36C25520R0008-014.pdf

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO (657-036) CONSTRUCT PARKING GARAGE JC

1. Question: Since the due date for Phase 1 has been extended, will the date for questions be extended as well?

Answer: Date for questions will NOT be extended past 2/26/2020 @ 1:00PM CST.

2. Question: Under the proposal requirements section on page 6, it states that we need to submit

Standard Form 1442 in the Phase 1 package. I cannot find the SF 1442 form in the documents.

Will this be provided in an amendment?

Answer: Please disregard the language stating, “The Phase 1 package shall include: Standard Form 1442.” Requirements for Phase One: Meet all (6) evaluation factors for Phase One, submit SF330’s, and acknowledge all amendments issued pursuant to solicitation.

3. Question: On page 20 of the solicitation package, it states that 35% design package consisting of project specifications and drawings has been included. I am unable to find these anywhere in the provided documents. Will these be provided in a later amendment? Or are you waiting for until Phase 2 to provide these?

Answer: Up to a maximum of five most highly qualified offerors from Phase One will receive 35% design package consisting of project specifications and drawings in Phase Two.

4. Question: On Page 2, c. This announcement is a request for SF 330’s from qualified contractors that meet the professional requirements, however letter h states The NAICS Codes for this procurement is 236220 (Commercial and Institutional Building Construction) and Business Size 39.5 Million. Award of a Firm Fixed Price contract is anticipated. Is this solicitation for AE firms or General Contractors?

Answer: This solicitation is for a Design/Build Firm Fixed Price contract award. This will include a design build team consisting of AE/Construction Contractor.

5. Question: Reference the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice, Part 2 – General Information under the Proposal Submittal Instructions, sub-parts d. (a) and d. (b). The solicitation number listed at these locations end in R0009 and are different from the solicitation number listed on the cover sheet and under the information at the beginning of the Proposal Submittal Instructions, which is R0008. Which solicitation number is correct?

Answer: The correct solicitation number for this project is 36C25520R00008.

6. Question: Reference the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice, Part 5 – Evaluation Criteria under the Proposal Submittal Instructions, sub-part a. under Factor 1 Organization and Management. This section asks for “Key Subcontractors”. Considering this is just Phase 1 of a 2-phase design/build solicitation it is difficult at this stage of the proposal to indicate specific subcontractors. Can this requirement be eliminated from this Factor / Phase, or can it at least be discussed in a more general nature to show how key subcontractors on a parking garage fit into the mix and not required specific companies to be named?

Answer: Include a simple organizational chart, illustrating the organization, including the proposed quality control group(s). Identify the design firm(s) chosen for the project, if not to be self-performed.

7. Question: Reference the Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice, Part 5 – Evaluation Criteria under the Proposal Submittal Instructions, under Factor 10 Project Parking Provided where it states that our proposal will be evaluated as “compared to the minimum stated requirements”.

We can find no minimum stated requirements in the solicitation. What is the desired number of standard and ADA parking spaces required?

Answer: This is a Phase Two requirement and will be provided to the (up to 5 maximum) most highly qualified offerors selected from Phase One.

8. Question: Reference Project Specific Information, page 20 of 23, under Work Element where it references a 35% design submittal that will be available for our use, but it was not part of the documents provided on Beta.Sam.gov. Please provide.

9. Question: Reference Project Specific Information, page 21 of 23, under Sample Project Schedule where it references an attachment C Sample Project Schedule, but it was not part of the documents provided on Beta.Sam.gov. Please provide.

10. Question: Reference Project Specific Information, page 20 of 23, under Tentative Solicitation Schedule. Can the due date for Phase 1 proposals be moved to 3/10/2020? If the amendment isn’t issued until 2/28/2020 (which is a Friday) and proposals are due on 3/3/2020 (which is the following Tuesday), this doesn’t allow enough time to process the answers and information received in the amendment, make the required changes to the proposal and then have it mailed in by the 3rd. Please consider extending the Phase 1 due date.

Answer: See beta.SAM.gov for posted amendment to solicitation.

11. Question: Refer to Contract Information, item (i) Database Registration Information. The RFP states only businesses listed in the Vendor information pages database of vetbiz.gov will be considered. Should we submit a copy of the prime contractor’s current vetbiz.gov registration with our proposal? Should we also submit the vetbiz.gov registration for our A/E firm, if applicable?

Answer: Yes, All SDVOSB & VOSB are required to be verified in Vendor Information Pages (VIP) https://www.vip.vetbiz.va.gov/, unverified SDVOSB & VOSB will be considered non-responsive to the requirements of the solicitation.

12. Question: Refer to Contract Information, item (j) System for Award Management (SAM). The RFP states offerors should have an up to date SAM registration at the time of proposal submission. Should we submit the prime contractor’s SAM registration with our proposal?

Answer: An 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.

13. Question: Refer to Contract Information, item (k) The Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). We understand that the contractor is required to check the EPLS located at sam.gov for each person providing services under this contract and certify that all person listed in the qualifications package have been compared to the EPLS list and are not listed. Can such certification be provided as a written letter on the prime contractor’s letterhead and signed by their President in order to comply with this RFP requirement?

Answer: A letterhead signed by their President will not meet qualifications this must be done through sam.gov.

14. Question: Will a Representations and Certifications section be provided for our use in submission of the Phase I technical proposal?

Answer: NO, this is a Phase Two requirement and will be provided to the (up to 5 maximum) most highly qualified offerors selected from Phase One.

15. Question: Refer to pg. 6 of 25 of the RFP, item (d) DOCUMENTS AND NUMBER OF COPIES TO SUBMIT. We are required under (1) to submit an original copy of the Standard Form 1442.

However, no SF1442 has been provided with the RFP. Please provide the SF1442.

Answer: Please disregard the language stating, “The Phase 1 package shall include: Standard Form 1442.” Submittal Requirements for Phase One: Meet all (6) evaluation factors for Phase One, submit SF330’s, and acknowledge all amendments issued pursuant to solicitation.

16. Question: Please confirm the Bid Bond is not required until Phase II.

Answer: Bid Bond is not required during Phase One.

17. Question: Refer to Factor 3. Qualifications of Proposed Design Firm, A. Design Team. This section states we must submit an SF 330 for each design team member listed in 1-8 (and any additional team design team members). We are also required to “provide at least three (3) design-build projects of similar size, complexity, and costs to the present project that is https://www.vip.vetbiz.va.gov/ indicative of their level of design experience.” Can these three d/b projects be the same as the projects listed on the SF 330s, or do they need to be different projects?

Answer: Offerors must provide evidence that they have the qualifications and experience needed to meet the performance requirements of this project. This factor will be used to evaluate the design-build team’s understanding of the project and ability to develop a successful project. Offerors must submit no less than three (3) examples of completed parking structures of a similar size, complexity and cost completed within the last 10 years.

These projects need not be parking structures but should clearly demonstrate the team members’ design-build delivery experience.

18. Question: Refer to Factor 3. Qualifications of Proposed Design Firm, A. Design Team, (a) Design Team Leader. The criteria for the Design Team Leader states that the leader must be a registered professional engineer. Can the Design Team Leader be a registered Architect in the State of Missouri in good standing with the required 5 years of leadership experience (and 10 years of discipline experience), instead, or do they have to be an engineer?

Answer: No, the team leader must be an engineer. This project is primarily an engineering design project with a small percentage of the project being related to architecture. Due to the design of this project leaning heavily towards the civil and structural disciplines the team leader needs to be an engineer. When reviewing the minimum discipline requirements of the project team seven of the eight team members are engineers and the eighth member is an architect.

19. Question: Refer to Factor 4. Qualifications of Proposed Staffing. Under Factor 4, we are required to submit a detailed resume for each key individual, including the Design Team (Structural Engineer, Architect, Parking Garage Consultant, Civil Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, and Plumbing Engineer). However, we were already asked in Factor 3.

Qualifications of Proposed Design Firm to provide an SF 330 for each of these same design team members, 3 D/B projects of similar size/complexity/costs, as well as the additional writeup containing their name, years of experience, professional background, licenses, length of service with their organization, pervious employers, and project-related experience. Factor 4 is asking for the same information already provided in Factor 3. Can the requirement to submit a detailed resume for the design team members listed in Factor 4 (positions named in letters E through I) be omitted since the information is provided in Factor 3?

Answer: These are considered two different evaluation requirements. Factor 3 is for Qualifications of Proposed Design Team Firm and Factor 4 Qualifications of Proposed Staffing.

20. Question: Refer to pgs. 22-23 of the RFP under Service Disable Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOSB) Verification. The RFP states that this proposal is set aside for 100% verified SDVOSB firms. Should we submit documentation in the form of our CVE verification letter in Phase I to show the Government we are a 100% verified SDVOSB firm?

Answer: Yes, see question #11, You are not required to submit this documentation however, this will be verified by the CO on the Vendor Information Pages https://www.vip.vetbiz.va.gov/.

https://www.vip.vetbiz.va.gov/

21. Question: Factor 3 list that a Parking Garage Consultant is required as a minimum for the Design Team. However, Factor 4, item (g) Parking Garage Consultant states that using a Parking Garage Consultant is optional. Our design firm has a vast resume’ of designing VA parking garages. Is a specialty Parking Garage Consultant required or not on this project, and if yes, how many years’ experience are they required to have in their discipline?

Answer: See Note: pg. 10 “The above list of eight members is not totally inclusive and it may be necessary for the firm to consult with other relevant disciplines, if they feel it is necessary, to complete the requirements of this project.”

22. Question: Saw notice of solicitation for this project for arch & eng services. As Coreslab Structures is a precast concrete producer, I am wondering whether it has yet been determined if the parking structure is to be precast.

Answer: The contractor is to provide their best design/build construction concept for the parking garage.

23. Question: Appears this initial stage is design only.

Answer: Yes, you must meet all the qualifications of Phase One in order to move to Phase Two.

24. Question: I want to make sure that I know what I am doing but the first page of the Combined

Synopsis Solicitation reads “Contract Information This is a A-E Service requirement” etc. but on page 5 I see language related to a Design-Build requirement. My assumption is that construction of the “Inpatient Parking Garage” is a Design-Build requirement. There is a site visit on 19 Feb and Phase 1 proposals are due on 3 March.

Answer: This is a Design/Build requirement, site visit was conducted on 2/19/2020. Solicitation is extended from March 3, 2020 to March 17, 2020 at 2:00 PM CST see beta.SAM.gov for latest amendments to solicitation 36C25520R0008.

25. Question: The subject solicitation that was released today is a little confusing. It starts out reading as if it is a C type solicitation/contract for design only and then later on it reverts to a 2-phase design/build contract. Also, in the very beginning where it reads like a design only contract, it states that the firm must be within a 350 mile radius of the campus. Does this requirement still hold true if indeed this a 2-phase design build contract? We are located 485 miles from the campus and have 5 VA parking garages either completed or under construction at this moment.

Answer: This is a Two Phase requirement Design/Build project. The 350 mile radius of the campus has been removed. See beta.SAM.gov for latest amendments to solicitation 36C25520R0008.

26. Question: Refer to Contract Information, item (m) on pg. 3 of 23 in the RFP. In section (m), the directions state that the SF 330s are to be bound in a 3 ring binder and a CD copy is to be provided.

a. Since it appears that part (m) is really more for a Design Only solicitation, is this part (m) applicable to this Design/Build Solicitation?

Answer: Yes, you may submit one binder tabbed with a response to each of the six Phase One factors

b. If so, can the full SF 330, Parts I and II, be included under Factor 3 and placed in the same 3-ring binder and burned on the same CD, or should a separate 3-ring binder and CD copy of JUST the SF 330 be provided?

Answer: Yes, you can provide one binder but as stated in the response to question #19 above vendors must provide a response to each of the six Phase One evaluation factors.

27. Question: Please refer to pg. 23 of 23 in the RFP under Safety or Environmental Violations and

Experience Modification Rate. Please confirm this information is required in Phase II and NOT required in Phase I.

28. Question: Are the “Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation” documents previously issued to be considered as official amendments? If so, will SF30s be issued for them? If not, how are we to document the receipt of them?

Answer: Please acknowledge your response in your cover letter since no amendment solicitation SF1442 or SF30 documents were posted.

29. Question: Refer to Factor 3. Qualifications of Proposed Design Firm, A. Design Team on pg. 9 of 23 in the RFP. This section states that “Offeror shall submit information regarding their design team by providing all the information requested on SF330 and the information listed below.”

Immediately after this is discusses providing at least three (3) design-build projects for each member of the team.

a. Are we to interpret this to mean that we are to provide three (3) ADDITONAL projects that are above and beyond those listed in the SF 330?

Answer: No, as stated “Each member of the team shall provide at least three (3) design-build projects of similar size, complexity, and costs to the present project that is indicative of their level of design experience. THESE PROJECTS NEED NOT BE PARKING STRUCTURES, but should clearly demonstrate the team members’ design-build deliver experience.”

b. Do all projects submitted by the design firm have to be “design/build”? While our design team has provided designs for over 15 VA parking decks, they were under design-only contracts with the VA, and the garages were constructed under the design-bid-build method. Through the end of 2018, the design-bid-build method was the VA’s process for building parking garages. Our team feels the work our A/E professionals have done for the VA and other federal clients under design-only contracts more than adequately reflects their level of expertise and successful experience providing parking garage designs to the VA. Given that this is the case, can you please strike the requirement for 3 additional design-build projects per A/E professionals and just allow them to provide examples of their design projects? (the construction firm) can easily provide many examples of design/build projects.

Answer: As previously stated provide at least three (3) design-build projects of similar size, complexity, and costs to the present project that is indicative of their level of design experience.

THESE PROJECTS NEED NOT BE PARKING STRUCTURES but should clearly demonstrate the team members’ design-build deliver experience.”