36C25626Q0896.docx

Statement of Work 16 Inspection and Testing – Boiler Plant Burners, Controls, and Instruments

GENERAL INFORMATION

Network Contracting Office 16 5075 Westheimer Road, Suite 750

Houston TX 77056-5643

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist Rhonda Gibson rhonda.gibson2@va.gov 7132901515

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

510 East Stoner Ave

Shreveport LA

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sources Sought Notice

DESCRIPTION

Sources Sought Notice

1. Title: Annual Boiler Inspection & Testing

2. Purpose: The Network Contracting Office (NCO) 16 located at 5075 Westheimer Road, Galleria Financial Center, Suite 750, Houston, Texas, hereby issues the following Sources Sought to Request Information (RFI) with the intent of determining the contractor interest, capabilities, qualifications of potential businesses, nonmanufacturer rule compliance, Buy American Act compliance, Trade Agreement compliance and estimated industry pricing information for market research and estimated budgetary purpose for Annual Boiler Inspection & Testing.

Contractor shall provide all shipping, installation (if required), equipment, personnel, labor and testing. This Sources Sought is published for market research purposes. This Sources Sought will be used to determine if a set-aside for any small business program is appropriate. Government anticipates competitive, firm fixed price contract. Please review this announcement, respond to questions below and review all attachments in their entirety.

Government requests that interested offerors complete all questions below, provide required documentation, descriptive literature and authorization letter as described below. The Government is in no way obligated to do business with or to enter into any form of contract with any person, firm or other entity that receives or responds to this announcement.

The objectives of this RFI are to identify responsible sources and interested parties who have presently have the skill sets required for this unique mission. If an interested vendor does not presently have the skill sets and personnel available, a detailed plan and time frame to acquire those personnel will be detailed in their response.

Responses Requested: The MEDVAMC requires complete responses to all questions and requested information outlined in this Request for Information/Sources Sought (RFI/SS). Failure to provide any requested information or answer all questions will result in the submission being deemed non-responsive and excluded from consideration in the market research process. Respondents must ensure all questions are fully addressed.

a. Contractors shall provide their points(s) of contact name, address, telephone number, and email address, and the company's business size, and SAM Unique Entity Identification Number. b. Is your company a small business, SDBs, HUBZone, or 8A concern? Please provide proof of qualifications.

b. Does your company meet all required four prong factors for the Nonmanufacturer Rule (NMR) per guidance of SBA and 13 C.F.R. § 121.406 Offer must answer all questions below.

1. Does your company exceed the 1250 employee alternative size standard for nonmanufacturers? ___

2. Is your company primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of products being supplied? __________

3. Does your company must take ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment, or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice? __________

4. Does your company supply the end products of a small business manufacturer or processor made in the United States? _____________

c. Is your company considered small under the NAICS Code 238220

d. Do you (offer) manufacture the product yourself or a distributor of the items being researched above?____

e. Are you an authorized distributor/reseller? Provide evidence from original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

f. Do you (offer) supply a product manufactured by another domestic small business, if it is a nonmanufacturer?

g. Do you (offer) supply the product of any sized manufacturer if SBA has granted a waiver to the nonmanufacturer rule?

h. Is your (offer) Buy American Certificate completed in SAM? Please provide evidence with response.

i. Is your (offer) Trade Agreement Certificate completed in SAM? Please provide evidence with response.

j. What is your schedule of delivery after receipt of order for the name brand or equal product?

k. For the name brand or equal product required, Is your company available under any;

Government Wide Agency Contract (GWAC) General Services Administration Schedules (GSA) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) If so, please list the contract number for name brand or equal product.

l. Provide descriptive literature demonstrating ability to meet all of the requirement/salient characteristics listed if other than brand name product is being offered. Please provide list of contracts for commercial, federal, state, and local governments. Listed contracts shall provide communication on the government requirement illustrating the capability for comparison. to the name brand or equal product meeting the specific requirements per the draft Statement of Work.

m. Contractors shall provide an estimated industry pricing for name brand product for market research and budgetary purposes.

5. Opportunity: NCO 16 is seeking information from potential contractors on their ability to provide this service. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT FOR REQUEST INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. Small Business Concerns are encouraged to provide responses to this Sources Sought in order to assist the MEDVAMC in determining potential levels of competition available in the industry. The Contractor shall possess the capability to provide all requirements and objectives.

6. Instructions and Response Guidelines: Sources Sought responses are due by Jun 12, 2026, at 10:00 am (CST) via email to rhonda.gibson2@va.gov.

All Questions shall be submitted by Jun 9, 2026, at 10:00 pm (CST) via email to Rhonda.gibson2@va.gov.

Telephone requests or inquiries will not be accepted.

Public Information will not be provided and shall be utilized to the full extent possible.

This is a New Requirement.

The subject line shall read: 36C25626Q0896-RFI-Sources Sought- Annual Boiler Inspection & Testing - Overton Brooks VA Medical Center, 510 Est Stoner Ave, Shreveport, LA 71101. NO SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME.

Please provide the information you deem relevant in order to respond to the specific inquiries of the Sources Sought. Information provided will be used solely by MEDVAMC as "market research" and will not be released outside of the MEDVAMC Purchasing and Contract Team.

This Sources Sought notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Quotation (RFQ), and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response to this request. All information contained in this Sources Sought is preliminary as well as subject to modification and is in no way binding on the Government.

In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on Contracting Opportunities (https://beta.sam.gov/) website or GSA. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this Sources Sought, or future RFP/RFQ.

7. Contact Information:

Contract Specialist, Rhonda Gibson Email address: Rhonda.gibson2@va.gov Your responses to this notice are appreciated.

THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES/PROPOSALS; however, any firm that believes it can meet the requirements may provide answers, responses and give written notification prior to the response due date and time. Supporting evidence and responses must be furnished in enough detail to demonstrate the ability to perform the requirements.

See draft Statement of Work

Page 1 of

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTERS

BOILER PLANTS

STATEMENT OF WORK

Inspection, Safety Device Testing and Calibration Boiler Plant Burners, Controls, Instruments, and Data Management

1. Introduction:

A. Most Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) have a central boiler plant to provide steam for heating and air conditioning, domestic hot water, kitchens, and sterilization.

B. Boiler plant safety, reliability, efficiency, and equipment longevity are paramount concerns of VAMC management. Malfunctioning burners or controls can cause catastrophic events resulting in injuries and death and massive property damage. Inaccurate or inadequate data management and monitoring systems can fail to warn of unsafe or inefficient performance. Regular inspections, testing and calibration by expert technicians are an essential part of a program to address these concerns.

C. This “Statement of Work” describes the requirements for the inspection, testing and calibration of the boiler plant burners, controls, and instruments by qualified technicians.

D. Safety Device Testing and Tuning shall be conducted at the Overton Brooks VAMC (OBVAMC) located at 510 East Stoner Ave, Shreveport. LA.

E. The OBVAMC has three 250 HP Clever Brooks fire tube boilers located in Building 71. Additionally, the facility has three stand-alone low-pressure boilers located in Buildings 55 and 57.

2. Technician Qualifications:

A. Technicians shall have completed at least a one-year trade school and have five years successful experience in this field. The experience shall be largely with institutional and industrial boiler plants similar in design to the OBVAMC plant. The OBVAMC facility manager/engineer may define and accept equivalent qualifications.

B. Technicians shall demonstrate familiarity with and ready access to the current versions of the following references:

NFPA 85, Boiler and Combustion Systems Hazards Code.

VHA Boiler Plant Safety Device Testing Manual, current edition.

C. Technicians shall be equipped with portable electronic flue gas analyzers and other test instruments necessary for the required tests and calibrations, all calibrated within one month of the site visits. OBVAMC has the items listed in Attachment A The technicians must be capable of programming the controls and have the appropriate hardware and software for this.

3. Inspection, Testing and Calibration Requirements:

A. Technicians shall provide all tools and labor necessary to perform inspection, tuning, testing, calibrating, and adjustments of burners and boiler and boiler plant controls as specified below. This shall be done every six months in accordance with a schedule provided by OBVAMC. OBVAMC may extend the schedule for burners in limited service.

B. Instrumentation, monitoring, and data management systems as listed below shall be calibrated every six months.

C. Provide at least two weeks notice to the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) prior to performing the work. Work cannot be scheduled during heavy steam load periods. Only one boiler at a time can be out of service for the inspection, testing and calibration procedures. Work must be conducted when the COTR or his/her designate is available on site to monitor the work.

The COR is: Trenton Thomas

D. OBVAMC will have the boilers that are to be serviced prepared for the technicians upon their scheduled arrival. This includes having the boilers clean of soot and loose scale; fully warmed and at normal steam pressure; steam exhaust silencer system operable; all boiler, burner and fuel train pressure gages and thermometers calibrated; fuel meters in accurate operation (pressure/temperature correction factors provided, if applicable); boiler steam flow, stack temperature and flue gas oxygen instruments operating.

E. OBVAMC will comply with any other requirements of the test personnel that are considered reasonable by OBVAMC and have been presented in writing at least two weeks prior to the scheduled testing.

F. The inspections, testing and calibrations shall comply with:

1) The recommendations and requirements of VHA Boiler Plant Safety Devices Testing Manual, current edition.

2) The written recommendations of the equipment manufacturers.

3) The requirements and recommendations of NFPA 85 Boiler and Combustion Systems Hazards Code including applicable appendices.

4) Burner performance requirements in this document.

G. A summary of the work is as follows:

1) Review boiler plant log sheets and alarm and trouble reports.

2) Review records that show combustion performance (flue gas oxygen and carbon monoxide).

3) Perform overall visual inspection of systems. Verify that systems comply with referenced codes and OBVAMC requirements stated in this contract.

4) Test and record the operation and set points of all burner/boiler safety interlock devices. Refer to list below. Verify that the set points and operating points are within approximately 20% of normal operating parameters. Make adjustments as necessary and record the new settings. The operation of a device must result in burner shutdown and/or proper alarm operation.

5) Operate burner(s) on each fuel from low fire to high fire and back to low fire in at least six increments and record combustion performance (flue gas oxygen, carbon

6) monoxide, NOx where applicable), fuel train pressures, atomizing train pressures, burner pressures, stack temperatures, boiler steam output.

7) Compare the combustion performance data with VAMC requirements (see below) and previous readings. If necessary, make adjustments to the fuel flow and combustion air controllers, control valves and dampers to obtain the required performance. Record the new performance data.

8) Verify accuracy of instrumentation listed below. Verify that all devices are properly selected for the application in terms of type, size, set point range, performance, code approval. Calibrate all instruments that are not within manufacturer’s specifications for accuracy.

9) Immediately inform COR of any recommended repairs or modifications.

H. All of interlocks and safety devices to be inspected and tested on each boiler/burner/equipment, are contained in the VHA Boiler Plant Safety Devices Testing Manual, Latest Edition, along with testing procedures.

I. Required burner performance (natural gas and fuel oil):

1) Turndown (ratio of maximum and minimum firing rates): 10/1 8/1 5/1 4/1 (Refer to original burner specification).

2) Achieve, but do not exceed, boiler maximum steam flow output rating. Measure fuel input at minimum and maximum firing rates.

3) Maximum carbon monoxide: 200 parts per million (ppm)

4) Maximum NOx: (Refer to original burner specification).

5) Flue gas oxygen: 2.5 – 4.2% (Up to 5.2% at loads below 40% of maximum steam output; no upper limit at minimum firing rate; oxygen can be one percentage point higher on oil firing on single-point positioning systems).

6) Flue gas oxygen (low excess air burners): 1.0 – 2.0% (Up to 2.5% at loads below 40% of maximum steam output; no upper limit at minimum firing rate; oxygen can be one percentage point higher on oil firing on single point positioning systems).

7) No visible smoke, except on heavy oil fuel maximum opacity is 20%. Comply with local emissions regulations.

8) Flames shall be stable with no pulsations, shall be retained near burner, no blowoff or flashbacks, no constant flame impingement on refractory or waterwalls.

J. List of instrumentation and controls to be inspected and calibrated:

1) Steam flow transmitters (all).

2) Steam flow recorders/computer readout.

3) Flue gas oxygen sampling, analyzing and recorder/computer readout.

4) Boiler and economizer stack temperature transmitters and recorder/computer readout.

5) Master steam pressure and combustion controllers.

6) Boiler outlet draft controllers.

7) Boiler water level controllers.

8) Feedwater deaerator and condensate storage tank water level controllers including overflow.

9) All pressure and temperature sensors and transmitters.

10) All signal processing and readout devices.

4. Report Requirements:

A. Provide complete written report of the inspection fully describing all tests performed, all findings, and recommendations. The report shall have two sections the first section will be in a table form that with four columns:

a. The first column labeled “FUNCTION” did the device pass or fail.

b. The second column labeled “Device” list the device number and description in accordance with the VHA Boiler Plant Safety Devices Testing Manual, Current Edition.

c. The third labeled “Deficiencies-Recommendations”

d. The fourth column labeled “corrective actions” list any corrective actions taken during the inspection.

B. The next section shall be in paragraph/bulleted form and list each device individual in accordance with the VHA Boiler Plant Safety Devices Testing Manual, Current Edition. Also, the section must reference the correct Master Specification and Standard Detail for that device. See sample below.

5.1. Condensate Storage Tank High Water Alarm

Purpose: High water level may be an indication of condensate transfer pump failure that could lead to low water condition in the feedwater deaerator and in the boilers. There may be a failure of make-up water controls.

Recommended set point: 4 inches below overflow level and 2/3 of tank height.

Potential hazards due to failure of high-water alarm: Feedwater deaerator running dry and, consequently, boiler feed pumps running dry will cause overheating and damage to pumps and potential for plant shut down. Failure of make-up water controls (in open position) could lead to significant cost from waste of water and condensate from the tank overflow if this occurs over a long time period.

Recommended type of device: Conductivity probe type switch. Float type switches have high failure rate in this application where they are exposed to flash steam that causes seals to harden and prevent float movement.

VA Master Specification section: 23 50 11 (old 15625).

www.va.gov/facmgt/standard/ VA Standard Detail: SD232111-05.pdf www.va.gov/facmgt/standard/ Failure rate of float types: 48% (BEI study of VA boiler plants).

Make and Model: Mercoid Float Did it function properly: No Category & Action Time Limit: Upon Failure or Within 5 Years Comments: Float type switches are not allowed for high water alarms. The VA recommended switch type is a conductivity probe type switch. Install the VA recommended switch and set to alarm at 2/3 of the tank height. There are valves that can isolate this alarm. These valves must be made lockable only in the operating position.

C. Furnish report within one week of each facility inspection in “Microsoft Word” format by email to the COTR and to the VA Headquarters office designated. Provide hard copies of data sheets and flue gas analyzer “strip” printouts to the COTR within one week of visit.

D. All safety-related deficiencies shall be immediately reported to the COTR, Boiler Plant Supervisor and/or Chief Engineer during the inspection visit.

5. Period of Performance:

Base Year: 10/1/2026 through 09/30/2027 Option Year 1: 10/1/2027 through 09/30/2028 Option Year 2: 10/1/2028 through 09/30/2029 Option Year 3: 10/1/2029 through 09/30/2030 Option Year 4: 10/1/2030 through 09/30/2031

6. Federal Holidays observed by the VAMC are:

New Years' Day Martin Luther King Day Washington’s Birthday Memorial Day Juneteenth Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans' Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day *And any other federal holidays put in place during the duration of this contract.

Records Management:

1. Citations to pertinent laws, codes and regulations such as 44 U.S.C chapters 21, 29, 31 and 33; Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552); Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a); 36 CFR Part 1222 and Part 1228.

2. Contractor shall treat all deliverables under the contract as the property of the U.S. Government for which the Government Agency shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest.

3. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract using Government IT equipment and/or Government records.

4. Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected by the Freedom of Information Act.

5. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any Government Agency records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract.

6. The Government Agency owns the rights to all data/records produced as part of this contract.

7. The Government Agency owns the rights to all electronic information (electronic

8. data, electronic information systems, electronic databases, etc.) and all supporting documentation created as part of this contract. Contractor must deliver sufficient technical documentation with all data deliverables to permit the agency to use the data.

9. Contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of completion [draft, final, etc.].

10. No disposition of documents will be allowed without the prior written consent of the Contracting Officer. The Agency and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of the Agency or destroyed without regard to the provisions of the agency records schedules.

11. Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, this contract. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and Agency guidance for protecting sensitive and proprietary information.

See attached document: Equipment List for Boiler.