifications mentioning any Chilled Water piping to be installed from Building 3 to Building 48. Please advise. | AE Response: The base bid includes a GPR study for the proposed, future pipe route drawn on F5/MS001 (General Sheet Note D and Keynote 8 on sheet MS001). Pipe construction from Building 3 to Building 48 is excluded from construction documents. | 0002 | |
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | CONTRACTING - VA - AE RESPONSE 07/09/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | |
| 9 | Please clarify if a superintendent can be a dual hat to cover the requirements of SSHO? | VA FHCC COR: Spec 01 35 26-17 Par 1.9 states SSHO should be a full time employee with no additional duties and be present on every shift. | 0003 | ||
| If no to the question above, will the SSHO need to be full-time for this project? | |||||
| 10 | Please clarify if a superintendent can be a dual hat to cover the requirements of QA/QC? | VA FHCC COR: Ultimately the GC will be required to provide the QC Plan which should include persons responsible for the QC Plan implemetnation. Spec 01 45 00 - 2 states that the superintendent will be held responsible for the quality of work. The superintendent can fulfill the role of the CQC System Manager role as long as the person in the role of the superintendent possesses adequate experience and sklls.. | 0003 | ||
| If no to the question above, will the QA/QC need to be full time for this project? | |||||
| 11 | Can a superintendent be a triple hat to cover the requirements of SSHO and QA/QC? | No | 0003 | ||
| 12 | Please confirm if tax should be included in our proposal? | CONTRACTING: No tax should be included in bidders proposal. Additionally, the winning bid that is determined to be responsive and responsible, will be issued the Illinois Sales Tax Exemption Certificate/VA Tax Exemption Letter confirming that the Illinois Administrative Code 130.2075 allows contractors to purchase materials tax-free when incorporated into VA-owned real property and acquired under the applicable project authority: | 0003 | ||
| 13 | Please provide the latest wage determination for this project’s county. | CONTRACTING: Please see attached document: S06_SAM Wage Rates IL IFB Sol 36C25226B0027 A-0003 CON 556-23-104_current as of 07012026 | 0003 |
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | CONTRACTING - VA - AE RESPONSE 07/09/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | |
| 14 | Who is responsible for contracting the commissioning agent? | VA FHCC COR/CONTRACTING: The Government/VA provides the following clarification to ensure all bidders have a uniform understanding of responsibilities related to commissioning: | 0003 | ||
| The prime contractor is not required to procure, hire, or contract a commissioning agent for this project. | |||||
| The Department of Veterans Affairs may, at its sole discretion, retain its own commissioning agent or commissioning consultant to perform verification, inspection, or functional assessments of the completed systems. This Government‑retained commissioning activity is separate from, and does not create any requirement for the contractor to provide a commissioning agent. | |||||
| Contractors remain responsible for delivering fully functional, code‑compliant, and specification‑compliant systems, including all testing, startup, and quality assurance obligations already defined in the contract documents. However, contractors are not responsible for commissioning‑agent services, nor should bidders include costs for contracting a commissioning agent in their proposals. | |||||
| 15 | Is the use of temporary plastic wall panels (such as STARC panels) acceptable to meet ICRA requirements? | AE: Temporary plastic wall panels like STARC are expressly allowed in sterile environments (013533 par. 1.3.10.A). Contractor may propose equivalents using the prescribed process (013323 par. 1.5.G.b). | 0003 | ||
| 16 | Will shutdowns be required to be done during off hours or weekends? | VA FHCC COR: Weekend shut down will not be required if installation of the isolation valves and connction to the live system can be done off cooling season. | 0003 | ||
| 17 | Please provide three recommended resources for vendors or contractors local to the project site. | In accordance with federal procurement integrity requirements, the Government cannot endorse or recommend specific vendors, contractors, or suppliers. To ensure full and open competition, offerors are encouraged to utilize publicly available resources to identify firms local to the project site. The following general sources may assist contractors in locating qualified businesses: | 0003 | ||
| 1. System for Award Management (SAM.gov) – Offerors may search registered vendors by geography, NAICS code, or socio‑economic status. | |||||
| 2. Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) – PTACs provide no‑cost assistance to vendors seeking government opportunities and maintain regional vendor information. | |||||
| 3. Local Trade and Contractor Associations – Organizations such as regional builders’ exchanges, mechanical contractor associations, or chamber‑of‑commerce directories often maintain listings of qualified firms serving the North Chicago area. | |||||
| These sources are provided solely as publicly available reference tools. Offerors remain responsible for identifying and vetting their own subcontractors and suppliers. In addition, the attachment file, S04_Site Visit Sign-In-Sheet IFB Sol 36C25226B0027 A-0002 CON 556-23-104_06162026 was posted with Amendment 0002, can be used as a resource. |
| NO. | RFI FROM | QUESTION OR COMMENT | CONTRACTING - VA - AE RESPONSE 07/09/2026 | RESPONSE POSTED IN AMENDMENT NO. | ||
| 18 | The documents reference installation of bypass valve assemblies within the deductive alternates. Please clarify whether temporary chilled water bypass piping or temporary cooling systems will be required during tie-ins. If temporary cooling is required, please identify the performance requirements and responsibility for providing temporary equipment. | VA FHCC COR: No deduct alternates will be taken as part of the project. See Amendment 0002 RFI No. 06 above or RFI Responses: | ||||
| 0003 | ||||||
| https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/c4b24f2b072d4921b22e3245d5add92d/view | ||||||
| Bypass assembly will not be needed since there will be no alternate deducts. See Sheet EP102 Detail B8 | ||||||
| 19 | The specifications include Section 31 23 19 Dewatering – please identify if there are known groundwater conditions, historical tunnel flooding, groundwater elevations, and the responsibility for long-term pumping if groundwater exceeds anticipated conditions. | VA FHCC COR: no information on water table elevation is available. No information on tunnel flooding is available. Winning bidder is responsible for delivering the project to its completion. | 0003 | |||
| 20 | Spec Section 01 45 00 | Paragraph 3.1: Verifying that the Project Superintendent can also be the CQC Manager on this Project? | VA FHCC COR: See response to RFI No. 10 above. | 0003 | ||
| 21 | Spec Section 01 74 19 | Paragraph 1.2C: Please verify that there are no locations present on this Project that requires any Lead Paint Remediation. | VA FHCC COR: VA can not confirm. Contractor to perform testing if suspecting hazardous materials. | 0003 | ||
| 22 | Spec Section 02 41 00 | Paragraph 1.2D: Please verify that there are no locations present on this Project that requires any Asbestos Remediation. | VA FHCC COR: VA can not confirm. Contractor to perform testing if suspecting hazardous materials. 2011 asbestos survey is available for Tramway, Building 3, building 188…see attachments as noted below. | 0003 | ||
| S06_Tramway Report Narrative RF1 No. 22 IFB Sol 36C25226B0027 A-0003 CON 556-23-104_12072011 | ||||||
| S06_Bldg. 3 Report Narrative RF1 No. 22 IFB Sol 36C25226B0027 A-0003 CON 556-23-104_12142011 | ||||||
| S06_Bldg. 188 Report Narrative RF1 No. 22 IFB Sol 36C25226B0027 A-0003 CON 556-23-104_12092011 | ||||||
| 23 | Drawing EP103 | Building 3, Partial Floor Plan F4 and Detail Chilled Water Bypass installation Detail E8. Please confirm that the access to this Building tunnel is by entering the stairwell located to the Northwest of the indicated location for this Bypass. | VA FHCC COR: See response to RF No. 06 and RFI No. 18 above. | 0003 | ||
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