CNMF Market Research Questions.pdf

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District CNMF Market Research Questions

Title: Cyber National Mission Force Mission Operations Building (CNMF MOF), Fort George G. Meade, MD Pre-Award No. PANNAD-24-P-0000 004242 This is a Sources Sought notice and is for informational purposes only. This is not a request for proposals, quotations, or bids. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, East Campus Integrated Program Office (ECIPO) requests letters of interest from potential prime construction contractors. Responses to this source sought announcement may be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. Prime Contractors who provide responses to this notice will be invited to participate in a one-on-one interview with the Government.

No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this synopsis or any follow-up information requests.

The anticipated project will be a Firm-Fixed Price Design-Build Contract for the Construction of the Cyber National Mission Force Mission Operations Facility (CNMF MOF) located at Fort Meade, Maryland. In accordance with DFARS 236.204 – Disclosure of the magnitudes of construction projects, the magnitude of this project is over $500,000,000. The North American Industry Classification System code (NAICS) for this procurement will be 236220 with a standard size of $36.5M.

Project Description: The CNMF MOF has a total building area requirement of 750,894 GSF to accommodate 2,437 personnel, including supporting facilities with associated site work and environmental measures. The facility will be built on Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. The primary facility will be comprised of a multi-story structure with full basement. The facility includes open office areas, operations areas, collaboration spaces, food market, fitness center and remote learning/unclassified VTC areas. The mission support areas provide joint staff offices, executive offices, machine rooms, storage, and meeting rooms. The building will be SCIF construction with an elevated pedestrian walkway to an adjoining building currently under construction. The project consists of core and shell structure and foundation; elevator conveyance systems; electrical/mechanical service and distribution components and systems; fire protection, alarm, and suppression; information technology infrastructure, communications, and security support infrastructure; exterior finishes and weatherproofing.

Interior build out will provide raised access floor systems, acoustically-rated interior partitions and ceilings, power, lighting, environmental control and communications. The primary facility is not a standard design. Most of the structure will be built to Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) standards. Project includes redundant primary power and Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) systems to ensure continuity of operations. This project requires comprehensive interior design. To accommodate the personnel occupying this building, an existing parking garage will be expanded under this project. The expansion will add approximately 1,758 parking spaces.

Interested PRIME CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS shall submit a narrative in your response to the following questions (in the exact order) which are intended to assist in the planning and acquisition for the CNMF project. The Government is looking for both positive and negative feedback on the questions below. Please limit responses to a maximum of fifteen (15) pages.

1. Typical Evaluation Criteria:

a. Below is the source selection criterion that the Government is considering for use on this project. Are there any evaluation criteria that you do not like or do not feel are necessary? Anything that will likely be particularly difficult for your firm? Is there any feedback (positive or negative) on the draft selection criteria that you would like to give us?

b. What specific criteria would you suggest evaluating specific MEP subcontractors? How would you go about selecting your MEP subcontractors on this complex and large project?

2. Proposal Duration: With regard to the project description above and the draft source selection criteria, what would the ideal amount of time be for submission of the Phase 1 proposal? Phase 2 proposal?

3. What are some of the key factors your company looks for when deciding which acquisitions to pursue? What RFP features are significant cost / schedule drivers in deciding to bid the project?

Are there items that unnecessarily drive up costs for preparing your bid?

4. Small Business – USACE is working to set up small business goals for the project. What are your suggested goals for a project of this size and complexity?

Phase 1 – Relative Importance

Factor 1 (Carried to Phase II)

Corporate Experience and Past Performance

Factor 1 is more important than Factor 2.

Factor 2 Management Philosophy Factor 2 is the least important Factor.

Phase II – Relative Importance

Factor 3 Technical/Design Solution Factor 3 is more important than Factor 1.

Factor 1 (Carried from Phase I)

Corporate Experience and Past Performance

Factor 1 is more important than Factor 4.

Factor 4 Offeror Interview Factor 4 is more important than Factor 5.

Factor 5 Small Business Participation Plan Factor 5 is the least important Factor.

Factor 6 Price Approximately equal to all Non-Price Factors Combined

5. The Government wishes to collaborate closely with the contractor as early and often as possible during the design process to ensure the projects requirements are captured. Given most design firms operate primarily in a remote environment, how can the Government achieve the increased collaboration? Can collaboration be achieved successfully in a virtual/hybrid environment? What language can be entered into the contract to achieve the goal of partnership and collaboration during design after award?

6. The project will be constructed on a secure Government campus. There are several important security requirements related to pursuing construction on the site. They include but are not limited to: US citizens only craft labor; personnel vetting; Foreign Ownership, Control and Influence (FOCI) vetting; physical inspections of materials delivery at a remote site; and prohibitions on personally owned electronic devices. Do you find any of these security requirements to be significant cost / schedule drivers? How does the US citizen requirement affect the pool of craft labor available to the project?

7. The Government is expecting that Project labor agreements will be a requirement for this procurement. Has the Contractor constructed major facilities under PLAs in the past, if so, please provide a narrative of the impact on cost and schedule, touching on the following elements:

a. Impact on construction duration

b. Impact on Construction cost

c. Impact on acquiring subcontractors for the requirement.

d. With the PLAs requirement during bidding what suggested time is needed to submit a

Phase II proposal?

e. Any other factors you believe the Government should be aware of regarding PLAs.

8. What percentage of construction cost have you historically carried associated with the requirements for sustainability? LEED certification? EO 14057 (electrification)?

9. For a major Design Build project does the offeror prefer that bridging documents be provided along with the RFP? If so, to what level of completion? If the Government were to provide bridging documents, does the offeror believe it would suppress the Offeror’s designer in seeking creative solutions? Does the offeror believe that bridging documents would reduce the cost and/or time needed to adequately prepare a design/build proposal?

10. The Government is looking to increase interest in bidding. Ideas include Award fee, stipends, early input into the RFP, etc. Does the presence of an award fee to encourage you and your subs to bid the project? If the RFP is released at an earlier draft level, (IE 65% vs 95%) is Industry interested in offering input to the Government?

11. The Government is considering providing a preliminary copy of the RFP to the down selected offerors in advance of the formal advertisement. What additional offeror feedback and input could be provided from a Draft vs Backcheck RFP? What are the advantages and disadvantages of providing an RFP at the Draft vs Backcheck stage?

Narratives shall be no longer than fifteen (15) pages. Email responses are required and should be submitted to Ms. Erica Eaton at erica.a.eaton@usace.army.mil and Mrs. Laura Wade at Laura.A.Wade@usace.army.mil.

Responses must include organization name, address, email address, website address, telephone number, and business size (small or large) and type of ownership for the organization; include UEI number and CAGE code, as well as submitter’s name, phone number, and email address.

Reponses will be shared with the Government, Customer, and the Project Delivery Team, but otherwise will be held in strict confidence.