S02 Special Notice for Qualifications to Standard Form 330.pdf

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR QUALIFICATIONS TO STANDARD FORM 330

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: 541310 – Architectural Services Small Business Size Standard: $12.5 Million

A. INTRODUCTION:

The purpose of this ‘Special Notice for Qualifications to Standard Form 330’ (SF 330) is to provide instructional guidance in assisting Architect and Engineer (A-E) Firms with completing the SF 330 Form of A-E Qualification documentation.

This Special Notice is only a request for the SF 330 Form. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP). The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), is not requesting price or cost information at this time. Any price or cost information will not be accepted, considered, or evaluated.

B. GENERAL PROJECT INFORMATION:

The St. Petersburg, Florida, Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO) located at 9500 Bay Pines Boulevard, Bay Pines, Florida 33744, has a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Contract requirement to provide professional A-E Design Services for the Second Floor Renovations (Building 46) project also identified as Project Number 317VB3256/28. As indicated by the project name, the project area for Project Number 317VB3256/28 is the Second Floor of Building 46 at the St. Petersburg VARO. The professional A-E Design Services shall consist of conducting site surveys, acquiring field data, verifying as-built conditions to assure accurate development of design and bidding documents along with space programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents, specifications, cost estimates, construction period services, and site visits.

The scope of design-related services shall implement the current design and furnishing standards according to VBA. The space covered under this requirement includes offices, hearing/interview rooms, training rooms, multi-purpose rooms, waiting area, reception area, and workstations. Renovations for technological improvements shall include charging stations at convenient locations as well as smart electronic and wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) connections throughout the Second Floor. Additionally, renovations to achieve an aesthetically pleasing environment shall include individual lighting controls in the offices as well as furniture upgrades for each office, such as visitor chairs, variable height workstations, ergonomic task chair, and lockable file drawers with an accessory drawer. Demolition and/or new construction will be required as to the flooring, wall systems, and ceiling systems. Existing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) must be replaced to provide an adequate yet controlled environment for the offices and open areas of space.

The sixty percent (60%) submission under this FFP Contract shall be completed within ninety (90) calendar days upon the issuance of the Notice to Proceed (NTP). The one hundred percent (100%) submission under this FFP Contract shall be completed within one hundred eighty (180) calendar days upon the issuance of the NTP.

C. MAGNITUDE OF CONSTRUCTION:

The Magnitude of Construction, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 36.204 and Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) 836.204(h), is between $5,000,000.00 and $10,000,000.00.

D. SET-ASIDE INFORMATION:

Pursuant to VAAR 852.219-73, this acquisition is a total set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) under the NAICS Code of 541310 (Architectural Services).

Any award will require the A-E Firm to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) that can be accessed at https://sam.gov/content/home. The A-E Firm must also be verified in VETS-4212 to ensure that current reporting requirements and confirmation of filing has been satisfied, which can be accessed at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/vets4212. The A-E Firm shall additionally be certified in the Small Business Administration (SBA) Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) database that can be accessed at https://veterans.certify.sba.gov/ and/or the SBA Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) that can be accessed at https://dsbs.sba.gov/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm. VBA will utilize VetCert and DSBS to determine as well as verify each interested A-E Firm’s status as a SDVOSB.

Therefore, each interested A-E Firm must be registered in SAM, verified in VETS-4212, and certified in VetCert and/or DSBS with the applicable NAICS Code of 541310 at the time of the SF 330 submission to

VBA.

E. SUBCONTRACTING LIMITATIONS:

In accordance with FAR 52.219-14 titled Limitations on Subcontracting, prospective A-E Firms must comply with the at-issue regulation that at least fifty percent (50%) of the cost of personnel for contract performance shall be spent for employees of the concern. All SF 330 submissions will be evaluated in accordance with the Limitations on Subcontracting criteria. Prospective A-E Firms must complete a Limitations on Subcontracting Certificate of Compliance as part of the SF 330 submission pursuant to VAAR 852.219-75.

Each A-E Firm shall address how the Limitations on Subcontracting criteria will be upheld within the SF 330 submission. By providing the Limitations on Subcontracting criteria within the SF 330 submission, each A-E Firm will then address the requirement that is in accordance with the Selection of Architects and Engineers as implemented in FAR Subpart 36.6, VAAR Subpart 836.6, and Veterans Affairs Acquisition Manual (VAAM) Subpart M836.6.

F. SELECTION PROCESS:

A "short list" of at least the three (3) most highly-rated, qualified A-E Firms will be considered after initial source selection from the SF 330 submissions. The Government will not pay or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this Special Notice for Qualifications request. The Government is under no obligation to award a Contract as a result of this Special Notice for Qualifications announcement.

Respondents are put on notice that at least the three (3) most highly-rated, qualified A-E Firms chosen by the Source Selection Evaluation Board (SSEB) will be invited to participate in an interview format with identical predetermined follow-up questions. After the completion of interviews with at least the three (3) most highly-rated, qualified A-E Firms, the Contracting Officer will request the highest-rated A-E Firm to submit a Fixed Price Rate Proposal on VA A-E Fee Proposal Form (10-6298). The Fixed Price Rate Proposal will include labor, overhead, profit, and other costs pertaining to this project for negotiation by the Contracting Officer before contract award. The subsequent negotiated agreement by both parties will be incorporated into the resulting contract.

G. SELECTION EVALUATION CRITERIA:

Pursuant to FAR 36.602 and VAAM M836.602-1, each A-E Firm will be evaluated on the following seven (7) Selection Evaluation Criteria listed in relative order of importance:

(1) Professional Qualifications necessary for the satisfactory performance of required A-E services;

(2) Specialized Experience and Technical Competence in the type of A-E work required;

(3) Capacity to accomplish the A-E work in the required and allotted amount of time;

https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/vets4212 https://veterans.certify.sba.gov/ https://dsbs.sba.gov/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm

(4) Past Performance on contracts with Government agencies and private industry;

(5) Geographic Location area of the project and Locality Knowledge of the project;

(6) Construction Period Services Experience; and

(7) Subcontractor Commitment to use SDVOSBs, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs), and other Small Businesses (SBs).

The seven (7) Selection Evaluation Criteria are further discussed in Section H of this Special Notice for Qualifications.

H. DESCRIPTION OF SELECTION EVALUATION CRITERIA:

The seven (7) Selection Evaluation Criteria are discussed further in this section and are set forth below by descending relative order of importance.

1. PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Each A-E Firm must submit Professional Qualifications necessary for the satisfactory performance of required A-E services in the SF 330 submission by demonstrating the requirements in Paragraphs (a) through (e) in this section.

a. Identify the proposed team that will represent the A-E Firm along with any key or frequent

Subcontractors who will perform technical tasks for the at-issue project.

b. Provide an organizational chart that displays the proposed team of the A-E Firm, any other Firms, and any key or frequent Subcontractors who will perform technical tasks for the at-issue project.

c. Provide brief resumes for each Supervisor(s), Project Manager(s), and Designer(s) of Record from the A-E Firm that describes the professional qualifications associated with this project. All proposed team members/personnel must possess the minimum education, training, experience, registrations, and certifications as detailed in Paragraph (d) of this section. Each brief resume should also feature at least three (3) projects that each team member/personnel performed a significant role that will be comparable to the at-issue Second Floor Renovations – Building 46 project. Brief resumes must also be submitted for any frequent Subcontractor(s) who will perform technical tasks for the at-issue project.

*The three (3) projects used for this Professional Qualifications section may be the same projects requested below in the Specialized Experience and Technical Competence section.

**Proposed team members/personnel shall also be team members/personnel of the award team.

A substitution of any team member/personnel must receive prior written consent of the Contracting Officer.

d. Provide proof of jurisdictional licensure with either a license or license number for each Designer of Record from the A-E Firm that will represent the project and/or sign/stamp drawings. Each Designer of Record must be licensed, certified, or registered in a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, or a United States territory for a minimum of five (5) years. The proof of jurisdictional licensure with a license or license number may be included within the brief resumes as discussed in the preceding paragraph of this section.

e. Describe the Professional Qualifications for satisfactory performance of the required A-E Services including, but not limited to, the following areas of discipline:

Architecture;

Electrical Engineering; and Mechanical Engineering.

2. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCE

Each A-E Firm must submit Specialized Experience and Technical Competence in the type of A-E work required in the SF 330 submission by demonstrating the requirements in Paragraphs (a) through

(c) in this section.

a. Provide a detailed narrative that contains at least five (5) relevant A-E Design Services projects performed and completed within the last five (5) years. The five (5) A-E Design Services projects selected by the A-E Firm should best illustrate the relevant team experience similar in the scope and the nature of the Second Floor Renovations – Building 46 project. Said narrative that comprises of the five (5) most relevant A-E Design Services projects should indicate Government experience or private sector experience on an entire floor renovation of an administrative building that includes technological improvements, furniture upgrades, and demolition of existing systems (HVAC, walls, ceilings, flooring), similar in size, scope, and complexity. These five (5) most relevant projects selected by the A-E Firm for this detailed narrative must entail the A-E Firm’s ability to successfully execute the requirements identified in the attached Statement of Work.

b. Include within this Specialized Experience and Technical Competence section similar A-E Design

Services projects to the Second Floor Renovations – Building 46 project, which have been previously performed and completed by the A-E Firm. Similar A-E Design Services projects would constitute any project with the following performance components:

Replacing an existing HVAC system in an administrative setting;

Modifying electronic lighting controls for the entire floor of an administrative building;

Demolishing the current wall systems, ceiling systems, and flooring for updated layout and materials; and/or Renovating for technological improvements such as charging stations, smart electronic connections, and office furniture.

*The same five (5) projects should be addressed for the information requested in Paragraphs

(a) and (b). Therefore, no more than five (5) total projects are requested to complete Paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Specialized Experience and Technical Competence section.

c. Include within this Specialized Experience and Technical Competence section any knowledge of similar projects previously performed and completed by the A-E Firm in an administrative setting that required the following components:

Architectural;

Electrical;

Mechanical;

Energy Efficiency.

3. CAPACITY

Each A-E Firm must submit the Capacity to accomplish the work in the required and allotted amount of time in the SF 330 submission by demonstrating the requirement in Paragraph (a) of this section.

The A-E Firm shall also review the Capacity factors considered in Paragraph (b) of this section.

a. Provide the available capacity in the four (4) required areas of discipline for this project, as previously denoted in Paragraph (c) of the Professional Qualifications section, by furnishing current project workload that includes all projects awarded during the previous twelve (12) months and the full potential value of said projects.

b. The SSEB will consider the A-E Firm’s plan and ability to fulfill the schedule and timelines of the overall project. The SSEB will also consider the available capacity of the A-E Firm to provide adequate personnel that properly execute the four (4) key disciplines of the at-issue project.

4. PAST PERFORMANCE

Each A-E Firm must submit Past Performance on contracts with Government agencies and private industry in the SF 330 submission. The A-E Firm shall provide and demonstrate the Past Performance requirements set forth in Paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section. The A-E Firm shall also review the Past Performance descriptions and definitions in Paragraph (a) of this section as well as the factors considered in Paragraphs (d) through (f) of this section.

a. Past Performance, under FAR 36.602, is described as contracts with Government agencies and private industry for recent and relevant projects in terms of cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules.

Recent, for purposes of this Special Notice for Qualifications, is defined as any contract performance occurring within five (5) years of the date of this Special Notice. Ongoing projects must have begun no less than one (1) year prior to the issuance of this Special Notice.

Relevant, for purposes of this Special Notice for Qualifications, is defined as past performance of work on projects that are similar in scope and complexity to the type of project anticipated under the resultant contract.

b. Provide Recent and Relevant Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) data. Government Past Performance Information Systems may be accessed.

If no CPARS data is available, provide the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) that is attached to this Special Notice for Qualifications. The PPQ will be accepted upon determination by the A-E Firm that no CPARS data is available or accessible to provide to the Government.

*CPARS data and PPQs do not count toward the page limitation of the SF 330 submission.

Failure to provide requested CPARS data or the completed PPQs, accessible points of contact, or valid phone numbers could result in the A-E Firm being considered less qualified by the SSEB.

c. Provide the following information for each Recent and Relevant Past Performance contract:

Contract Number and/or Task Order Number;

Obligation Number/Purchase Order (PO) Number;

Project Title;

Prime Firm Name;

Start Date;

Completion Date; and Construction Dollar Amount.

d. Past Performance criterion may also include (i) additional performance related from the A-E Firm, (ii) customer inquiries, (iii) Government databases, (iv) publicly available sources, and (v) additional projects in CPARS other than in Paragraph (b) of this section.

e. It is recommended that each Past Performance reference provided to the Government be notified by the A-E Firm that a Contracting Officer from VBA will contact each Past Performance reference.

f. Past performance information may be obtained by the Contract Specialist from any other sources available to the Government including, but not limited to, the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) or other databases as well as interviews with Program Managers, Contracting Officers, and/or Contracting Officers’ Representatives.

5. GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AND LOCALITY KNOWLEDGE

Each A-E Firm must submit information relating to the general geographical location area of the project and locality knowledge of the project in the SF 330 submission by demonstrating the requirements in Paragraphs (a) through (c) in this section.

a. Provide the name and address of the A-E Firm’s nearest branch office in geographic proximity to the St. Petersburg, Florida, VARO located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The branch office must be the location of the proposed team.

b. Provide familiarity with the St. Petersburg VARO. Familiarity with the St. Petersburg VARO may constitute the following components:

Travel to and from the location of the St. Petersburg VARO;

Travel through the surrounding areas of the Gulf Coast region;

Climate of the Gulf Coast region;

Major roadways surrounding the metropolitan area of St. Petersburg, Florida; and Other sufficient transportation methods through St. Petersburg, Florida.

The locality knowledge element of this project is essential, which may be affected by the climate, roadway conditions, and unforeseen circumstances in the Gulf Coast region. Construction Site Visits must be adhered to and not eliminated on account of expressed concerns with the distance from the St. Petersburg VARO.

c. Provide any A-E Design Services projects previously completed by the A-E Firm for the Government within the past two (2) years at the St. Petersburg VARO or in the Gulf Coast region covering Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. For each A-E Design Services project previously completed within the past two (2) years at the St. Petersburg VARO or in the aforementioned Gulf Coast region, provide the following project details:

Contract Number and/or Task Order Number;

Obligation Number/PO Number;

Project Title;

Start Date; and Completion Date.

6. CONSTRUCTION PERIOD SERVICES EXPERIENCE

Each A-E Firm must submit information relating to Construction Period Services Experience in the SF 330 submission by demonstrating the requirement set forth below in this section.

Describe Construction Period Services Experience for projects similar in scope, magnitude, and complexity, which may include, but is not limited to, the following aspects:

Professional field inspections during the construction period;

Review of construction material submittals;

Support in answering requests for information (RFIs) during the construction period;

and Support of construction contract changes to include drafting statements of work and cost estimates.

7. SUBCONTRACTOR COMMITMENT

Each A-E Firm must provide a narrative with supporting details as to the commitment in utilizing SDVOSBs, VOSBs, and other types of SBs for subcontracting opportunities prescribed by VAAM M836.602-1.

As already indicted in Section E of this Special Notice for Qualifications, prospective A-E Firms are reminded to complete a Limitations on Subcontracting Certificate of Compliance as part of the SF 330 submission for conformance with VAAR 852.219-75. Said Certification shall be included in any resultant Contract.

I. QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS:

a. All questions and comments in response to this Special Notice for Qualifications must be submitted in writing only.

b. Oral questions and/or questions by telephone will not be accepted or answered.

c. All written questions to this Special Notice for Qualifications must be submitted to Dirk Kelley who can be contacted at Dirk.Kelley@va.gov.

d. All written questions to this Special Notice for Qualifications must be submitted by March 28, 2024 at 4:00 EST.

J. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

a. All SF 330 submissions shall be submitted by April 19, 2024 at 5:00 EST. The SF 330 submission shall include the SF 330 Form covering all seven (7) requested Selection Evaluation Criteria from Section H of this Special Notice for Qualifications.

b. Incomplete SF 330 submissions will not be considered or evaluated. Acceptable and fully completed SF 330 submissions will contain the SF 330 Form covering all seven (7) requested Selection Evaluation Criteria from Section H of this Special Notice for Qualifications.

c. The most-recent version the SF 330 Form is available at https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library/architect-engineer-qualifications.

d. Any interested and qualified A-E Firms must submit one (1) electronic copy of the completed SF 330 submission by e-mail to Dirk.Kelley@va.gov by the deadline designated in Paragraph (a) of this section (April 19, 2024 at 5:00 pm EST).

e. Please indicate in the subject line of the SF 330 submission e-mail the following information:

‘SF 330 Submission – Second Floor Renovations (Building 46)’

f. If the file size exceeds seven (7) megabytes (MBs), then the A-E Firm is required to send multiple https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library/architect-engineer-qualifications https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library/architect-engineer-qualifications mailto:Dirk.Kelley@va.gov e-mails. If multiple e-mails are required, then the A-E Firm must indicate the number of e-mails that will be submitted on behalf of the SF 330 submission.

Examples:

‘SF 330 Submission – Second Floor Renovations (Building 46) – E-mail 1 of 2’ ‘SF 330 Submission – Second Floor Renovations (Building 46) – E-mail 2 of 2’

g. Please be specific in providing information as well as responding to all inquiries on both (i) the

SF 330 Form and (ii) the A-E Qualification package covering all seven (7) requested Selection Evaluation Criteria from Section H of this Special Notice for Qualifications. Do not state “information incorporated by reference” as this statement or similar statements will be deemed incomplete and unacceptable by the SSEB.

h. No photographs will be provided in the SF 330 submission. Photographs in the SF 330 submission will not be accepted. Any photographs will be discarded and therefore, will not be considered or evaluated by the SSEB.

i. The entire SF 330 submission is limited to fifty (50) total pages, which will consist of the SF 330 Form covering all seven (7) requested Selection Evaluation Criteria from Section H of this Special Notice for Qualifications.

Any pages that exceed the fifty (50) page limitation will be discarded and therefore, will not be considered or evaluated by the SSEB.

The following four (4) items are exempt from the fifty (50) page limitation:

Cover Page;

Table of Contents;

Past Performance Questionnaire(s); and Drawings to support any portion of the SF 330 submission.

K. SF 330 SUBMISSION CONTENTS:

Within the response by each interested A-E Firm, an acceptable and fully completed SF 330 submission must include all of the following six (6) items that are identified as Paragraphs (a) through (f) in this section.

a. Cover Letter that will address, at a minimum, the following details:

The legal name of the A-E Firm with a full physical address;

-If the A-E Firm is operating under a doing business as (DBA) entity, then this DBA information shall be also included in the Cover Letter.

The SAM Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number of the A-E Firm;

The response date of the SF 330 submission, which will be the date that the A-E Firm submits the SF 330 to VBA; and The notice number and project name of this Special Notice for Qualifications.

-Notice Number: 36C10D24R0005 -Project Name: Second Floor Renovations (Building 46)

b. SF 330 Form with both Part I and Part II of this Form completed.

For any information within the SF Form 330 that is not applicable, please insert ‘N/A’ or ‘Not Applicable’. Do not leave any section blank on the SF 330 Form.

c. Limitations on Subcontracting as described under Section E and Section M of this Special Notice for Qualifications.

d. A-E Qualification package covering all seven (7) requested Selection Evaluation Criteria from

Section H of this Special Notice for Qualifications.

Any SF 330 submission that does not specifically address each and every of the seven (7) requested Selection Evaluation Criteria may be deemed unacceptable and removed from consideration.

e. Past Performance Questionnaire(s) under Section H, Subsection 4 [Past Performance], Paragraph

(b) of this Special Notice for Qualifications.

f. Additional information and attachments, if applicable, must be supporting documentation and properly labeled by the Firm within the SF 330 submission.

Late responses will be any SF 330 submission received from an A-E Firm after the submittal deadline (April 19, 2024 at 5:00 pm EST), which is also outlined in Section J, Paragraph (a) of this Special Notice for Qualifications. Any SF 330 submission received by the designated VBA personnel after the submittal deadline will be deemed ‘Late’ and will not be considered or evaluated by the SSEB.

Additionally, any modification and/or revision to the SF 330 submission must be received by VBA before the submittal deadline (April 19, 2024 at 5:00 pm EST). Any modification and/or revision to the SF 330 submission received by the designated VBA personnel after the submittal deadline will be deemed ‘Late’ and will not be considered or evaluated by the SSEB. However, the original SF 330 submission will constitute an acceptable submittal and will be considered for evaluation by the SSEB if a modification and/or a revision to the SF 330 submission is received by VBA after the submittal deadline.

L. FAR AND VAAR REFERENCES:

The FAR and VAAR citations referenced in this Special Notice for Qualifications may be accessed at the following websites:

FAR: https://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html

VAAR: https://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaar/

M. INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY – ATTENTION ALL SDVOSB CONCERNS:

This section is for informational purposes only. As previously denoted in Section D of this Special Notice for Qualifications, this is a total SDVOSB set-aside under VAAR 852.219-73. As required by 38 United States Code (U.S.C.) 8127(l)(2), prior to award of any contract under this Special Notice for Qualifications, the SDVOSB concern shall certify compliance with the Limitations on Subcontracting as set forth in Section E of this Special Notice for Qualifications and regulated under 13 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 125.6.

For A-E purposes, the SDVOSB concerns mean that your A-E Firm will not pay more than fifty percent (50%) of the amount paid by the Government to other Firms that are not SDVOSBs through SBA VetCert and/or SBA DSBS as set forth in VAAR 852.219-73. Any work that a similarly situated subcontractor (SDVOSB concern in SBA VetCert and/or SBA DSBS) further subcontracts will count towards and contribute to the fifty percent (50%) subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. “Similarly situated" pertains to other Firms that are contracted by your A-E Firm. "Similarly situated" is identified as other https://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html https://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaar/

Firms that are in the same, identical socio-economic program as your A-E Firm (namely, the SDVOSB program administered by SBA through VetCert and DSBS). Other direct costs may be excluded to the extent that the costs are not the principal purpose of the acquisition and to the extent that small business concerns do not provide the service as set forth in 13 CFR 125.6.

N. ATTACHMENTS:

See attached document: S02 Statement of Work.

See attached document: S02 Wage Rate Determination - Service Contract Act [Pinellas County, FL]

See attached document: S02 Limitations on Subcontracting Certificate of Compliance.

See attached document: S02 Past Performance Questionnaire.