36C25724B0006_1.docx

36C25724B0006

1. SOLICITATION NUMBER

2. TYPE OF SOLICITATION

3. DATE ISSUED

PAGE OF PAGES

4. CONTRACT NUMBER

5.

REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUEST NUMBER

6. PROJECT NUMBER

7. ISSUED BY

CODE

8. ADDRESS OFFER TO

a. NAME

b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (Include area code) (NO COLLECT CALLS)

10. THE GOVERNMENT REQUIRES PERFORMANCE OF THE WORK DESCRIBED IN THESE

DOCUMENTS (Title, identifying number, date) 12a. THE CONTRACTOR MUST FURNISH ANY REQUIRED PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT BONDS?

(If "YES," indicate within how many calendar days after award in Item 12B.)

12b. CALENDAR DAYS

13. ADDITIONAL

SOLICITATION REQUIREMENTS:

STANDARD FORM 1442 (REV. 8/2014)

STANDARD FORM 1442

Prescribed by GSA-FAR (48 CFR) 52.236-1(d)

SOLICITATION, OFFER,

AND AWARD

(Construction, Alteration, or Repair)

SOLICITATION

SOLICITATION

IMPORTANT - The "offer" section on the reverse must be fully completed by offeror.

9. FOR INFORMATION

CALL:

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations "offer" and "offeror" mean "bid" and "bidder".

SEALED BID (IFB)

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

1. The Contractor shall begin performance within ____________ calendar days and complete it within calendar days after receiving award, notice to proceed. This performance period is mandatory negotiable. (See

YES

NO

a.

Sealed offers in original and ___________________copies to perform the work required are due at the place specified in Item 8 by _____________ (hour) local time _____________________ (date). If this is a sealed bid solicitation, offers must be publicly opened at that time. Sealed envelopes containing offers shall be marked to show the offeror's name and address, the solicitation number, the date and time offers are due.

b.

An offer guarantee is, is not required.

c.

All offers are subject to the (1) work requirements, and (2) other provisions and clauses incorporated in the solicitation in full text or by reference.

d.

Offers providing less than ____ ___________________ calendar days for Government acceptance after the date offers are due will not be considered and will be rejected.

36C25724B0006 X

TBD

674-21-251 Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 17 1901 Veterans Memorial Dr. Building #171 Temple TX 76504 Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 17 1901 Veterans Memorial Dr. Building 171 Temple TX 76504 Michael Walls michael.walls2@va.gov

Title: Repurpose Library for Welcome Center, Project No. 674-21-251

The contractor shall provide all labor, material, equipment, knowledge, and testing services required to construct project to repurpose the library for the welcome center in accordance with SOW, Specifications and Drawings located at Olin E. Teague Veterans Medical Center, 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive, Temple, Texas 76504.

This is a competitive requirement set-aside 100 pe rcent for service-disabled veteran-owned small business.

Magnitude of the Construction Project: Between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000.

The applicable North American Industry Classification (NAICS) code for this project is 236220

Pre-Bid Site Visit shall be hel d on November 2, 2023 at 1:00PM CST.

VA highly encourages interested contractors to attend the site visit.

All interested contractors shall meet at Olin E. Teague Medical Center, Engineering Bldg. 46E lobby, 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive, Temple, TX 76504.

Cut off for submission of RFIs/Questions shall be November 9, 2023 at 2:00PM CST.

All RFIs/Questions shall be emailed to mich ael.walls2@va.gov; Subject line "Solicitation 36C25724B0006 RFIs."

All bidders must submit a bid guarantee as part of their bid package. Additionally, the awardee must be able to obtain the necessary level of performance and payment bonds.

Submission of Bids: All bids shall be submitted via email to the following email address Lynn.Pettit@va.gov by the date and t ime stated below, Block 13a.

Funds are not currently available for this solicitation. Award of a contract as a result of this solicitation is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment of this contract may be made. There shall be no legal liability on the part of the Government for contract purposes until funds are made available to the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Offic er will confirm availability of funds prior to award of a contract.

X X 52.211-10 X Zero (0)

1:00 PM

CST

11-28-2023 X

14. NAME AND ADDRESS OF

OFFEROR

15. TELEPHONE NUMBER

16. REMITTANCE ADDRESS

CODE

FACILITY CODE

17. The offeror agrees to perform the work required at the prices specified below in strict accordance with the terms of the solicitation, if this offer is accepted by the Government in writing within __________ calendar days after the date offers are due.

AMOUNTS

18. The offeror agrees to furnish any required performance and payment bonds.

19. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS

AMENDMENT

NUMBER

DATE.

20a. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER 20b. SIGNATURE 20c. OFFER DATE

21. ITEMS ACCEPTED:

22. AMOUNT

23. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

24. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN

ITEM

25. OTHER THAN FULL

AND OPEN COMPETITION PURSUANT TO

10 U.S.C. 2304(c)( 41 U.S.C. 3304(a) (

26. ADMINISTERED BY

27. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

PHONE:

FAX:

28. NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT

29. AWARD

Your Contractor agrees offer on this solicitation is hereby accepted as to the items listed. This to furnish and deliver all items or perform all work requirements identified award consummates the contract, which consists of (a) the Government on this form and any continuation sheets for the consideration stated in solicitation and your offer, and (b) this contract award. No further cont-this contract. The rights and obligations of the parties to this contract ractual document is necessary.

shall be governed by (a) this contract award, (b) the solicitation, and (c) the clauses, representations, certifications, and specifications incorporated by reference in or attached to this contract.

30a. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTOR OR PERSON AUTHORIZED 31a. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

TO SIGN

30b. SIGNATURE 30c. DATE 31b. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 31c. AWARD DATE

BY

OFFER

AWARD

STANDARD FORM 1442 (REV. 8/2014) BACK

(Include ZIP Code) (Include area code) (Include only if different than Item 14.)

(Insert any number equal to or greater than the minimum requirement stated in Item 13d. Failure to insert any number means the offeror accepts the minimum in Item 13d.)

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the solicitation -- give number and date of each) (Type or print) (4 copies unless otherwise specified) (Type or print) (Type or print) (Contractor is required to sign this document and return _______ copies to issuing office.)

(Contractor is not required to sign this document.)

(Must be fully completed by offeror) (To be completed by Government)

CONTRACTING OFFICER WILL COMPLETE ITEM 28 OR 29 AS APPLICABLE

Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 17 Veterans Memorial Dr. Building 171 Temple TX 76504 This is accomplished through the Tungsten Network located at:

http://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.asp This is mandatory and the sole method for submitting invoices.

(877) 353-9791

(512) 460-5540

STATEMENT OF WORK

Repurpose Library for Welcome Center Project # 674-21-251

GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall provide all necessary construction services, labor, equipment, materials, testing services and personnel as required to adequately construct project Repurpose Library for Welcome Center project in accordance with the A/E firm’s contract drawings, specifications, technical reports, and cost estimates for the project that will be located in the basement of building 163 at the Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center located at 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive, Temple, Texas 76504.

This project will reconfigure existing library space into a space for Welcome Center offices and activities, as well as spaces and classrooms for Education services.

The project will include the reconfigurations of the electrical, mechanical, IT, and other systems as called for in the Construction Documents.

A site visit is required prior to bidding, so that the contractor will be fully acquainted with existing site conditions and scope of work.

It is the responsibility of the contractor to verify all quantities, amounts, and dimensions. If there are any discrepancies or any changes in condition affecting work shall be brought to the attention of the VA Contracting Officer Representative before proceeding with the work.

The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining and coordinating the services of all third-party Contractors performing other services on site and other entities as part of the contract to ensure the expected quality, timely delivery, and documented final product.

The Contractor shall be responsible for generating and providing all O&M Manuals, As Built (redline) drawings in CAD and PDF, obtain all applicable permits, installation, testing, and commissioning as required.

SECURITY

All contractors shall obtain and display a security badge in plain sight above the waist. Contractors found without a badge will be immediately removed from VA property by VA Police.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Normal hours of operation for VA sites are 8:00AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday except for Federal Holidays. If the Contractor desires to work on Saturday, Sunday, holidays, or outside the project site’s normal working hours the contractor must submit a written request for approval to the VA-COR at least five (5) working days prior to the proposed start of such work.

OTHER DELIVERABLES

Base Bid Period of Performance: 360 Calendar days after Notice to Proceed.

Performance and Payment Bonds: Due 10 Calendar days after Notice of Award

Proof of Insurance: Due 10 Calendar days after Notice of Award

Progress Reports: Shall be submitted electronically every week to the Contracting Officers Representative (COR) and address, at a minimum, the status of deliverables, project schedule, price and technical performance as they relate to the planned and actual work performed during the past two weeks, work planned for the following two weeks and address any open critical issues.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE

The preliminary and final deliverables and all associated working papers, application source code, and other material deemed relevant by the VA which has been generated by the contractor in the performance of this Order are the exclusive property of the U.S. Government and shall be submitted to the VA-COR at the conclusion of the contract.

The Contracting Officer will be the sole authorized official to release verbally or in writing, any data, the draft deliverables, the final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this contract. No information shall be released by the contractor. Any request for information relating to this contract presented to the contractor shall be submitted to the CO for response.

Press releases, marketing material or any other printed or electronic documentation related to this project, shall not be publicized without the written approval of the CO.

To the extent that the work under this contract requires that the contractor be given access to proprietary business, technical or financial information belonging to the Government or other companies, the contractor shall treat such information as proprietary business sensitive and agrees not to appropriate such information to its own use or to disclose such information to third parties unless specifically authorized by the CO in writing. A mutually agreed to agreement for exchange of sensitive information or nondisclosure agreement may be required.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS:

NOTICE: Information Technology (IT) Systems, Privacy & Records Management

1. Information System Officer, Information Protection: The contractor will not have access to VA Desktop computers they will not have access to online resources belonging to the government.

1. Privacy Officer: The Contractor will not have access to protected Patient Health Information (PHI) nor will they have capability of accessing patient information during the services provided to the VA and if removal of equipment from the VA is required, any memory storage device will remain in VA control and will not be removed from VA custody. All research data available for Contractor analysis is de-identified.

1. Records Manager:

a. 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.

b. 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.

c. 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.

d. 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.

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

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

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

h. 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.].

i. 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.

j. 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.

Contractor employees should adhere to the existing COVID-19 safety and mitigation measures at their local VAMC and follow the guidance outlined in the current version of the VHA COVID-19 Operational Plan https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01766/protecting-the-federal-workforce-and-requiring-mask-wearing

Contractor employees should adhere to the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force’s guidance for COVID-19 workplace safety protocols for Federal agencies pursuant to Executive Order 13991 Federal Register :: Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing

For indefinite delivery contracts: Contractor agrees to comply with VHA Supplemental Contract Requirements for any task or delivery orders issued prior to this modification when performance has already commenced.

The Contractor shall comply with agency personal identity verification procedures identified in the contract that implement Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 (HSPD-12), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance M-05-24 and Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB) Number 201.

The Contractor shall account for all forms of Government-provided identification issued to the Contractor employees in connection with performance under this contract. The Contractor shall return such identification to the issuing agency at the earliest of any of the following, unless otherwise determined by the Government:

(1)When no longer needed for contract performance.

(2)Upon completion of the Contractor employee’s employment.

(3)Upon contract completion or termination.

(c) The Contracting Officer may delay final payment under a contract if the Contractor fails to comply with these requirements.

(d) The Contractor shall insert the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (d), in all subcontracts when the subcontractor’s employees are required to have routine physical access to a Federally-controlled facility and/or routine access to a Federally-controlled information system. It shall be the responsibility of the prime Contractor to return such identification to the issuing agency in accordance with the terms set forth in paragraph (b) of this section, unless otherwise approved in writing by the Contracting Officer.

Also all badges now are issued under USAccess and prints are required for all. Time to get badge, if they have current prints within 120 days, we can usually get them a PIV-I or PIV Flash badge within 7 days of submission.

If they require a higher level of investigation as long as prints are complete, and all supporting documents are submitted with the form #1. 10 to 15 days for the badge to be issued. This of course depends on those that require the investigation complete the paperwork and questionnaire in a timely manner and we can release without sending back for corrections.

Table of Contents

WAGE DETERMINATION…………………………………………………...………………..69

A.3 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

ITEM INFORMATION

BASE BID: Work includes general demolition of existing walls floors and ceilings to allow for new construction and alterations of the existing HVAC and electrical distribution systems to allow for new layouts. Works include construction of new partition walls and finishes, new lighting, power and data cabling. Additions of new plumbing distributions as shown in documents. Install all doors, millwork flooring and ceiling finishes and final electrical devices and plumbing fixtures in accordance with specifications, drawings and SOW

(SEE GENERAL REQUIREMENT 1.3 STATEMENT OF BID ITEM I)

** NOTE: Award shall be made on the Base Bid unless the base bid is more than the allocated funding for the project.

FAR 36.205 Statutory Cost Limitations states: Solicitations containing one or more items subject to statutory cost limitations shall state - The applicable cost limitation for each affecting item in a separate schedule; That an offer which does not contain separately-prices schedules will not be considered; and That the price on each schedule shall include an approximate apportionment of all estimated direct costs, allocable indirect costs, and profit.

Cost of Performance and Payment Bonds BASE BID TOTAL (Items 0001 and 0002) Total number of days for completion: 360 calendar days

A.4 OSHA and EMR Certification

The Offeror shall submit the following information: (For a partnership or joint venture, the following submittal requirements are required for each Contractor who is part of the partnership or joint venture and for the entity itself. EMR shall not be submitted for subcontractors.)

1. OSHA or EPA Violation(s):

Offerors shall provide Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, affirming that the Offeror has no more than three serious, or one repeat, or one willful OSHA or EPA violation(s) in the past 3 years.

1. Experience Modification Rate (EMR):

Offerors shall provide documentation to show that the offeror has an Experience Modification Rate (EMR) of equal to or less than 1.0.

A.5 OFFEROR’S SELF PERFORMED ESTIMATED CALCULATIONS

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CALCULATION OF SELF-PERFORMED WORK IAW “Limitations on Subcontracting” (VAAR 852.219-10)

At the time of proposal Offeror’s are required to complete.

a) Offeror’s total proposed price: $ __________

b) Cost of Materials $ __________

c) Total excluding materials (a-b) $ __________

d) Amount projected to be paid to non-VIP listed SDVOSBs: $ __________

e) Offeror’s percentage of estimated Non VIP work (d/c X 100 = %) __________%

f) Offeror’s percentage of estimated self-performed work (100 – e = %) __________%

A/E-Services. In the case of a contract for services (except construction), it will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed VOSBs.

General construction. In the case of a contract for general construction, it will not pay more than 85% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs.

Special trade contractors. In the case of a contract for special trade contractors, it will not pay more than 75% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed Page 1 of Page 1 of

INFORMATION REGARDING BIDDING MATERIAL, BID GUARANTEE AND BONDS

COVID-19 Bid Submission Instructions

In order to comply with Federal mandate to limit Face-to-Face interaction and/or Social Distancing hard copy bid package(s) shall not be submitted via FedEx, UPS, or Hand Deliver to the Contracting Office. All complete bid packages shall be submitted via email to michael.walls2@va.gov by the specified Bid Closing date and time.

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS TO BIDDERS/OFFERORS

PREPARATION OF BIDS

To assure responsiveness of submitted bids, bidders shall follow the instructions contained herein. These instructions prescribe the format of the bid and describe the approach for development and presentation of the bid package. These instructions are designed to ensure the submission of necessary information. Bidders are required to meet all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications. The contracting officer has determined there is a high probability of adequate price competition in this acquisition. Interested bidders shall be solely responsible for all costs associated with this solicitation including but not limited to the preparation of bids.

1. Bids shall be (1) submitted on the forms furnished by the Government or on copies of those forms; and (2) manually signed. The person signing a bid shall initial each erasure or change appearing on any proposal form.

2. Bidders shall submit proposed prices for ALL bid items as listed in the bid schedule. Failure to submit proposed prices for ALL bid items will result in the bid being rejected as nonresponsive without further consideration.

3. Alternate bids Will NOT be considered unless this solicitation authorizes their submission.

4. BID SUBMISSION:

The following documents shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer on the due date and time listed on the SF 1442. Electronic bids transmitted through email are the only authorized form of submission under this solicitation. One (1) emailed electronic PDF document of the bid shall be submitted at the time of the bid opening. The emailed electronic PDF document of the bid shall be organized as follows:

a) Standard Form 1442: Page 2 of the SF1442 shall be completed and signed by the signatory authority. All blocks under section “OFFER” on page 2 of SF1442 (Item 14 thru 20C) shall be completed.

b) Price Schedule: Schedule of Prices/Description shall be completed by the bidder

c) Standard Form 30: Amendment of Solicitation: Bidders shall be solely responsible for monitoring Government’s website https://sam.gov for amendments to this solicitation if any and acknowledge them in accordance with the requirements stipulated in this solicitation and amendments. Page 1 (Item 15A-15C) shall be completed.

d) Bid Bond: Duly executed Bid Bond/Guarantee: IAW FAR 52.228-1 Bid guarantee is required if the bid is expected to exceed $150,000. A bid guarantee is required in an amount not less than 20 percent of the bid price but shall not exceed $3,000,000.

e) Representations and Certifications Clause: 52.204-8 Annual Representations and Certifications: since 52.204-7 is incorporated by reference in this solicitation, paragraph (d) under clause 52.204-8 applies to this contract. Bidder shall check the box in front of paragraph (2)(i) under clause 52.204-8 and indicate any changes under paragraph (d) of clause 52.204-8. If no change has been made to the bidder’s annual representations and certifications accessed through https://sam.gov, please indicate “NONE”. Print out this clause in its entirety and submit it with the bid or you can submit your SAM.gov Reps and Certs on-line printout.

f) SBA VetCert Registration (evidence of SDVOSB Status): Evidence of certification from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) Program showing your firm as an eligible, visible, and certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). To be eligible for award, Bidders are required to register their businesses at https://veterans.certify.sba.gov.

g) SAM.gov Registration: Please be advised that to be eligible for award, Bidders are required to register their businesses at https://sam.gov and complete the Reps and Certs Section. The bidder shall have an active registration in SAM at the time of bid submission otherwise the Contracting Officer shall deem the bidder’s bid non-responsive to the solicitation requirements (See FAR 52.204-7).

h) VAAR Clause 852.219-75 VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting: Print out this clause in its entirety and submit the completed certification portion with the bid.

i) Calculations on Self-Performed Work: Complete the Self-Performed Work Calculations and return with the bid.

j) 52.219-28 Post-Award Small Business Program Representation: (Required if Applicable) If the Contractor does not have representations and certifications in SAM.gov or does not have a representation in SAM for the NAICS code applicable to this contract, the Contractor is required to complete Section (h) of this clause. Print out this clause in its entirety and complete Section (h), the authorized signer must sign and date.

k) 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment: Print out this clause in its entirety and complete (d)(1) and (d)(2).

l) Vets-4212 Forms: The bidder shall affirm that they have filed the Vets 4212 Report forms for prior fiscal year if the bid is expected to exceed $150,000. Contractors are required to submit a required annual Form VETS-4212, Federal Contractor Veterans' Employment Report in all cases where the contractor or subcontractor has received an award of $150,000 or more in any fiscal year. Contracting Officers are prohibited from awarding a contract to a contractor that has not submitted a required VETS-4212 Report with respect to the preceding fiscal year if the contractor was subject to the reporting requirement of 38 U.S.C. 4212(d). Submit this report as soon as possible, if not already submitted, to avoid delays in the contract award process. For more information on this requirement and/or for completing the web-based reporting form, visit the following website https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/vets4212. See FAR provision 52.222-38, Compliance with Veterans' Employment Reporting Requirements under Representations and Certifications and FAR clause 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans.

m) SAFETY:

The Bidder shall submit the following information: (For a partnership or joint venture, the following submittal requirements are required for each Contractor who is part of the partnership or joint venture and for the entity itself. EMR shall not be submitted for subcontractors.)

(1) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Violation(s):

Bidders shall provide Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, affirming that the Bidder has no more than three serious, or one repeat, or one willful Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violation(s) in the past 3 years.

(2) Experience Modification Rate (EMR):

Bidders shall provide documentation (letter from insurance carrier) to show that the bidder has an Experience Modification Rate (EMR) of equal to or less than 1.0. If a Bidder’s EMR is above 1.0, Bidder must submit a written explanation of the EMR from its insurance carrier furnished on the insurance carrier’s letterhead, describing the reasons for the elevated EMR and the anticipated date the EMR may be reduced to 1.0 or below.

Self-insured contractors or other contractors that cannot provide their EMR rating on insurance letterhead must obtain a rating from the National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc. (NCCI) by completing/submitting form ERM-6 and providing the rating on letterhead from NCCI. Note: Self-insured contractors or other contractors that cannot provide EMR rating on insurance letterhead from the states or territories of CA, DE, MI, NJ, ND, OH, PA, WA, WY, and Puerto Rico shall obtain their EMR rating from their state-run worker’s compensation insurance rating bureau.

If the NCCI cannot issue an EMR because the Bidder lacks insurance history, Bidder shall submit a letter indicating so from its insurance carrier furnished on the insurance carrier’s letterhead and include a letter from the NCCI indicating that it has assigned Bidder a Unity Rating of 1.0.

The above information, along with other information obtained from Government systems, such as the OSHA and EPA online inspection history databases, will be used to make an initial Determination of Responsibility.

This requirement is applicable to all subcontracting tiers, and prospective prime contractors are responsible for determining the responsibility of their prospective subcontractors.

Note: Failure to submit all aforementioned documents (a-m) shall result in a nonresponsive bid and the bid shall not be considered.

5. Bids shall be submitted electronically to the email address below by or on the due date set forth in this solicitation, Page 1, Form SF1442, Block 13:

a) Contracting Officer: Michael Walls | Email: michael.walls2@va.gov.

The Email Subject Line Shall include the Solicitation Number and Project Title

It is solely the responsibility of the bidders to ensure the Government receives the bids before or on the exact due date and time set forth in this solicitation. Emails are limited to five (5) MB.

REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION (RFIs)

1. To obtain clarifications and/or additional information concerning the solicitation requirements, specifications and/or drawings, or any other issue pertaining to the advertisement for bids, submit an RFI via email to the attention of the Contracting Officer at michael.walls2@va.gov. The email subject line shall include the Solicitation number and project title.

a. RFIs related to the project technical documents must be specific identifying section, paragraph and page no. of the specifications or cite the drawing number and must be in question format.

b. RFIs related to the solicitation or other related documents shall refer to the specific provision, clause, etc. All requests for information must be submitted via email to the Contracting Officer for action no later than the date shown in Block 10 of the Standard Form 1442, Solicitation, Offer and Award. No phone or faxed inquiry will be accepted. No questions will be answered after this date unless determined to be in the best interest of the Government as deemed by the Contracting Officer.

2. Government’s responses to inquiries will be issued in the form of an amendment to the original solicitation and posted to the same website where this solicitation is posted: https://sam.gov. All interested bidders including those submitting inquiries are required to monitor the above website for any posted amendments and acknowledge them in accordance with the instructions provided in the amendments as well as in this solicitation.

BID OPENING

1. A public Bid Opening shall be a virtual public bid opening conducted the day bids are due. The time for this virtual public bid opening will start at 2:45 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST) with bid opening beginning promptly at 3:00 p.m. CST.

2. Attendance at the bid opening is not mandatory. If you are interested in attending, you are to email the Contracting Officer a separate email requesting attendance via email to: michael.walls2@va.gov. You must have access to Microsoft Teams or the ability to dial-in. No other opportunities for a bid opening will be provided. Questions will not be answered at the bid opening. Bids shall be opened by the bid opening officer and recorded on an official Bid Abstract. Bid Abstracts will be available upon request via email to: michael.walls2@va.gov.

Bid Opening Tentative Schedule:

Date: Day that bids are due 12:45 PM CST: Meeting Begins 12:55 PM CST: Instructions for Bid Opening 12:59 PM CST: One Minute Announcement of Opening of Bids 1:00 PM CST: Bid Opening Begins

BID EVALUATION

1. All bids submitted on time and in accordance with provision 52.214-5 will be evaluated for the conformance to all requirements of this solicitation. Any bid that fails to conform to the requirements of this solicitation will be determined non-responsive and therefore rejected.

2. Bid prices will be evaluated as follows:

a) For the purpose of determining the low bid conforming to the solicitation, the Government will evaluate the proposed total schedule bid items and make an award on the proposed total schedule bid items to the bidder whose bid conforms to this solicitation and is deemed the most advantageous to the Government.

BASIS FOR CONTRACT AWARD

1. Award will be made to the lowest responsible bidder whose bid conforms to this solicitation and is deemed the most advantageous to the Government, considering only price and price-related factors specified in this solicitation.

2. Award will be made in accordance with provision 52.214-19 Contract Award—Sealed Bidding—Construction incorporated by reference in this solicitation.

3. Determination of Responsibility:

a) Pursuant to FAR 9.103 prescribing that purchases shall be made from, and contracts shall be awarded to, responsible prospective contractors only, the Government will perform the determination of responsibility on the apparently lowest bidder whose bid is deemed conforming to the solicitation as stated under paragraph a). The Government’s determination of responsibility will be performed in accordance with FAR 9.1 and will include but not limited to the review of all federal excluded or debarred lists from different U.S. departments, and from the SAM.gov Responsibility/Qualification (R/Q) records, FedDataCheck Contractor Responsibility Assessment (CRA) Report; Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Report; Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), and Electronic Subcontract Reporting System (eSRS).

b) Since this solicitation is set aside 100% for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), the Government will refer the matter to the Small Business Administration which will decide whether to issue a Certificate of Competency if the Government deems a potential SDVOSB awardee non-responsible.

OTHER IMPORTANT BIDDER INFORMATION:

WAGE DETERMINATION

The wage determination is included as an attachment to the solicitation and is applicable to any resultant contract. If necessary, subsequent revisions will be posted to the solicitation via amendment prior to bid opening. Revision may also be applicable prior to any contract award. Wage determinations are available at https://sam.gov/.

EXCLUSIONS

Exclusion record identifies parties excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain types of Federal financial and non-financial assistance and benefits. Exclusions are also referred to as “suspensions” and “debarments.” The contractor is required to check exclusions located at https://sam.gov/ for each person or business providing services under this contract. During the performance of this contract the Contractor is prohibited from using any individual or business with active exclusions.

VHA-Pre-Construction Risk Assessment (VHA-PCRA). A VHA-PCRA is a formal assessment protocol required to identify potential safety risks in the health care facility environment (that evaluates the impacts of construction, renovation, and maintenance) and create mitigation strategies to prevent, reduce or eliminate them prior to the initiation of any construction-related activities. The assessment includes an assessment of potential risks to occupants for air quality, infection prevention and control, utility requirements, noise, vibration and any other hazards applicable to the work. The VHA-PCRA may also include a detailed VHA-Infection Control Risk Assessment (VHA-ICRA) to assess infection-related risks to patients and residents. See attached VHA-PCRA for bidder awareness of VA assessed risks and required mitigation(s) that may impact contractor work activities.

VHA-Infection Control Risk Assessment (VHA-ICRA). For those construction activities where the initial infection control review within the VHA-PCRA identifies potential risks of infectious disease transmission affecting the care, treatment or services of patients or residents, a detailed analysis must be conducted using the VHA-ICRA form to document an in-depth infection risk assessment(s) and identification of mitigation actions/activities. A VHA-ICRA is a systematic process, conducted as part of the VHA-PCRA, that determines the level of potential infection risks to patients or residents due to the physical environment throughout the construction and commissioning process and defines controls to reduce these infection related risks. See attached VHA-ICRA for bidder awareness of VA assessed risks and required mitigation(s) that may impact contractor work activities.

CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REPORTING SYSTEM (CPARS)

1. As prescribed in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 42.15, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) evaluates contractor past performance on all construction contracts that exceed $750,000 and shares those evaluations with other Federal Government contract specialists and procurement officials. The FAR requires that the contractor be provided an opportunity to comment on past performance evaluations prior to each report closing. To fulfill this requirement VA uses an online database, CPARS.

1. Each contractor whose construction contract award is estimated to exceed $750,000 is required to register with the CPARS database at the following web address: https://www.cpars.gov/ Help in registering can be obtained by contacting Customer Support Desk at 207-438-1690. Registration should occur no later than thirty days after contract award and must be kept current should there be any change to the contractor's registered representative.

1. For contracts with a period of one year or less, the contracting officer will perform a single evaluation when the contract is complete. For contracts exceeding one year, the contracting officer will evaluate the contractor's performance annually. Interim reports will be filed each year until the last year of the contract, when the final report will be completed. The report shall be assigned in CPARS to the contractor's designated representative for comment. The contractor representative will have thirty days to submit any comments and re-assign the report to the VA contracting officer.

1. Failure to have a current registration in the CPARS database, or to re-assign the report to the VA contracting officer within those thirty days, will result in the Government's evaluation being placed on file in the database with a statement that the “contractor failed to respond.”

2.1 52.211-1 AVAILABILITY OF SPECIFICATIONS LISTED IN THE GSA INDEX OF FEDERAL SPECIFICATIONS, STANDARDS AND COMMERCIAL ITEM DESCRIPTIONS, FPMR PART 101-29 (AUG 1998)

(a) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29, and copies of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained for a fee by submitting a request to— GSA Federal Supply Service Specifications Section, Suite 8100 470 East L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20407 Telephone (202) 619-8925 Facsimile (202) 619-8978.

(b) If the General Services Administration, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Veterans Affairs issued this solicitation, a single copy of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained free of charge by submitting a request to the addressee in paragraph (a) of this provision. Additional copies will be issued for a fee.

(End of Provision)

2.2 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984)

The Government contemplates award of a Firm-Fixed-Price contract resulting from this solicitation.

(End of Provision)

2.3 52.222-5 CONSTRUCTION WAGE RATE REQUIREMENTS—SECONDARY SITE OF THE WORK (MAY 2014) (a)(1) The offeror shall notify the Government if the offeror intends to perform work at any secondary site of the work, as defined in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of the FAR clause at 52.222-6, Construction Wage Rate Requirements, of this solicitation.

(2) If the offeror is unsure if a planned work site satisfies the criteria for a secondary site of the work, the offeror shall request a determination from the Contracting Officer.

(b)(1) If the wage determination provided by the Government for work at the primary site of the work is not applicable to the secondary site of the work, the offeror shall request a wage determination from the Contracting Officer.

(2) The due date for receipt of offers will not be extended as a result of an offeror's request for a wage determination for a secondary site of the work.

(End of Provision)

2.4 52.222-23 NOTICE OF REQUIREMENT FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION TO ENSURE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR CONSTRUCTION (FEB 1999)

(a) The offeror's attention is called to the Equal Opportunity clause and the Affirmative Action Compliance Requirements for Construction clause of this solicitation.

(b) The goals for minority and female participation, expressed in percentage terms for the Contractor's aggregate workforce in each trade on all construction work in the covered area, are as follows:

These goals are applicable to all the Contractor's construction work performed in the covered area. If the Contractor performs construction work in a geographical area located outside of the covered area, the Contractor shall apply the goals established for the geographical area where the work is actually performed. Goals are published periodically in the Federal Register in notice form, and these notices may be obtained from any Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs office.

(c) The Contractor's compliance with Executive Order 11246, as amended, and the regulations in 41 CFR 60-4 shall be based on (1) its implementation of the Equal Opportunity clause, (2) specific affirmative action obligations required by the clause entitled "Affirmative Action Compliance Requirements for Construction," and (3) its efforts to meet the goals. The hours of minority and female employment and training must be substantially uniform throughout the length of the contract, and in each trade. The Contractor shall make a good faith effort to employ minorities and women evenly on each of its projects. The transfer of minority or female employees or trainees from Contractor to Contractor, or from project to project, for the sole purpose of meeting the Contractor's goals shall be a violation of the contract, Executive Order 11246, as amended, and the regulations in 41 CFR 60-4. Compliance with the goals will be measured against the total work hours performed.

(d) The Contractor shall provide written notification to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Federal Contract Compliance, U.S. Department of Labor, within 10 working days following award of any construction subcontract in excess of $10,000 at any tier for construction work under the contract resulting from this solicitation. The notification shall list the—

(1) Name, address, and telephone number of the subcontractor;

(2) Employer's identification number of the subcontractor;

(3) Estimated dollar amount of the subcontract;

(4) Estimated starting and completion dates of the subcontract; and

(5) Geographical area in which the subcontract is to be performed.

(e) As used in this Notice, and in any contract resulting from this solicitation, the "covered area" is Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive Temple, Texas 76504 (End of Provision)

2.5 52.225-10 NOTICE OF BUY AMERICAN REQUIREMENT—CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS (MAY 2014) ALTERNATE I (MAY 2014)

(a) Definitions. "Commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) item," "construction material," "domestic construction material," and "foreign construction material," as used in this provision, are defined in the clause of this solicitation entitled "Buy…