36C77624B0006.docx

36C77624B0006 Togus Substance Abuse Residential Rehab Building IFB 36C77624B0006

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)

11. 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.

X

11-16-2023

402-318 36C776 Department of Veterans Affairs Program Contracting Activity Central

6100 Oak Tree Blvd, Suite 490 Independence OH 44131 Department of Veterans Affairs Program Contract Activity Central 6100 Oak Tree Blvd, Suite 490

Independence OH 44131 William Henkel 216-447-8300 In accordance with FAR 19.502-2, this project is a competitive a Small Business (SB) Set-Aside.

The Contractor will be required to provide all labor, project management , materials, tools, supplies, and equipment as required by the drawings and specification to complete the necessary work for the Substance Use Residental Rehab Building project.

The location of this project is:

Togus VA Medical Center 1 VA Center Augusta, ME 04330

This project must be completed in accordance with specifications, drawings and supporting attachments included in the solicitation package.

NAICS CODE: 236220 Commercial and institutional Building Construction ($45 M)

The VAAR construction Magnitude for this project is between $10,000,000 and $20,000,000.

10 (TEN)

x x

52.211-10

ZERO (0)

2:00 PM

EST

12-19-2023

90 (NINETY)

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

36C776 Department of Veterans Affairs Program Contracting Activity Central

6100 Oak Tree Blvd, Suite 490 Independence OH 44131

VAFSC

Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center Invoices to be Submitted Electronically https://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.asp e-Invoice Setup Info Phone 877-489-6135 877-353-9791 512-460-5429

William Henkel

Table of Contents

A.3 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

ITEM INFORMATION

ITEM I, GENERAL CONSTRUCTION, BASE BID: Work includes general construction, alterations, roads, walks, grading, drainage, necessary removal of existing structures and construction and certain other items for the scope of work. Includes all work associated with this project Contract Period: Base POP Begin:

POP End:

DEDUCT ALTERNATE NO.1: BASE BID except eliminate connecting Corridor “A-131”, and provide an exterior concrete sidewalk pathway with concrete steps at each end instead.

DEDUCT ALTERNATE NO.2: BASE except apply DEDUCT ALTERNATE 1 and remove scope of work associated with the build-out of ~1,050 SF area. This area to be un-finished storage space only. Remove finishes, fixtures, utilities, etc.

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INFORMATION REGARDING BIDDING MATERIAL, BID GUARANTEE AND BONDS

Page 1 of

Page 1 of

Page 1 of

INFORMATION REGARDING BIDDING MATERIAL, BID GUARANTEE AND BONDS

1.1 BID MATERIAL:

Bid materials consisting of drawings, specifications, and contract forms are included and/or attached as part of this Invitation for Bid (IFB). The VA will not provide printed copies of drawings or specifications. It is the responsibility of the offeror to obtain the bid materials in a time and manner sufficient to respond to this solicitation by the specified due date.

1.2 BID GUARANTEE:

A Bid Guarantee, Standard Form 24 (SF 24), is required in an amount not less than 20 percent of the bid price but shall not exceed $3,000,000. Failure to furnish the required bid guarantee in the proper form and amount, by the time set for receipt of bids, may result in the rejection of the bid. Copies of the SF 24 may be obtained from http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/TOP.

1.3 PAYMENT & PERFORMANCE BONDS:

The offeror to whom award is made will be required to furnish two bonds. A Payment Bond shall be provided on Standard Form 25A (SF 25A) and a Performance Bond shall be provided on Standard Form 25 (SF 25). Both bonds shall be submitted in accordance with FAR 52.228-15 Performance and Payment Bonds – Construction. Copies of SFs 25A and 25 may be obtained from http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/TOP.

1.4 TAXES:

Contractor must take into account FAR 52.229-3; “Federal, State and Local Taxes” and its Special Note in their pricing. The FAR clause and its Special Note provide guidance on taxes being applied to pricing.

Special Notes regarding FAR 52.229-3: Federal, State and Local Taxes:

Offerors are hereby notified that all state and local sales or use taxes for construction materials must be included in their bid or proposal price. It is solely the responsibility of the offeror to include all other applicable taxes in their bid or proposal price as well. The Government has determined that for this acquisition it cannot take advantage of any sales or use tax exemptions that may be available to it under applicable state law. Under no circumstances will any Contractor be designated as an agent of the Government for purposes of any tax exemption, nor will the Government authorize any Contractor’s use of any tax exemption directly applicable to the Government under this procurement.

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS TO BIDDERS/OFFERORS

2.1 AVAILABILITY OF SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS:

All solicitation related documents will be published to Contract Opportunities https://Sam.gov.

2.2 INVITATION FOR BID:

This solicitation is being issued as an Invitation for Bid (IFB) in accordance with FAR Part 14.

2.3 SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE:

This procurement is a 100% set-aside for Small Business (SB) concerns. Offers received from other than Small Business concerns will not be considered. Offerors must be certified as small business concerns by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

2.4 TECHNICAL QUESTIONS:

Questions of a technical nature must be provided in writing and shall be submitted by the prospective offerors to both Contracting Officer William Henkel and Contract Specialist Johanna McGraw. Questions shall be submitted only via e-mail to: William.henkel@va.gov and johnna.mcgraw@va.gov . The subject line must read: Togus - Substance Use Residential Rehab Building - Technical Questions. Oral questions of a technical nature are not acceptable due to the possibility of misunderstanding or misinterpretation. THE CUT-OFF DATE AND TIME FOR RECEIPT OF QUESTIONS IS November 28, 2023 at 2:00 PM (ET).

2.5 AMENDMENTS:

Amendments to this solicitation will be posted at https://Sam.gov. Paper copies of the amendments will NOT be individually mailed. No other notification of amendments will be provided. Potential offerors are advised that they are responsible for obtaining and acknowledging any amendments to the solicitation. Failure to acknowledge an amendment may result in your bid being considered non-responsive.

2.6 PRE-BID SITE VISIT:

A formal site visit has been scheduled for this project. This will be the only opportunity for potential bidders to visit the site. See FAR Clause 52.236-27 of this solicitation for further information.

All potential bidders, subcontractors and suppliers are strongly encouraged to attend this site visit.

2.7 PREPARATION OF BIDS:

The Government will not pay for any costs incurred in preparation and submission of bids.

2.8 BID SUBMISSION:

A. GENERAL:

(a) Offerors shall submit their bids via email to: William.henkel@va.gov and johnna.mcgraw@va.gov

(b) Only electronic bids will be accepted. No original or hard copies will be accepted.

(c) The bid opening will be conducted via teleconference. An in-person bid opening will not be facilitated.

(d) The bid bond shall be submitted as part of the electronic submission. In accordance with Class Deviation from the Federal Acquisition Regulation to Eliminate Hard Copy Original Documents, Signatures, Notarization, Seals on Bonds, and Other Seals for Certain Contract Requirements issued by the VA Executive Director, Office of Acquisition and Logistics and the Senior Procurement Executive on May 11, 2020, the requirement for an original bond, with the original signatures, notarization and seals has been eliminated.

(e) Failure to provide electronic bids and the electronic copy of the bid bond on the date and time set for bid opening, may deem the bid non-responsive.

B. BID PACKAGE CONTENTS:

(a) Standard Form (SF) 1442 Solicitation, Offer and Award:

The Offeror shall complete & sign the “OFFER” section of the SF 1442. Please include your company’s Unique Entity Identifier number associate with SAM.gov in Block 14.

(b) Acknowledgement of All Amendments:

The offeror shall acknowledge all amendments by either 1.) Completing block 19 of the SF 1442, or 2.) Returning the signed amendment form(s) with the submission.

(c) Pricing Schedule:

The Offeror shall complete the Price Schedule located in the solicitation. The Offeror shall submit separate pricing for all items listed.

(d) Bid Guarantee:

The Offeror shall furnish a bid guarantee (see FAR 52.228-1). The bid guarantee shall be provided on Standard Form 24.

(e) Tax on Certain Foreign Procurements – Notice and Representation:

The offeror shall provide their response to FAR 52.229-11 (d).

(f) Representations & Certifications:

The offeror shall provide their Representations and Certifications or their response to FAR 52.204-8 (2) (i) or (ii) Annual Representations and Certifications.

(g) Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment:

Offeror shall provide their response to FAR 52.204-24 (d) Representations.

(h) Information Regarding Responsibility Matters:

Offeror shall provide their response to FAR 52.209-7 (b) Information Regarding Responsibility Matters.

(i) Violation of Arms Controls Treaties or Agreements:

Offeror shall provide their response to FAR 52.209-13 (b) (1) or (2) Violation of Arms Controls Treaties or Agreements.

(j) Post Award Small Business Program Representations:

Offeror shall provide their response to FAR 52.219-28 (h), if applicable.

(k) Notice to SDVOSB Joint Venture/Mentor Protegee:

Any offeror submitting a bid as a joint venture must provide a certification from each SDVOSB joint partner, signed by an authorized official of each partner to the joint venture, stating that the parties to the joint venture (1) have entered into a joint venture agreement that fully complies with paragraph (c) of 13 CFR § 128.402 and (2) will perform the contract in compliance with the joint venture agreement. Failure to submit the certification with the offeror’s bid, may deem the bid non-responsive.

C. BID OPENING:

(a) Bids will be publicly read aloud via Microsoft Teams on the bid opening date at the specified time. A Microsoft Teams link and call-in number will be announced via an amendment to the solicitation approximately seven (7) calendar days prior to the due date for bids.

(b) In the event that there are any concerns with the bids, in accordance with FAR 14.402-1 (c), Microsoft Teams will be used to assist in the examination of the bid(s).

2.9 DETERMINATION OF NON-RESPONSIVE:

Bids received pertaining to this solicitation will be reviewed for responsiveness. Failure to provide documentation as outlined in the Bid Submission section of the solicitation, at the date and time set for bid opening, may deem the bid non-responsive.

2.10 CONTRACT AWARD:

Award may only be made with the responsible bidder whose bid, conforming to the solicitation, will be most advantageous to the government, considering only price (see FAR 52.214-19). Award will be made based on the Deduct line items in the order expressed that provide the most features within the funds determined to be available. The low price will be evaluated by the Contracting Officer prior to award to confirm that it is “a fair and reasonable price that is most advantageous to the Government.”

2.11 DETERMINATION OF RESPONSIBILITY:

A Determination of Responsibility will be conducted for the apparent “low bidder/awardee” prior to award of the project. The above information, along with other information obtained from Government systems, such as, but not limited to the OSHA and EPA online inspection history databases, as well as any other information the Contracting Officer has determined to be valid, will be used to make the Determination of Responsibility. NOTE: Any information received by the Government that would cause for a negative Determination of Responsibility may make the Offeror ineligible for award.

2.12 VETS 4212:

Title 38, USC Section 4212(d), codified at 41 CFR Section 61-300, requires that federal contractors report, at least annually, the number and category of veterans who are within their workforce. Submission of the VETS-4212 reporting information can be done electronically at: http://www.dol.gov/vets/vets4212.htm. Award cannot be made unless the awardee has filed their VETS-4212 report. Therefore, all offerors are encouraged to file every year. The Contracting Officer may request a copy of the email confirmation of receipt notification, prior to awarding the project.

2.13 SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM):

Federal Acquisition Regulations require that federal contractors register in the System for Award Management (SAM) database at http://www.sam.gov and enter all mandatory information into the system. Offerors are required to be registered in SAM at the time an offer is submitted in order to comply with the annual representations and certifications requirements (see FAR 52.204-7).

2.14 REVIEW REQUIRED REGISTRATION WITH CONTRACTOR

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM (CPARS):

As prescribed in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 42.1502(e), 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, which is maintained by the Naval Seal Logistics Center in Portsmouth, Virginia. CPARS is available to all Federal agencies and is the system used to collect and retrieve performance assessment reports used in source selection determinations. CPARS also includes access to the federal awardee performance and integrity information system (FAPIIS). FAPIIS is a web-enabled application accessed via CPARS for contractor responsibility determination information.

Each contractor whose contract award is estimated to exceed $750,000 is required to register with CPARS database at the following web address: http://www.cpars.gov/. Help in registering can be obtained by contacting Customer Support Desk @ DSN: 684-1690 or COMM: 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.

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.

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.

2.15 BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS AND SPECIAL AGREEMENT CHECKS:

All contractor employees are subject to the same level of investigation as VA employees who have access to VA Sensitive Information. The level of background investigation is commensurate with the level of access needed to perform all work as identified in the solicitation documents. This requirement is applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same access. As per VA Directive 0710, costs of background investigations will be borne by the contractor. Please be advised that the awardee will need to coordinate with the VA Medical Center concerning badging requirements. If the site requires an investigation, the contractor shall follow VA Directive 0710.

2.16 REFERENCES TO VA ENGINEER, RESIDENT ENGINEER OR PROJECT MANAGER:

Any reference contained within the solicitation/contract specifications and/or drawings to the “VA Engineer,” “Resident Engineer,” or “Project Manager” or their abbreviations shall be replaced with “Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).”

2.17 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)

2.18 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

(End of Provision)

2.19 52.225-12 NOTICE OF BUY AMERICAN REQUIREMENT—CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS UNDER TRADE AGREEMENTS (MAY 2014)

(a) Definitions. "Commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) item," "construction material," "designated country construction material," "domestic construction material," and "foreign construction material," as used in this provision, are defined in the clause of this solicitation entitled "Buy American—Construction Materials Under Trade Agreements" (Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause 52.225-11).

(b) Requests for determination of inapplicability. An offeror requesting a determination regarding the inapplicability of the Buy American statute should submit the request to the Contracting Officer in time to allow a determination before submission of offers. The offeror shall include the information and applicable supporting data required by paragraphs (c) and (d) of FAR clause 52.225-11 in the request. If an offeror has not requested a determination regarding the inapplicability of the Buy American statute before submitting its offer, or has not received a response to a previous request, the offeror shall include the information and supporting data in the offer.

(c) Evaluation of offers.

(1) The Government will evaluate an offer requesting exception to the requirements of the Buy American statute, based on claimed unreasonable cost of domestic construction materials, by adding to the offered price the appropriate percentage of the cost of such foreign construction material, as specified in paragraph (b)(4)(i) of FAR clause 52.225-11.

(2) If evaluation results in a tie between an offeror that requested the substitution of foreign construction material based on unreasonable cost and an offeror that did not request an exception, the Contracting Officer will award to the offeror that did not request an exception based on unreasonable cost.

(d) Alternate offers.

(1) When an offer includes foreign construction material, other than designated country construction material, that is not listed by the Government in this solicitation in paragraph (b)(3) of FAR clause 52.225-11, the offeror also may submit an alternate offer based on use of equivalent domestic or designated country construction material.

(2) If an alternate offer is submitted, the offeror shall submit a separate Standard Form 1442 for the alternate offer, and a separate price comparison table prepared in accordance with paragraphs (c) and (d) of FAR clause 52.225-11 for the offer that is based on the use of any foreign construction material for which the Government has not yet determined an exception applies.

(3) If the Government determines that a particular exception requested in accordance with paragraph (c) of FAR clause 52.225-11 does not apply, the Government will evaluate only those offers based on use of the equivalent domestic or designated country construction material, and the offeror shall be required to furnish such domestic or designated country construction material. An offer based on use of the foreign construction material for which an exception was requested—

(i) Will be rejected as nonresponsive if this acquisition is conducted by sealed bidding; or

(ii) May be accepted if revised during negotiations.

(End of Provision)

2.20 52.228-1 BID GUARANTEE (SEP 1996)

(a) Failure to furnish a bid guarantee in the proper form and amount, by the time set for opening of bids, may be cause for rejection of the bid.

(b) The bidder shall furnish a bid guarantee in the form of a firm commitment, e.g., bid bond supported by good and sufficient surety or sureties acceptable to the Government, postal money order, certified check, cashier's check, irrevocable letter of credit, or, under Treasury Department regulations, certain bonds or notes of the United States. The Contracting Officer will return bid guarantees, other than bid bonds—

(1) To unsuccessful bidders as soon as practicable after the opening of bids; and

(2) To the successful bidder upon execution of contractual documents and bonds (including any necessary coinsurance or reinsurance agreements), as required by the bid as accepted.

(c) The amount of the bid guarantee shall be percent of the bid price or , whichever is less.

(d) If the successful bidder, upon acceptance of its bid by the Government within the period specified for acceptance, fails to execute all contractual documents or furnish executed bond(s) within 10 days after receipt of the forms by the bidder, the Contracting Officer may terminate the contract for default.

(e) In the event the contract is terminated for default, the bidder is liable for any cost of acquiring the work that exceeds the amount of its bid, and the bid guarantee is available to offset the difference.

(End of Provision)

2.21 52.228-11 INDIVIDUAL SURETY—PLEDGE OF ASSETS (FEB 2021)(DEVIATION APR 2020)

(a) The Contractor shall obtain from each person acting as an individual surety on a performance bond or a payment bond—

(1) A pledge of assets that meets the eligibility, valuation, and security requirements described in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 28.203–1; and

(2) Standard Form 28, Affidavit of Individual Surety, except that the words “being duly sworn, depose and say” on the Standard Form 28 are replaced with the word “affirm” and the Standard Form 28 is not required to be sworn and notarized in block 12.

(b) The Contracting Officer may release a portion of the security interest on the individual surety’s assets based upon substantial performance of the Contractor’s obligations under its performance bond. The security interest in support of a performance bond shall be maintained—

(1) Contracts for the construction, alteration, or repair of any public building or public work of the Federal Government exceeding $150,000 (40 U.S.C. 3131). Until completion of any warranty period, or for 1 year following final payment, whichever is later.

(2) Contracts subject to alternative payment protection (see FAR 28.102–1(b)(1)). For the full contract performance period plus 1 year.

(3) Other contracts not subject to the requirements of paragraph (b)(1) of this clause. Until completion of any warranty period, or for 90 days following final payment, whichever is later.

(c) A surety’s assets pledged in support of a payment bond may be released to a subcontractor or supplier upon Government receipt of a Federal district court judgment, or a sworn statement by the subcontractor or supplier that the claim is correct along with a notarized authorization of the release by the surety stating that it approves of such release. The security interest on the individual surety’s assets in support of a payment bond shall be maintained—

(1) Contracts for the construction, alteration, or repair of any public building or public work of the Federal Government exceeding $150,000 which require performance and payment bonds (40 U.S.C. 3131). For 1 year following final payment, or until resolution of all pending claims filed against the payment bond during the 1-year period following final payment, whichever is later.

(2) Contracts subject to alternative payment protection (see FAR 28.102–1(b)(1)). For the full contract performance period plus 1 year.

(3) Other contracts not subject to the requirements of paragraph (c)(1) of this clause. For 90 days following final payment.

(d) The Contracting Officer may allow the Contractor to substitute an individual surety, for a performance or payment bond, after contract award. The Contractor shall comply with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this clause within the timeframe established by the Contracting Officer.

(End of Clause)

2.22 52.228-15 PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT BONDS—CONSTRUCTION (JUN 2020)(DEVIATION APR 2020)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause— "Original contract price" means the award price of the contract; or, for requirements contracts, the price payable for the estimated total quantity; or, for indefinite-quantity contracts, the price payable for the specified minimum quantity. Original contract price does not include the price of any options, except those options exercised at the time of contract award.

(b) Amount of required bonds. Unless the resulting contract price is valued at or below the threshold specified in Federal Acquisition Regulation 28.102–1(a) on the date of award of this contract, the successful offeror shall furnish performance and payment bonds to the Contracting Officer as follows:

(1) Performance bonds (Standard Form 25, except that a seal is not required). The penal amount of performance bonds at the time of contract award shall be 100 percent of the original contract price.

(2) Payment Bonds (Standard Form 25-A, except that a seal is not required). The penal amount of payment bonds at the time of contract award shall be 100 percent of the original contract price.

(3) Additional bond protection.

(i) The Government may require additional performance and payment bond protection if the contract price is increased. The increase in protection generally will equal 100 percent of the increase in contract price.

(ii) The Government may secure the additional protection by directing the Contractor to increase the penal amount of the existing bond or to obtain an additional bond.

(c) Furnishing executed bonds. The Contractor shall furnish all executed bonds, including any necessary reinsurance agreements, to the Contracting Officer, within the time period specified in the Bid Guarantee provision of the solicitation, or otherwise specified by the Contracting Officer, but in any event, before starting work.

(d) Surety or other security for bonds. The bonds shall be in the form of firm commitment, supported by corporate sureties whose names appear on the list contained in Treasury Department Circular 570, individual sureties, or by other acceptable security such as postal money order, certified check, cashier's check, irrevocable letter of credit, or, in accordance with Treasury Department regulations, certain bonds or notes of the United States. Treasury Circular 570 is published in the Federal Register or may be obtained from the:

(e) Notice of subcontractor waiver of protection (40 U.S.C. 3133(c)). Any waiver of the right to sue on the payment bond is void unless it is in writing, signed by the person whose right is waived, and executed after such person has first furnished labor or material for use in the performance of the contract.

(End of Clause)

2.23 52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006)

Protests, as defined in section 33.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, that are filed directly with an agency, and copies of any protests that are filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), shall be served on the Contracting Officer (addressed as follows) by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt from:

William Henkel

Hand-Carried Address:

William Henkel 6100 Oak Tree Blvd Suite 490 Independence OH 44131

Mailing Address:

William Henkel 6100 Oak Tree Blvd Suite 490 Independence OH 44131

(b) The copy of any protest shall be received in the office designated above within one day of filing a protest with the GAO.

(End of Provision)

2.24 52.236-27 SITE VISIT (CONSTRUCTION) (FEB 1995) ALTERNATE I (FEB 1995)

(a) The clauses at 52.236-2, Differing Site Conditions, and 52.236-3, Site Investigations and Conditions Affecting the Work, will be included in any contract awarded as a result of this solicitation. Accordingly, offerors or quoters are urged and expected to inspect the site where the work will be performed.

(b) An organized site visit has been scheduled for— 10:00 AM Eastern November 17, 2023

(c) Participants will meet at— VAMC Togus Building 202, Room 204 1 VA center Augusta ME (End of Provision)

2.25 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaar/

(End of Provision)

2.26 VAAR 852.204-71 INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY (FEB 2023)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause—Business Associate means an entity, including an individual (other than a member of the workforce of a covered entity), company, organization or another covered entity, as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, that performs or assists in the performance of a function or activity on behalf of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) that involves the creating, receiving, maintaining, transmitting of, or having access to, protected health information (PHI). The term also includes a subcontractor of a business associate that creates, receives, maintains, or transmits PHI on behalf of the business associate.

Business Associate Agreement (BAA) means the agreement, as dictated by the Privacy Rule, between VHA and a business associate, which must be entered into in addition to the underlying contract for services and before any release of PHI can be made to the business associate, in order for the business associate to perform certain functions or activities on behalf of VHA.

Information system means a discrete set of information resources organized for the collection, processing, maintenance, use, sharing, dissemination, or disposition of information whether automated or manual.

Information technology (see FAR 2.101) also means Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Information technology-related contracts means those contracts which include services (including support services), and related resources for information technology as defined in 802.101.

Privacy officer means the VA official with responsibility for implementing and oversight of privacy related policies and practices that impact a given VA acquisition.

Sensitive personal information means, with respect to an individual, any information about the individual maintained by VA, including but not limited to the following:

(1) Education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history.

(2) Information that can be used to distinguish or trace the individual’s identity, including but not limited to name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records.

Security plan means a formal document that provides an overview of the security requirements for an information system or an information security program and describes the security controls in place or planned for meeting those requirements.

VA Information Security Rules of Behavior for Organizational Users (VA National Rules of Behavior) means a set of VA rules that describes the responsibilities and expected behavior of users of VA information or information systems.

VA sensitive information means all VA data, on any storage media or in any form or format, which requires protection due to the risk of harm that could result from inadvertent or deliberate disclosure, alteration, or destruction of the information and includes sensitive personal information. The term includes information where improper use or disclosure could adversely affect the ability of VA to accomplish its mission, proprietary information, records about individuals requiring protection under various confidentiality provisions such as the Privacy Act and the HIPAA Privacy Rule, and information that can be withheld under the Freedom of Information Act. Examples of VA sensitive information include the following:

individually-identifiable medical, benefits, and personnel information; financial, budgetary, research, quality assurance, confidential commercial, critical infrastructure, investigatory, and law enforcement information; information that is confidential and privileged in litigation such as information protected by the deliberative process privilege, attorney work-product privilege, and the attorney-client privilege; and other information which, if released, could result in violation of law or harm or unfairness to any individual or group, or could adversely affect the national interest or the conduct of Federal programs.

(b) General. Contractors, subcontractors, their employees, third-parties, and business associates with access to VA information, information systems, or information technology (IT) or providing and accessing IT-related goods and services, shall adhere to VA Directive 6500, VA Cybersecurity Program, and the directives and handbooks in the VA 6500 series related to VA information (including VA sensitive information and sensitive personal information and information systems security and privacy), as well as those set forth in the contract specifications, statement of work, or performance work statement. These include, but are not limited to, VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security; and VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Security and Suitability Program, which establishes VA’s procedures, responsibilities, and processes for complying with current Federal law, Executive Orders, policies, regulations, standards and guidance for protecting VA information, information systems (see 802.101, Definitions) security and privacy, and adhering to personnel security requirements when accessing VA information or information systems.

(c) Access to VA information and VA information systems.

(1) Contractors are limited in their request for logical or physical access to VA information or VA information systems for their employees, subcontractors, third parties and business associates to the extent necessary to perform the services or provide the goods as specified in the contracts, agreements, task, delivery or purchase orders.

(2) All Contractors, subcontractors, third parties, and business associates working with VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations for contractors to access VA information and VA information systems shall be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Security and Suitability Program.

(3) Contractors, subcontractors, third parties, and business associates who require access to national security programs must have a valid security clearance.

(4) HIPAA Business Associate Agreement requirement. Contractors shall enter into a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with VHA, VA’s Covered Entity, when contract requirements and access to protected health information is required and when requested by the Contracting Officer, or the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) (see VAAR 824.103–70). Under the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, a Covered Entity (VHA) must have a satisfactory assurance that its PHI will be safeguarded from misuse. To do so, a Covered Entity enters into a BAA with a contractor (now the business associate), which obligates the business associate to only use the Covered Entity’s PHI for the purposes for which it was engaged, provide the same protections and safeguards as is required from the Covered Entity, and agree to the same disclosure restrictions to PHI that is required of the Covered Entity in situations where a contractor—

(i) Creates, receives, maintains, or transmits VHA PHI or that will store, generate, access, exchange,…