S05 - QNAs (Upgrade Existing Fire Alarm System).pdf

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS VHA Network Contracting Office 19 Rocky Mountain Acquisition Center 6162 South Willow Drive, Suite 300

Greenwood Village, CO 80111

CONTRACTOR Q&A’s

Upgrade Existing Fire Alarm System

Q&A No 1: Relevant Past Performance – Can the General Contractor include/use a subcontractor’s relevant past performance as part of their submittal ?

Answer No.1: No, past performance must be submitted for primes (i.e., the company that intends to be awarded this contract with the government).

Q&A No 2: Due to the nature of the project can General Contractor use similar experience such as fire sprinkler, electrical work, low voltage or control work to demonstrate similar scope, magnitude and complexity ?

Answer No.2: The solicitation clearly states what is required with regards to what offerors shall submit in response to this solicitation.

Reference No.2: Solicitation - Instructions, Conditions and other Statements to Bidders/Offerors, Section I.4A Selection Criteria, Past Performance Evaluation, and Factor1-Past Performance (a) Solicitation Submittal Requirements.

Q&A No 3: Can phases run concurrently or shall phase one be completed and accepted before the next phase begins?

Answer No.3: No, Phases can’t be run concurrently.

Q&A No 4: Please confirm personnel requirements for this project. Can (1) superintendent fulfill SSHO requirements? Will QC Manager be a separate individual from the superintendent/ssho?

Answer No.4: Yes, Super can fulfill the duties of the SSHO. No, super can’t fill duties of QC manager.

Q&A No 5: Is a Pre-Delivery Test Required? During the bidding process the contractor shall submit a request for information to the Owner to determine if a pre-delivery test will be required.

Answer No.5: Yes

Q&A No 6: Please confirm raceways will be required for all new fire alarm wiring ?

Answer No.6: Yes

Q&A No 7: Commissioning, will the VA provide Cx or is GC responsible to hire Cx? Also please provide Cx specification.

Answer No.7: GC responsible for commissioning which must be completed by a 3rd party, waiting for specs from A/E on commissioning, will be provided to the awardee after award.

Q&A No 8: Please provide existing RCP plan for each area to allow us to determine how much drywall patching will be required ?

Answer No.8: No RCP plan available for all areas. Biased question, each contractor would do it a different way.

Q&A No 9: In the case that existing RCP plan is not existent please provide approximate square footage of hard ceiling patching ?

Answer No.9: Biased question, each contractor would do it a different way.

Q&A No 10: Will new alarm device require a trim plate to cover existing holes for “like for like” swapped devices ?

Answer No.10: Yes

Q&A No 11: Will a copy of the sign-in sheet for the site visit be provided ?

Answer No.11: Yes, it will be posted along with the QNA’s via amendment.

Q&A No 12: Please confirm this project is NOT tax exempt.

Answer No.12: This is a project for the Department of Veterans Affairs thus it is federal tax exempt. The government is federal tax exempt; thus, the awardee will be provided the appropriate federal tax-exempt cert for the station or state after award. As far as state exemptions it is the offerors responsibility to check and abide by state laws and requirements and is the sole responsibility of the offeror.

Q&A No 13: Please confirm the proposal, in its entirety, shall be one email not to exceed 15MB.

Answer No.13: Yes, that is correct.

Reference No.13: Solicitation - Instructions, Conditions and other Statements to Bidders/Offerors, Section I.5B Proposal Requirements which reads “The proposal, in its entirety, shall be one email (one attachment for price proposal, and one attachment for past performance information) not to exceed

15MB.”

Q&A No 14: Please advise if Unit Price No. 1 through No. 6 are to be priced and included in our price proposal. They are not shown on A.3 Price/Cost Schedule from the solicitation.(i.e., Specs, section 01 00 00).

Answer No.14: No, prepare and submit your proposal in accordance with the Solicitation – Instructions, Conditions, and other Statements to Bidders/Offerors. If a detailed cost breakdown is required, it will be requested.

Q&A No 15: Please confirm the SSHO is on site full time with duties only as the SSHO ?

Answer No.15: See answer 5.

Q&A No 16: Please confirm the Superintendent is onsite full time with duties as the Superintendent and can perform the duties as the CQC System Manager?

Answer No.16: See answer 5.

Q&A No 17: Is commissioning required for this project?

Answer No.17: See answer 8.

Q&A No 18: Is builders risk required? If so, is it provided by the VA.

Answer No.18: What is required for insurance and bonding is clearly stated in the solicitation, refer to the references listed below.

Reference No. 18: SF1442 page 1, Section 12a, 12b, and 13b. Section 4.6 Supplemental Insurance Requirements, Section 4.7 Clauses Incorporated by Reference – 52.228-2 Additional Bond Security, 52.228-12 Prospective Subcontractors Requests for Bonds, 52.228-5 Performance and Payment Bonds- Construction, Section 4.13 VAAR 852.228-70 Bond Premium Adjustment.

Q&A No 19: Please confirm this work is to be performed during normal hours.

Answer No.19: Read the Statement of Work, it clearly lists working hours and when work can be performed.

Reference No. 19: SOW, Hours of Work Section.

Q&A No 20: Is there a wage determination for this project.

Answer No.20: Yes, the wage determination was clearly posted as part of the solicitation, ensure you read the entire solicitation.

Reference No.20: Section 4.22 Wage Determination

Q&A No 21: Will badge access be granted for workers on a daily basis, or duration of project.

Answer No.21: Duration of the project.

Reference No.21: SOW, Section-Badges and Parking. SOW, Section-Building Access.

Q&A No 22: Will there be an area near the building for dumpsters/conex box staging during the project.

Answer No.22: We have a dumpster area, no additional space for laydown/staging area.

Q&A No 23: Has an area of the existing parking lots been designated for worker parking and material staging areas ?

Answer No.23: The SOW clearly states, “The designated parking area will be specified by COR and VA Police upon award of contract.”

Reference No.23: SOW-Section Badges and Parking.

Q&A No 24: Do ceiling tiles removed for access need to be replaced each night, or can they be left out till the work is completed in the specific room ?

Answer No.24: Replaced before leaving every day.

Q&A No 25: Will a 3rd party inspector be required to inspect fire stopping installation.

Answer No.25: No

Q&A No 26: Can sections/phases of the fire alarm additions be commissioned individually, or will the entire system be commissioned after completion. (or both)

Answer No.26: Both

Q&A No 27: Will ICRA tents be required? If so where?

Answer No.27: Yes, anywhere doing work with more than one ceiling tile out within 50 sq ft.

Q&A No 28: Will the design documents be required to show more than just the new devices?

Answer No. 28: The design has already been completed by the A/E, and these drawings were provided with the solicitation.

Q&A No 29: Will the existing system fire alarm programing files be provided to the successful contractor?

Answer No. 29: Yes, what we have.

Q&A No 30: Will CAD files and existing program be provided to the awarded installation company?

Answer No. 30: Yes, all that we have.