GSU BR-50-2201-CxA RFQ-RFP

Georgia State University, Project No. BR-50-2201, 25-27 Auburn Ave. Renovation, DP RFQ/RFP

Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia

Request for Qualifications

To Provide

Building Commissioning Services for

Project No. BR-50-2201 “25-27 Auburn Avenue Renovation for Student Success Center”

Georgia State University

Atlanta, Georgia

Solicitation Issue Date: July 22, 2022 Qualifications Packages Due: August 12, 2022

Georgia State University, Project No. BR-50-2201, 25-27 Auburn Ave. Renovation, CxA RFQ

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

1. GENERAL PROJECT INFORMATION

2. SCOPE OF BASIC SERVICES

3. QUALIFICATIONS REVIEW PROCESS

4. SELECTION PROCESS

5. INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS

6. SUBMITTAL OF QUESTIONS AND REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATIONS

7. SUBMITTAL OF STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS

8. ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

EXHIBITS

a. Exhibit A - Certification Form

b. Exhibit B - Certificate of Insurance and Minority Status

c. Exhibit C – Not Used

d. Exhibit D – Not Used

e. Exhibit E - Contractor Affidavit

f. Exhibit F – Proposer’s Disclosure Statement

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Building Commissioning (CxA) Services Project No. BR-50-2201

“25-27 Auburn Avenue Renovation for Student Success Center” Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (“BOR”) As (“Owner”), on behalf of Georgia State University (“GSU”), is soliciting statements of qualifications from firms interested in providing professional services for Commissioning of a project known as Project No. BR-50-2201, “25-27 Auburn Avenue Renovation for Student Success Center” at Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeks to identify potential providers of the above-mentioned services. Some firms that respond to this RFQ, who are determined by the Owner to be especially qualified, may be deemed eligible and may be invited to interview and offer proposals for these services. All respondents to this RFQ are subject to instructions communicated in this document, and are cautioned to completely review the entire RFQ and follow instructions carefully. BOR reserves the right to reject any or all statements of qualifications or proposals, and to waive technicalities and informalities at their discretion.

1. GENERAL PROJECT INFORMATION

Project Background Georgia State University is one of the 26 higher education institutions that make up the University System of Georgia. With a current student enrollment of approximately 52,000 (head count), it is the largest institution of higher education in the state of Georgia and among the top ten in enrollment nationally. Students come from every county in Georgia, every state in the nation and from over 160 countries. The main campus is located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, consisting of approximately 71 acres and 67 buildings including parking decks. There are five more campuses located in the perimeter of the Atlanta campus. These five campuses are located in Dunwoody, Decatur, Clarkston, Newton and Alpharetta. When completed, the Student Success Center at 25-27 Auburn Avenue will have direct impacts on the RPG of Georgia State students by improving the way in which the University delivers critical student support services. This facility will become the central location that will house nearly all of the student-facing services within Student Success. Students will be able attend to their academic, financial, and career preparation needs in one place.

Project Description This project would renovate the 25-27 Auburn Avenue building to house GSU’s new National Institute for Student Success and relocate nearly all of the student-facing Student Success services from various locations across the Atlanta campus. The 74,000 square foot building, which is currently vacant, was built in two phases in 1907 and 1922. The project scope includes complete interior demolition and renovation with new finishes, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, roof and conveying systems. When completed, the building will provide students with a “one-stop-shop” experience where they will be able to attend to their academic, financial and career preparation needs. The renovated space will include student space, mock interview rooms, meeting rooms, classrooms and staff offices.

Sustainable Approach The project will incorporate the requirements of the Energy Efficiency & Sustainable Construction Act of 2008 (O.C.G.A. 50-8-18) and it is the desire of the Owner to incorporate sustainable design and construction concepts in the project where feasible to do so. Further, Georgia Peach certification is required with commissioning.

Project Delivery Method The delivery method for this Project will be Construction Management at Risk (CM/GC) and, as a minimum, will employ the services of a Design Professional and Construction Manager in addition to the services of a Commissioning Agent.

Project Budget The preliminary stated cost limitation (SCL) or construction cost of the Project is estimated at $22,200,000. The final SCL may be revised by the Owner due to final programmatic requirements, funding availability or other circumstances.

Design Professional The Design Professional firm will provide design and construction documents for the project.

Construction documents anticipated for completion in April 2023. The start of construction is anticipated to begin in July 2023.

2. SCOPE OF BASIC SERVICES

2.1 General

The Owner is committed to commissioning this facility to ensure that all systems are complete and functioning properly before Owner acceptance, and that facility O&M staff has adequate system documentation and training.

The Commissioning Provider (CxA) shall oversee and coordinate equipment startup, system performance testing, adjusting, and balancing, control system calibration, construction and system documentation, and O&M staff training. Specific requirements of the commissioning process and the responsibilities, duties, and obligations of the CxA are described in Section 2.2 of this Attachment, “Commissioning Tasks.” To accomplish these tasks, the CxA will be required to coordinate its activities with other construction services providers. In addition to the CxA, the Commissioning Team will include representatives of other construction services providers.

The project team shall establish a rolling punchlist log for each phase/ monthly inspection as a part of the project construction administration service provided by the design team. The CxA shall assist the design team for the accuracy of contractor’s claimed completed work as indicated in each monthly pay request.

The construction team should develop a rolling punchlist of items during each monthly inspection and the contractors must address those punchlist items before the next billing cycle.

The commissioning process does not take away from or reduce the responsibility of the project Designers or installing contractor to provide a finished and fully functioning product. It is noted that the services of the Project Manager, Design Team, the Constructor, and various subcontractors, are NOT provided under this Scope of Services and the CxA is NOT responsible for providing their services.

The primary role of the CxA shall be to develop and coordinate the execution of a Commissioning Plan, through the Commissioning Team, that will verify the correspondence among the Owner’s Project

Requirements (OPR) Document, the Basis of Design (BOD) and other design documents, the construction documents, and the finished facility. In order to accomplish this objective, the CxA will, without limitation, observe and document the installation, checkout, startup, and equipment and system testing to establish that equipment and systems are functioning in accordance with the requirements of the contract documents. The CxA will also assist the Owner in developing correct and complete documentation of the construction effort.

The CxA will not be responsible for design concept, design criteria, compliance with codes, design, or general construction scheduling, cost estimating, construction management, or construction supervision.

The CxA may assist the Design Team with design issues, problem solving, or the correction of construction non-conformance or deficiencies. Ultimate responsibility for meeting the project objectives and requirements resides with the Design Professional team and Constructor.

This project seeks the Georgia Peach Green Building Certification.

2.2 Commissioning Tasks

The Commissioning Provider will accomplish the following tasks to provide commissioning during the pre-design, design, construction, acceptance, and warranty phases of the project.

2.2.1 Systems to be Commissioned

Specific systems that shall be commissioned include the following:

2.2.1.1 Building Envelope

Insulation, glazing, vapor barriers, all elements of the building exterior wall, roof, and building pressure testing.

2.2.1.2 HVAC Systems

Air handling units, fan coil units, terminal units, induction units, unit heaters, exhaust systems, energy recovery systems, chilled water systems, heating water systems, steam systems, humidifiers, fire and smoke dampers, heat exchangers, and computer room air conditioning systems.

2.2.1.3 Life Safety Systems

Fire-resistive ratings, smoke barriers, smoke rating partitions, stair pressurization systems, fire alarm system, and fire command center.

2.2.1.4 Laboratory and Prep Room Systems

Fume hoods, exhaust air valves, compressed air, deionized/purified water, vacuum system and natural gas.

2.2.1.5 Building Automation Systems

Workstation, or BAS server, system graphics and dashboards, BAS networks, controllers, sensors, and meters.

2.2.1.6 Plumbing Systems

Domestic cold water system meter, backflow preventers, booster pumps, and water softeners, domestic hot water systems, water heaters, re-circulation systems, sump pumps.

2.2.1.7 Electrical Systems

Meter, primary transformers, main switchgear, panel boards, isolated power systems, power conditioners, lighting controls, step-down transformers, automatic transfer switches, lighting protection systems, and grounding systems.

2.2.1.8 Fire Alarm

Sensing devices, pull stations, elevator recall system, sprinkler system devices, visual and audial alarm devices, control panels, firefighter phones, and fire command center.

2.2.1.9 Technology

Security systems, access control systems, and video surveillance systems.

2.2.1.10 Fire Protection Systems

Fire pump and jockey pump, backflow preventers, tamper switches, flow switches, isolation valves, post indicator valves, fire department connections, standpipes, and sprinkler heads.

2.2.1.11 Interior and exterior lighting

Occupancy sensors, controls, illumination levels, and photo sensors.

2.2.2 Design Conferences

The CxA shall organize and attend a design conference during the design development phase, and at the beginning of the construction document phase. The owner’s representative, architect, and engineers shall attend the conference. The conference establishes the commissioning process for the project and the specific roles and responsibilities of each individual and firm involved.

The meeting should establish project goals, scope, team members, and delivery processes and track progress of developing the commissioning plan.

2.2.3 Set Project Energy Efficiency Goals

The CxA shall work with design team, contractor, and owner’s representative to establish an aggressive yet attainable and fiscally responsible energy efficiency goal. This goal should be set using the Georgia Sustainable Construction act and coincide with the project’s Georgia Peach Green Building Certification goals.

2.2.4 Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR)

After being established by the project team, the CxA should document the Owner’s expectations and requirements for the commissioned equipment and systems in writing as Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR).

2.2.5 The Basis of Design (BOD) for systems to be commissioned After the OPR is complete, the means and methods to be used to incorporate the OPR for the systems to be commissioned into the facility design should be documented in writing. This document is referred as the Basis of Design (BOD).The design team should develop the BOD.

2.2.6 Review the OPR and BOD

The CxA shall review the OPR and BOD and verify that they are comprehensive, specific to the project, and clearly understandable. The CxA will also verify that the OPR identifies all appropriate goals and objectives and that the designs, equipment, and systems identified in the BOD are responsive to the goals and objectives established by the OPR.

2.2.7 Review Schematic Design Documents

The CxA should review the documents produced by the design team with a focus on commission-ability, completeness, cost-effectiveness, coordination of trades, and energy efficiency.

The CxA design reviews should accomplish the following tasks:

• Verify that the design documents are complete and contain the information required for construction, maintenance and operations.

• Suggest alternative designs that might yield a lower project cost without adversely affecting performance.

• Suggest alternative designs that might reduce energy costs, maintenance costs, durable and low maintenance products, and life cycle costs without unduly increasing the construction cost.

The CxA verifies that the documents are consistent with the OPR and BOD and that the proposed design conforms to best practice.

2.2.8 Develop the Commissioning Plan

The CxA shall develop the facility-commissioning plan for the commissioning team to follow.

The plan should be a comprehensive document that describes the commissioning process and how it will be executed. It includes project –specific pre-functional checklists and functional performance test procedures. The commissioning plan includes the following components:

• A brief overview of the commissioning process that addresses the design, construction, acceptance, occupancy, operational, and warranty phases of commissioning.

• List of equipment and systems. Each piece of equipment on the list is associated with a system, including the part of the building served and related systems that interface with it are indicated for each system and piece of equipment. The information on the list should be used to schedule completion of systems and to track completion of the commissioning process.

• A description of the roles of the commissioning team members, (The owner’s representative, design professionals, contractors, and the CXA)

• A description of the management, communication and reporting of the commissioning process.

• Deliverables – Expected work products of the commissioning process;

• Commissioning milestones - Key milestones of the commissioning process;

• Start-up – A matrix defining all start-up requirements of the construction documents.

• Installation checklists – Pre-functional checklists (PFC) for each piece of equipment and system in the scope of communication work;

• Functional testing – Functional performance test (FPT) procedures for each piece of equipment and system that is to be commissioned;

• Training – A list of the training required in the contract scope. Where detailed training plans, scheduling, and coordination with the owner’s needs and staff schedules are required;

• Operation and maintenance manuals - A list of the O&M documentation required per the contract scope. When required, this list shall include the detailed format for these documents, specific submission requirements, availability for owner training and so on.

• Opposed season testing and warranty reviews – A list of the opposed season and warranty items that are required, with a definition of the process for monitoring execution of this activities.

2.2.9 Prepare the Commissioning Specifications

The CxA shall prepare the commissioning specifications, which define the specific scope of work, roles and responsibilities, and requirements for each member of the commissioning team.

The design team inserts the commissioning specifications into the project manual, as the construction team needs to see them to accurately price the cost of the work. At the minimum, the commissioning specifications shall include the following:

• Commissioning team involvement

• Contractor’s responsibilities

• Submittals and submittal review procedures for CxA process/ systems

• Operation and maintenance documentation/ systems manual requirements

• Number of project meetings related to commissioning and which commissioning team members are obligated to participate

• Construction verification procedures

• Start-up plan development and implementation

• Functional performance test procedures

• Training requirements, including development of a training plan and requirements of the audio visual documentations

• Warranty review site visit;

2.2.10 Review the Design Development Documents

The CxA shall review the design development documents prepared by the design team. The objectives for this review includes:

• Verify consistency with the BOD and OPR

• Verify the CxA and owner comments from the schematic design review have been addressed

• Assess whether the space allocation, equipment layouts, maintainability, coordination of systems, and general equipment sizing / capacities in the documents are adequate to meet the owner’s needs

• Confirm that redundancy and future capacity issues have been addressed on the drawings

• Verify that the design includes the features needed to execute the CxA’s plan

• The CxA also reviews the design development documents with the owner’s representatives and documents their comments and concerns. The CxA shall prepare a written list of comments and forwards the list to the owner and the design team. The CxA should follow-up with the design team to ensure that written responses to the review comments are provided.

2.2.11 Review the HVAC Control System Sequences

To ensure that building energy efficiency targets are met, the design engineer must prepare detailed sequences of operation that address all aspects of intended performance, including adjustable set points, non- adjustable set points, weekly schedules, alarm parameters, warnings, trends, tuning, and energy-efficient processes. The CxA shall carefully review these sequences, make certain they contain adequate detail, and incorporate energy –efficient process. The CxA shall review the sequences with the Owner’s representative, who is assign to manage the campus BAS systems. The CxA shall provide suggestions to the design team to address the optimized sequence of operations.

2.2.12 Review Construction Documents

The CxA shall review construction documents prepared by the design team, review them with

Owner’s representatives and document the Owner’s comments and concerns. The CxA shall prepare a written list of comments and forward to the Owner and design team.

The CxA follows up with the design team to ensure written responses to the review comments are provided.

Objectives:

• Verify consistency with the BOD and OPR

• Verify that the comments from the CxA and owner submitted after the design development review have been addressed.

• Review major equipment capacity information provided against general experience for similar facilities

• Review sequences of operation for clarity, completeness, and energy efficiency.

• Assess accessibility to valves, gauges, thermometers, dampers, control components, etc.

• Spot-check above-ceiling clearances to ensure adequate space is provided for access/ maintenance of all above-ceiling MEP equipment (valve, air terminal units, duct heaters, dampers, etc.).

• Assess adequacy for operations and maintenance of quality and location of sensors, flow-measuring stations, and so on.

• Spot-check comparison of the design development review comments and the construction documents to ensure the comments have been picked up and that adequate space allocation, equipment layouts, maintainability, and coordination of systems are provided

• Check for sufficient isolation valves, dampers, interlocks, and piping so that conditions can be simulated for overrides, failures, etc.

• Check the documents for coordination between disciplines for requirements for system integration

2.2.13 Update Commissioning Plan and Commissioning Specifications As the construction documents near completion, the CxA shall update the commissioning plan and commissioning specifications. The updated documents should be detailed and project-specific. The CxA shall develop the final pre-functional checklists and functional performance test procedures and attach them to the commissioning plan. The updated documents should be issued with the final construction documents.

2.2.14 Construction Phase

The CxA shall include the following tasks during construction phase:

• Conduct the commissioning conference

• Develop and maintain the issues log

• Review submittal data and shop drawings

• Review operations and maintenance manuals

• Conduct commissioning meetings

• Attend selected project meetings that needed to resolve issues and concerns and coordinate the commissioning process

• Lead O&M staff construction site tours

• Complete pre-functional checklists and inspections

• Review HVAC control-programming code to make certain it conforms to the design intent.

The CxA shall review the programming code before implementation and perform virtual simulation before implementation and again after implementation to ensure proper performance.

• Witness equipment and system start-up and reviews the completed start-up documentation

• Review TAB report and spot check a representative sample of airflow and water flow readings as documented in the TAB report.

• Witness functional performance tests. The CxA shall exploit the system operating parameters to test the safety interlocks

• Facilitate pressure testing for building envelop, HVAC duct leak test, test for positive and negative pressurized rooms

• Review record drawings

2.2.15 Facilitate Maintenance Staff Training

The training program should be developed by the project construction team with support from manufacturers and vendors and should address the specific needs of the facility. A detailed program should be documented and submitted to the design team, owner, and CxA for review and approval well before the training schedule is developed. The CxA shall monitor scheduling and execution of the training process to ensure their quality is good enough for later training use. Training sessions should be recorded by professional services and stored in an electronic library for easy access.

The CxA should develop testing to assess the O&M staff’s knowledge. Anonymous pre-testing should be conducted before training to determine the specific training needs. Anonymous post-testing should be conducted afterward to verify the training’s effectiveness and to identify additional training needs.

Training Program Components

• A description of the general purpose of the equipment or system the training covers

• Start-up and shutdown

• Normal operation

• Unoccupied operation

• Seasonal changeover

• Manual operation

• Controls set-up and programming

• Troubleshooting

• Alarm interpretation

• Description of how the equipment/system interacts with other building systems and how it is included in operations dashboards

• Adjustments and optimizing methods for energy conservation

2.2.16 Prepare the Commissioning report and systems manual

The CxA completes the commissioning report and systems manual at the completion of the construction phase. The report shall include:

• An executive summary, a history of action items and deficiencies noted and how they are resolved

• System performance tests and evaluations

• A summary of the design review and submittal processes

• A summary of the O&M documents and training process

• Commissioning documentation from the process that includes.

(a) Meeting minutes

(b) Completed documents such as start-up documents, completed pre-functional checklists, functional performance test results, training data, etc.

The CxA compiles the systems manual, which focuses on operating systems that includes:

• Final version of the OPR and BOD

• System single-line drawings

• As-built sequences of operation

• Control shop drawings

• Original Control set points

• Operating instructions for integrated systems

• Recommended retesting schedule and blank test forms

• Sensor and actuator recalibration schedules

The CxA shall facilitate the development of the maintenance budget and staffing requirements using the APPA benchmarking tools.

2.2.17 Facilitate fire and smoke damper inspections and testing The CxA shall, along with the contractor, complete the initial damper inspection and testing at the completion of the construction phase, immediately before the building is occupied. Provide a written report listing each damper number, damper location, and date of inspection, damper inspection results, and associated corrective work, if required. The CxA shall forward the final approved copy of the report to the owner. The damper inspection and testing shall include:

• Verify that the record drawings accurately indicate the location of all fire and smoke dampers and that the dampers are properly labeled.

• Locate all fire and smoke dampers. Verify that the dampers are properly tagged.

• Remove and reset fusible links on fire dampers to verify each damper fully closes.

Replace fusible links as required.

• Lubricate all moving parts on each damper

• Clear each damper of any obstruction impeding the dampers’ normal operation.

• Manually activate each smoke damper and combination fire-and smoke –damper actuator to verify proper operation.

2.2.18 Facilitate Completion of the Statement of Conditions (SOC) The CxA shall work with the owner and design team to facilitate completion of the SOC for the building.

2.2.19 Facilitate Development and Implementation of the Building Maintenance Program The CxA shall work with the owner’s representative, design team, and contractor to develop and implement a building maintenance program for the new facility. The CxA shall implement and populate the owner’s computerized maintenance management (CMMS) system database.

The scope of the CxA ‘s involvement in the development and implementation of the maintenance management program should include:

• Ensure that all equipment is numbered and labeled in a manner consistent with facility standards.

• Ensure that room numbers indicated on the construction drawings are consistent with facility standards and actual room numbers.

• Ensure the owner receives an electronic archive of all information required to operate and maintain the facility. If possible, the design team and contractor should insert the electronic archive into a three dimensional electronic model of the building (BIM). The archive should include:

(a) Design calculations

(b) Record drawings

(c) Project manual

(d) Submittals

(e) Shop drawings

(f) Coordination drawings

(g) Factory test reports

(h) Pre-functional checklists

(i) Equipment start-up reports

(j) Tab reports

(k) Functional Performance test results

(l) Other test results

(m) Installation requirements

(n) Operations and maintenance manuals

(o) Spare parts inventory

(p) Recommended schedule and frequency for maintenance procedures

(q) Parts lists

(r) Warranties and bonds

(s) Service contracts

(t) Service provider contact information

• Ensure each item of equipment and its associated maintenance and operating information is identified in the CMMS.

• Ensure the CMMS automatically generates work orders for recommended maintenance procedures at the recommended frequency

• Ensure a complete service history for each item of equipment is maintained in the CMMS

• Ensure the CMMS provides for regular calibration of temperature, pressure, and other sensors critical to efficient system performance.

2.2.20 Post-occupancy and Warranty Phase

CxA shall review trend data for HVAC systems. Measure and verify actual energy performance and compare with APPA and EPA benchmarking tools to establish a baseline data for the facility. These figures should be compared with the project energy efficiency goals. If the actual energy consumption and costs exceed the predicted levels, the CxA shall work with the facility M&O team, design team, and contractor to identify the cause of the disparity and implement corrective action.

2.2.21 Post-Occupancy Performance Tests

The CxA must coordinate required seasonal or deferred testing and follow up noted deficiencies until corrections are made. A report documenting this testing process should be included in the commissioning record.

2.2.22 Participate In the End of Warranty Review

The CxA shall participate with the owner, contractor, and the design team in a comprehensive review of the project near the end of the warranty phase. The review indicates outstanding construction deficiencies and deficiencies discovered by the operation and maintenance staff.

The CxA shall assist other members of the project team with correction of deficiencies and reports outcomes to the facility management team.

3. QUALIFICATIONS REVIEW PROCESS

The following Schedule of Events represents the Owner’s best estimate of the schedule that will be followed. All times indicated are prevailing times in Atlanta, Georgia. The Owner reserves the right to adjust the schedule as the Owner deems necessary.

Estimated Schedule of Events Projected Date

Projected Time

a. Owner issues public advertisement of RFQ 07/22/22 ----

4. SELECTION PROCESS

Selection of the Commissioning Agent will be qualifications-based, and will generally adhere to the requirements set forth in the Official Code of Georgia (OCGA) Title 50 Chapter 22. A selection of a finalist firm will be made by a Selection Committee consisting of representatives of the Using Agency, the Owner, and possibly other representatives designated by the Owner. The Selection Committee will receive and evaluate the Statements of Qualifications submitted in response to this Request for Qualifications (RFQ), using the following criteria:

Criteria for evaluation of Statements of Qualifications

The Statements of Qualifications will be evaluated with respect to the following evaluation criteria:

20% Factor: Stability. Firm’s stability, including the firm’s corporate history, growth, resources, form of ownership, litigation history, financial information, and other evidence of stability.

25% Factor: Experience and Qualifications. Firm’s relevant project experience and qualifications, including the demonstrated ability of firm in effective commissioning of facilities comparable in complexity, size, and function to the one contemplated hereby.

Experience with Owners such as the State of Georgia or other similarly-structured organizations. This includes relevant experience and qualifications of the principal Commissioning Professionals and lead staff and level of experience in a leadership role in commissioning of MEP/FP systems.

25% Factor: Suitability. Firm’s apparent suitability to provide the required services for the Project, including but not necessarily limited to the firm’s apparent fit to the project type and/or needs of the Owner. Firms should provide evidence of any special or unique company or personnel qualifications, current and projected workloads, the proximity of office or lead staff to Project location, and services offered by the firm that they are best suited to provide the services expected. The firm’s non-discrimination policies and past efforts for W/MBE inclusion will be a part of this evaluation, as well as the firm’s record and methodology of addressing public safety and environmental concerns.

30% Factor: Team. Proposed organization of the CxA Team for this project including individuals and their roles and responsibilities. Proposed CxA Plan for the project including firm’s proposed overall role in this project, your anticipated level of management responsibility and accountability for project concerns. Your project reporting process and process for efficiently addressing and reporting discrepancies as well as your follow up procedures. Approach to the design review given design is currently in the construction document phase. Proposed timeline covering the commissioning milestones throughout the commissioning process. O&M Documentation and training process.

b. Deadline for written questions/requests for clarification (see section 6) 08/05/22 2:00 pm

c. Deadline for submission of Statements of Qualifications (see sections 5, 7) 08/12/22 2:00 pm

d. Owner completes evaluation, posts results, and selects a firm for contract negotiation (Owner does not anticipate interviews but reserves the right to interview finalist firm(s))

08/19/22 TBD

NOTICE TO FINALIST(S)

The Owner anticipates that firms will be evaluated and ranked based on the qualifications submitted and that the highest ranked firm will enter into contract negotiations with the Owner. However, firms may be selected as finalists and would receive written notification (Notice to Finalists) from the Owner which would address the necessary elements of the remainder of the selection process. The Owner may request a Commissioning Proposal that includes, but may not be limited to, the following:

• Commissioning Proposal (IF APPLICABLE) With the Finalist Notification, the Owner may issue a request for a Commissioning Proposal from the firm. If a request for a Commissioning Proposal is made, the proposal will be submitted in a format prescribed by the Owner. Copies of this proposal shall be sent to the Owner prior to the interview at the time specified by the Owner in the Notice to Finalists.

Additional Commissioning Proposal instructions and guidelines will be provided in the Notification to Finalists, as well as the criteria which will be used to evaluate the proposals.

• Interview / Presentation (IF APPLICABLE)

The Owner may elect to interview one or more finalist(s) and shall notify finalist(s) in writing of the place and time for the interview session. Detailed interview instructions and requirements of the finalists will be provided in the Finalist Notification. All members of the Selection Committee will be present during all of the presentations and interviews. Firms shall not address any questions, prior to the interview, to anyone other than the designated Procurement Services Department representative.

• Fee Proposal

In the Finalist Notification, a Fee Proposal may be requested from finalists. Should the owner elect to conduct an interview with the finalist firm(s), the fee proposal must be submitted at the conclusion of the interview session in a sealed envelope. The proposal should not exceed 2 pages. A fee proposal format may be provided in the notification, or firms may be allowed by written authorization in the Finalist Notification, to use a format of their choosing by which to express their fees, but the format should be clear, concise, and relevant. Firms may offer more than one fee structure in the proposal as alternatives. Additional Fee Proposal instructions will be provided in the Notification to Finalists.

COMMISSIONING AGENT SELECTION

Upon completion of the evaluation and, if applicable, the interview process by the Selection Committee, the firms will be ranked using criteria described herein in descending order of recommendation. Negotiations may then be initiated with the highest ranking firm to finalize the terms and conditions of the contract, including the fees to be paid. In the event a satisfactory fee agreement cannot be reached with the highest ranking firm, the Owner will formally terminate the negotiations in writing and enter into negotiations in turn with the second highest ranking firm, and so on until a mutual agreement is established and the Owner awards a Commissioning Services contract. The actual Form of Contract shall be developed by the Owner.

5. INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS

Interested firms shall submit/upload one (1) electronic copy in .pdf format of the complete qualifications package to a BOR ftp site. Submittals must be prepared in a manner that when printed would typically fit on standard (8 ½” x 11”) paper. Responses are limited to using a minimum of an 11-point font. Total page count of the submittal must not exceed 40 pages. Each Statement of Qualifications shall be prepared providing straightforward, concise delineation of respondent’s capabilities. Emphasis must be on completeness, relevance, and clarity of content. The content of all Statements of Qualifications must be categorized and numbered as outlined below, and responsive to all requested information:

A. Description and Resources of Firm A1 Provide basic company information: Company name, address, name of primary contact, telephone number, fax number, E-mail address, and company website (if available). If the firm has multiple offices, the qualification statement shall include information about the parent company and branch office separately. Identify office from which project will be managed and this office’s proximity to the project site. Provide form of ownership, including state of residency or incorporation, and number of years in business. Identify whether the offeror is a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), joint venture, or other structure.

A2 Briefly describe the history and growth of your firm. Provide general information about the firm's personnel resources, including disciplines and numbers of employees and locations and staffing of offices

A3 Has the firm been involved in any litigation in the past five (5) years? Describe your experience with litigation with Owners, Architects, and/or Contractors. List any active or pending litigation and explain.

A4 Provide name of insurance carrier, types and levels of coverage, and deductible amounts per claim.

A5 List the firm’s annual revenue for each of the past 5 years.

A6 Supply financial references and main banking references.

A7 Provide Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).

A8 Has the firm ever been removed from a Commissioning contract, had a contract terminated for default, or failed to complete a contract as assigned?

A9 Complete the Certification Form (exhibit “A” enclosed with RFQ), and provide a notarized original with response as section “A9” of the firm’s Statement of Qualifications.

A10 Complete and submit the “Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act Affidavit (Exhibit

“B”) with response as Section “A10” of the firm’s Statement of Qualifications. Failure to submit this form with Statement of Qualifications will result in the firm being eliminated from consideration for this project.

A11 Complete and submit the “Disclosure Statement” (Exhibit “C”) with response as Section “A11” of the firm’s Statement of Qualifications. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR RESPONSE TO THE 3

STATEMENTS.

B. Experience and Qualifications B1 Provide professional qualifications, certifications and description of experience for principal

Commissioning personnel. Firms that respond as joint teams will be expected to clearly demonstrate their team members’ shared experience, as a joint team, on prior projects of similar magnitude and complexity.

B2 Provide information on the firm’s commissioning experience on projects of similar type, size, function, and complexity. Describe no more than ten (10) and no less than five (5) projects, in order of most relevant to least relevant, which demonstrate the firm's capabilities to perform the project at hand. For each project, the following information should be provided:

a. Project name, location and dates during which services were performed.

b. Brief description of project and physical description (buildings, square footage, number of stories, site areas, systems commissioned).

c. Services performed by your firm.

d. Owner’s stated satisfaction level in the Commissioning and/or overall service of your firm.

e. Owner contact information.

f. Contractor and/or Architect contact information.

B3 Describe the firm’s experience and qualifications in Building Commissioning. Include any projects of relevant complexity, including experience in providing services in projects similar to that of incumbent project. Include any certifications, industry ratings, and achievement recognitions, etc., to attest to the level of experience and success. Include any projects where scope of services has included indoor air quality testing and building envelope commissioning. Describe innovations that the firm might have introduced or employed to increase the project’s adherence to technical standards.

C. Statement of Suitability

C1 Provide any information that may serve to differentiate the firm from other firms in suitability for the project. Suitability may include, but is not limited to, the firm’s fit to the project and/or needs of the Owner, any special or unique qualifications for the project, current and projected workloads, the proximity of office to project location, and any services offered by the firm that may be particularly suitable for this project.

C2 Provide any non-discrimination policies of the firm, and the firm’s history of W/MBE inclusion in sourcing for projects.

C3 Describe the firm’s history and methodologies of addressing public safety, environmental, or other related concerns.

D. Proposed Team

D1 Provide the proposed organization of the CxA Team for this project including individuals and their roles and responsibilities.

D2 Provide proposed CxA Plan for the project including firm’s proposed overall role in this project, your anticipated level of management responsibility and accountability for project concerns; your project reporting process and process for efficiently addressing and reporting discrepancies as well as your follow up procedures. Describe your approach to the design review given design is currently in the construction document phase.

D3 Detail your proposed timeline covering the commissioning milestones throughout the commissioning process and describe your O&M Documentation and training process.

6. SUBMITTAL OF QUESTIONS AND REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION

Questions about any aspect of the RFQ, or the project, must be submitted in writing via e-mail to:

Todd Cook, e-mail: tcook26@gsu.edu. The deadlines for submission of questions relating to the RFQ are the times and dates shown in the RFQ Schedule of Events- Section 3.1. Responses to all relevant questions received will be compiled and posted on the Georgia Procurement Registry as an addendum to the original RFQ advertisement. Proposers are cautioned to review and adhere to the Restriction of Communication (See Section 8.1) for this Project.

7. SUBMITTAL OF STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS

The qualifications submittal shall be uploaded as one (1) complete package in .pdf format to the BOR Egnyte platform. Please do not submit individual documents or sections separately. The file shall be titled in the format below.

EXAMPLE: (BOR Project No. BR-50-2201-CxA, ABC Company, Qualifications)

See the document titled “Upload Instructions” on the Georgia Procurement Registry site along with this RFQ for detailed instructions regarding the upload of your submittal.

Statements of Qualifications must be received electronically by the Owner prior to the deadline indicated in the Schedule of Events (Section 3 of the RFQ). Printed copies will not be accepted.

If difficulty is encountered during upload, contact Josette Decatur-Hampton at (404) 962-3172 or josette.decatur-hampton@usg.edu for assistance or confirmation that the file was received. Firms are encouraged to verify their upload was successful at least 45 minutes prior to the deadline.

mailto:tcook26@gsu.edu mailto:josette.decatur-hampton@usg.edu

(Experience with the ftp site indicates that uploads do not always receive the confirmation statement that the file was successfully uploaded. For files ranging in size over 10mb, it could take more than two minutes to complete the upload.)

A list of firms submitting responsive Statements of Qualifications will be published on the Georgia Procurement Registry site, as well as the Board of Regents’ Office of Real Estate and Facilities’ website at http://www.usg.edu/facilities/external_partners/consultant_selections.

It is the sole responsibility of the Proposer to assure delivery by the specified deadlines; the Owner cannot accept responsibility for incorrect delivery, regardless of reason. No submittals will be accepted after the time stipulated above. Submittals will not be accepted via mail, courier, or fax.

Proposers are further reminded to include a completed CONTRACTOR AFFIDAVIT UNDER O.C.G.A. §13-10-91 (b)(1) with the Statement of Qualifications (See Exhibit “E”). FAILURE TO

PROVIDE THIS AFFIDAVIT WILL RESULT IN REJECTION OF PROPOSAL.

All expenses for preparing and submitting responses are the sole cost of the party submitting the response. The Owner is not obligated to any party to reimburse such expenses. All submittals upon receipt become the property of the Owner. Labeling information provided in submittals “proprietary” or “confidential” or any other designation of restricted use will not protect the information from public view. Subject to the provisions of the Open Records Act, the details of the proposal documents will remain confidential until final award.

8. ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Restriction of Communication From the issue date of this (RFQ) solicitation until a successful proposer is selected and the selection is announced, proposers are not allowed to communicate about this solicitation or this Project for any reason with any members of the Selection Committee, the Using Agency, or Georgia State University, except for submission of questions as instructed in the RFQ, or during the proposer's conference (if applicable), or as provided by any existing work agreement(s). For violation of this provision, the Owner reserves the right to reject the proposal of the offending proposer.

2. Submittal Costs and Confidentiality All expenses for preparing and submitting responses are the sole cost of the party submitting the response. The Owner is not obligated to any party to reimburse such expenses. All submittals upon receipt become the property of the Owner. Labeling information provided in submittals “proprietary” or “confidential”, or any other designation of restricted use will not protect the information from public view. Subject to the provisions of the Open Records Act, the details of the proposal documents will remain confidential until final award.

3. Award Conditions This request is not an offer to contract or a solicitation of bids. This request and any statement of qualifications or proposal submitted in response, regardless of whether the proposal is determined to be the best proposal, is not binding upon the Owner and does not obligate the Owner to procure or contract for any services. Neither the Owner nor any party submitting a response will be bound unless and until a written contract mutually accepted by both parties is negotiated as to its terms and conditions and is signed by the Owner and a party containing such terms and conditions as are negotiated between those parties. The Owner reserves the right to waive non-compliance with any requirements of this Request for Proposal and to reject any or all proposals submitted in responses. Upon receipt and review of responses, the Owner will determine the party(s) and proposal that in the sole judgment of the Owner is in the best interest of the Owner (if any is so determined), with respect to the evaluation criteria stated herein. The http://www.usg.edu/facilities/external_partners/consultant_selections

Owner then intends to conduct negotiations with such party(s) to determine if a mutually acceptable contract may be reached.

4. Reciprocal Preference Law For the purposes of evaluation only, a proposer that resides in the State of Georgia will be granted the same preference over proposers that reside in another State in the same manner, on the same basis, and to the same extent that preference is granted in awarding bids for the same goods or services by such other State to proposers that reside therein. For the purposes of this law, the definition of a resident proposer is one who maintains a place of business with at least one employee inside the State of Georgia. A P.O. Box address will not satisfy this requirement.

5. Joint-Venture Proposals

The Owner does not generally desire to enter into “joint-venture” agreements with multiple firms.

In the event two or more firms desire to “joint-venture,” it is required that one incorporated firm propose and maintain status as the contracted lead firm with the remaining firms participating as major consultants to the lead firm.

6. Small and Minority Business Enterprise It is the policy of the State of Georgia that small businesses, female-owned businesses and minority businesses have a fair and equal opportunity to participate in the State purchasing process. Therefore, the Owner encourages all small businesses, female-owned businesses and minority-owned businesses to compete for contracts to provide goods, services, and construction, and encourages contractors to solicit female-owned businesses and minority-owned businesses in procuring subcontractors and suppliers. This desire on the part of the Owner is not intended to restrict or limit competitive bidding or to increase the cost of the work. The Owner supports a healthy free market system that seeks to include responsible businesses and provides ample opportunity for business growth and development. Contractors and subcontractors who utilize qualified minority subcontractors may qualify for Georgia state income tax credits for qualified payments made to minority subcontractors. See Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.)

O.C.G.A. Section 48-7-38. For more information, please contact:

The Governor's Entrepreneur and Small Business Office 75 Fifth Street, Suite 825 Atlanta, Georgia 30308 Phone: 404.962.4071 http://www.georgia.org/Business/SmallBusiness/

7. Statement of Agreement With submission of a proposal, the Proposer agrees that he/she has…