Questions and Answers.pdf

• Chiller #1 is not in service and scheduled to be replaced with a New York Chiller FYI 26 o Do we need to remove service pricing for FYI 26 for Chiller #1? Remove Chiller 1 from Base Year. New Chiller, once installed will be covered under warranty.

• Cooling Towers o Marley Tower

I believe it’s a direct drive and has a gearbox from the information that was provided. Do we need to include a oil change for the gearbox? No, VA Personnel will provide.

o EvapCo Towers

Do we need to include pricing to replace the belt for each tower? Yes.

• Under contractor certifications says Alan Bradley or current system.

o Should the awarded contractor be certified to work on a Siemens controls system?

If yes, please provide the current make model and version of the Siemens system.

Please provide a scope of work for the BMS system.

• Is the awarded contractor responsible for any BMS maintenance associated with the chilled water plant?

o Calibration of flow meters? No o Calibration of DP’s? No o Calibration of temperature and or pressure transducers created within the chilled water loop of the building? No o BMS system updates or backups? No o Will be awarded contractor be given access to the BMS system upon request? No o Calibration or tuning of actuated valves? No

• Is the awarded contractor responsible for any refrigerant monitors located within the energy center? No o If yes, please provide equipment information and scope of work.

• Will the government allow the awarded contractor to ship materials and tools to the VA Energy center or shipping and receiving department? Yes

• What government Provide space for the awarded contractor to store equipment? Example 60” x 30” gang box. Yes

• Will the government provide lockout tag out in accordance with NFPA 70E. No

• Is he awarded contractor expected to provide and coordinate Eddy Current on both the condenser and evaporator? Yes o If yes, please provide frequency along with a schedule. Listed in SOW

• Does the cooling tower cleaning require a pre and post disinfection? Post

• Are these side stream filters located underneath the cooling towers included in the contract? No o If yes, please include them in the equipment list and provide a scope of work

• Can the government please provide examples of how CLIN 0002, 1002, 2002, 3002 and 4002 is expected to be used? Listed in Line Items.

o Will the government require proposals with parts and labor broken out? Yes o Will the awarded contractor receive a contract modification or separate PO upon approval? COR will approve/disapprove all proposals against CLIN 002

• Can the government please provide examples of how CLIN 0003, 1003, 2003, 3003 and 4003 is expected to be used? Listed in Line Items.

o Will the government require proposals with parts and labor broken out? Yes o Will the awarded contractor receive a contract modification or separate PO upon approval? COR will approve/disapprove all proposals against CLIN 3 o Will parts and labor be accepted under the above CLIN? Yes

• VFD’s o Is the awarded contractor responsible for maintenance of any Variable frequency drives associated with pumps or motors covered in this RFQ? Just Chiller #4 and #5 as they are part of the factory Chiller package.

If yes, please provide a scope of work and add the VFD model and serial number to the equipment list. See SOW.

• During the annual service, how many chillers can be taken offline at a time? 1

• During the annual service, how many pumps can be taken offline at a time? Load Dependent.

• During the annual service, how many coolant towers can be taken offline at a time? Load Dependent.

• The Equipment and Equipment Schedule at the end of the Bid Solicitation documents was partially illegible. At the pre-bid site visit, we were informally provided with a clean copy of these pages. Will you be issuing a clean set of documents including the Equipment and Equipment Schedule prior to bid date? Yes

• Under routine schedule services and corrective repairs contractor shall restore equipment to full service within forty-eight (48) hours of arriving at the jobsite – what if repair parts are not readily available? What is the option if parts are obsolete? What if the manufacturer no longer offers the parts, but the parts are available by a third-party source? Parts availability, obsolete parts, are considered beyond the control of the contractor. Third-party parts will be considered in this case but must be approved by the COR.

• Chiller #1 is not currently operational and is scheduled for replacement. When is this chiller scheduled to be replaced? FY26

• When would you like us to begin providing specified services for the replacement chiller #1? Currently we don’t have a hard date. See below.

• How should the initial start date for the services for Chiller #1 be reflected in the bid submission? The 2nd option year, as the new chiller will be under factory warranty.

• Will Chiller #1 require eddy current testing, indicated to be due in 12/2026, as it will be a new chiller? No.

• Do we need to replace the coolant in the existing VSD on Chiller #4? Yes.

• Do we need to replace the coolant in the existing solid-state starter on Chiller #5? Yes.

Note: Chiller #5 is VSD equipped.

• Will Chiller #1 require replacement of the coolant in the existing VSD in 2026? No

• Tower basin cleanings are to be performed before 5/1. Typically, tower basin cleanings are to be performed before the chiller annuals and the brushing of the condenser tubes.

Does this mean that we are to perform the chiller annuals and condenser tube brushings after the tower basins have been cleaned in April? 5/1 is the drop-dead date for chiller, cooling tower, condenser water pumps, and chilled water pumps annual inspections/maintenance, barring any unforeseen events.

• On page 8, section P.1. of the SOW document mentions that any parts/materials outside the scope of testing, inspecting, and preventative maintenance will be approved and supplied by the VA. Corrective Repair and/or Emergency Repair parts will be purchased by the VA or will be purchased by the contractor upon approval of the VA and drawn from the $100,000.00. Could you provide additional clarifications of this process, please?

Is this amount approved by each option year? Also, in the case the contractor exceeds this amount per year, does the CO approve additional $ amount? The Contractor will be allowed to purchase any parts if the VA approved the estimate, correct? Contracting

• Do we need to include annual belt replacements for the Evapco cooling towers? Yes

• Are any belts required for the Marley towers? No

• If the Marley cooling towers are direct drive, do we need to change the oil in the gearboxes annually or just perform an oil sample? Oil Sample

• 1. The Equipment and Equipment Schedule at the end of the Bid Solicitation documents was partially illegible. At the pre-bid site visit, we were informally provided a clean copy of these pages. Will you be issuing a clean set of documents including the Equipment and Equipment Schedule prior to bid date? Yes

2. Under routine schedule services and corrective repairs contractor shall restore equipment to full service within forty-eight (48) hours of arriving at the jobsite – what if repair parts are not readily available? What is the option if parts are obsolete?

What if the manufacturer no longer offers the parts, but the parts are available by a third party source?

• Parts availability, obsolete parts, are considered beyond the control of the contractor.

• Third party parts will be considered in this case but must be approved by the COR.

3. Chiller #1 is not currently operational and is scheduled for replacement. When is this chiller scheduled to be replaced? FY26

4. When would you like us to begin providing specified services for the replacement chiller #1? The 2nd Option year as the new chiller will be under factory warranty.

5. How should the initial start date for the services for Chiller #1 be reflected in the bid submission? See above.

6. Will Chiller #1 require eddy current testing, indicated to be due in 12/2026, as it will be a new chiller? No

7. Do we need to replace the coolant in the existing VSD on Chiller #4? Yes

8. Do we need to replace the coolant in the existing solid-state starter on Chiller #5?

Yes Note: Chiller #5 is VSD equipped.

9. Will Chiller #1 require replacement of the coolant in the existing VSD in 2026? No

10. Tower basin cleanings are to be performed before 5/1. Typically, tower basin cleanings are to be performed before the chiller annuals and the brushing of the condenser tubes. Does this mean that we are to perform the chiller annuals and condenser tube brushings after the tower basins have been cleaned in April? 5/1 is the drop- dead date for chiller, cooling tower, condenser water pumps, and chilled water pumps annual inspections/ maintenance barring any unforeseen events.

12. Do we need to include annual belt replacements for the Evapco cooling towers?

Yes

13. Are any belts required for the Marley towers? No

14. If the Marley cooling towers are direct drive, do we need to change the oil in the gearboxes annually or just perform an oil sample? Oil sample

15. Will the facility utilize Procure for document management? No

16. Please clarify whether firm qualifications, licenses, certifications, and years of experience identified in Section L [Offeror Qualifications / Technical Submission Requirements] are evaluated solely as responsibility determinations under FAR 9.104, or whether they are evaluated as technical evaluation criteria under FAR

15.304 as described in Section M [Evaluation Factors]. If any of these items are evaluated as technical criteria, please identify the specific evaluation factor and subfactor in Section M under which they are assessed. Please see SOW.

17. Please confirm that offeror experience referenced in Section L [Experience / Qualifications] will be evaluated based on relevance and similarity of scope, and that there is no minimum or maximum number of years of experience required beyond what is necessary to demonstrate the ability to perform the requirements of the SOW. Please also confirm that experience exceeding the scope or complexity of this contract will not be rated more favorably than directly relevant experience when evaluated under Section M [Technical Evaluation Criteria]. Please see SOW.

18. Please confirm that the solicitation does not require offerors or technicians to be OEM-certified, factory-authorized, or manufacturer-affiliated for any equipment identified in the SOW [Equipment Scope / Technical Requirements], provided the contractor demonstrates the capability to perform the required services in accordance with the SOW. Please see SOW.

19. Please confirm that minor variances in proposal organization or formatting that do not affect content will not render a proposal non-responsive, and that proposals will be evaluated based on substantive compliance with Section L requirements, rather than strict stylistic conformity. Please see SOW.

20. Please clarify how price and non-price factors identified in Section M [Best- Value Tradeoff] will be weighed in the source selection decision, and confirm that selection of a higher-priced proposal will be supported by documented technical advantages directly tied to the stated evaluation criteria. Please see SOW.

21. Section F.1 identifies specific manufacturer and control system certifications (e.g., Allen Bradley, Fireye). a. Please confirm whether equivalent training, experience, or demonstrated competency will be accepted for technicians working on functionally equivalent systems, consistent with FAR 11.002 requirements for full and open competition. Please see SOW.

22. Section F.1 requires a minimum of four (4) years of technician experience. a.

Please confirm whether technician experience will be evaluated based on relevance and demonstrated capability, rather than a fixed number of years, provided the contractor meets all performance requirements of the SOW. Please see SOW.

23. Section F.1 requires demonstrated experience conducting VA Safety Device Testing on at least five (5) sites for three (3) years. a. Please confirm whether equivalent experience performing boiler safety device testing in compliance with comparable federal or industry standards will be considered acceptable, provided the contractor demonstrates knowledge of VHA 1810 requirements. Please see SOW.

24. Section F.1 requires technicians to have demonstrated experience performing boiler safety device testing in compliance with the VA Safety Device Testing Manual (VHA 1810) on at least five (5) sites for three (3) years. Please see SOW.

a. Please clarify the basis for limiting acceptable experience exclusively to prior VA facilities, and confirm whether equivalent experience performing boiler safety device testing in compliance with comparable Federal, State, or nationally recognized industry standards will be considered acceptable, provided the contractor demonstrates knowledge of VHA 1810 requirements. Please see SOW.

b. Please also confirm whether this requirement is evaluated as a responsibility determination under FAR 9.104 or as a technical evaluation criterion under FAR 15.304, and identify the applicable evaluation factor if the latter. Please see SOW.

25. Section G assigns both administrative coordination and technical/manufacturer-related responsibilities to the Project Coordinator. a.

Please confirm whether these functions may be fulfilled by qualified personnel across the contractor’s management team, rather than requiring all responsibilities to reside with a single onsite individual. Please see SOW.

26. Section H establishes a mandatory requirement that the Project Coordinator possess 8–10 years of technical operations experience, despite the role being defined primarily as a coordination and management function. a. Please confirm whether the Government intends to exclude otherwise qualified offerors whose proposed Project Coordinators possess substantial, relevant experience managing boiler and chiller plant operations, but do not meet the specified numeric experience range, and if so,

b. please identify the justification supporting this limitation in accordance with FAR

11.002 and FAR 6.101. Please see SOW.