RFI Prequalification Answers - W912HV27BA001.pdf

ID Please enter your RFI / Bidder Inquiry here. Please submit only 1 Question at a time. Answer

A Japanese kyodo kigyotai is not separately registered with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and therefore cannot appear on the etsuran system in its own right. For a joint venture offeror, please confirm whether Factor 1 is satisfied by submission of each member's doboku isshiki koji or kenchiku isshiki koji license, or whether the Government requires the joint venture entity itself to be verifiable on the MLIT website.

If member licenses are acceptable, please confirm whether every member must hold a qualifying license or whether at least one member holding a qualifying license is sufficient.

For a joint venture offeror, Factor 1 is satisfied by submission of each member's doboku isshiki koji or kenchiku isshiki koji license. See revised factor 1.

Note (1) imposes a significant involvement standard on a parent, subsidiary or affiliate firm whose experience is submitted, requiring the offeror to describe the workforce, management, facilities and other resources that firm will contribute. Where the experience submitted is instead that of a member of the offeror joint venture, does the Government apply an equivalent standard. Specifically, must the offeror state that member's percentage of work, equity share or designated managing partner role, and must the joint venture agreement identify the resources that member will contribute. Would a change to that percentage or role between prequalification and bid opening affect the validity of the prequalification.

No. The Government does not apply the 'significant involvement' standard detailed in Note (1) to individual members of a bidding Joint Venture (Kyodo Kigyotai).

Factor 4 permits a project that included seismic retrofit work or a structurally comparable renovation, but the term is not defined. Please confirm whether the following qualify as structurally comparable: seismic strengthening performed under the Japanese Building Standard Law (taishin kaishu), addition of braced frames or shear walls, reinforced concrete column and beam jacketing, carbon fiber or steel plate wrapping of structural members, base isolation or supplemental damper retrofit, and foundation strengthening or underpinning.

Please also confirm whether new construction designed to current seismic criteria, without any existing structure retrofit component, satisfies Factor 4.

Seismic strengthening performed under the Japanese Building Standard Law (taishin kaishu) is not applicable. This experience shall be under DoD Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) requirements.

Experience with the addition of braced frames or shear walls, reinforced concrete column and beam jacketing, carbon fiber or steel plate wrapping of structural members, base isolation or supplemental damper retrofit, and foundation strengthening or underpinning is applicable in totality (overall), but not alone (in isolation); foundation strengthening / underpinning, on its own, is inadequate. No, new construction designed to current seismic criteria, without any existing structure retrofit component is not applicable.

Paragraph 6.e states that a separate Factor 4 project must still meet Factor 2 items (1) and (2). Please confirm that a Factor 4 project is not required to meet the value threshold in Factor 2 item (4) or the whole facility scope requirement in Factor 2 item (5). Separately, paragraph 2.c states that contractors must receive GO for Factor 1 and ACCEPTABLE for Factors 2 and 3 to participate in the Invitation for Bids, while paragraph 7.c requires ACCEPTABLE for Factors 2, 3 and 4. Please confirm whether Factor 4 is a pass or fail requirement for prequalification.

No, under Factor 4 (Seismic Retrofit Experience) is not required to meet the minimum value threshold of Factor 2, item (4) or the whole-facility scope of Factor 2, item (5). Yes, regarding Factor 4 as a Pass/Fail Requirement: The Government confirms that Factor 4 is a pass/fail requirement. The notice is revised to reflect the change.

Where the Factor 2 project was performed by a single member of the offeror joint venture, please confirm that a Past Performance Questionnaire or Contractor Performance Assessment Report in that member's name satisfies Factor 3 for the joint venture as a whole, including where the project was performed by a differently composed joint venture in which that member participated. Factor 2 does not limit qualifying projects to United States Government work, and no CPAR exists for a project performed for a private, commercial or Japanese Government client. Please confirm that a Past Performance Questionnaire signed by an authorized representative of such a client is acceptable for Factor 3.

The Government's response is as follows:

1. Regarding Past Performance of a JV Member: Yes, the Government confirms that for a Joint Venture (Kyodo Kigyotai) offeror, a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) or Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) for a relevant project performed by a single member of the JV will be considered as the past performance of the JV entity as a whole for the purpose of evaluating Factor 3.

2. Regarding Non-U.S. Government Projects: Yes, the Government confirms that a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) is acceptable for factor 3

Criterion (5) requires new construction or renovation that included whole facility interior and exterior construction or renovation, including but not limited to complete interior architectural finishes, mechanical and HVAC, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems.

Please confirm whether all five listed disciplines must be present within a single project, and whether the exterior element requires building envelope work such as roofing, window or curtain wall replacement. Please also confirm whether a phased renovation performed in an occupied facility satisfies criterion (5), whether new construction of a complete facility satisfies it, and whether a single contract covering multiple buildings may be submitted as one project with the combined contract value applied to criterion (4).

The Government's response is as follows: 1. Regarding the five listed disciplines: Yes. all five listed disciplines must be present within a single project.

2. Regarding the exterior element: Yes, the exterior element requires building envelope work such as roofing, window or curtain wall replacement.

3. Regarding phased renovations: Yes, a phased renovation performed in an occupied facility satisfies criterion (5).

4. Regarding new construction: Yes, new construction of a complete facility does satisfy Criterion (5), provided it was a "whole building" effort that included the integration of multiple major systems.

5. Regarding multiple buildings under a single contract: Yes, a single contract covering multiple buildings may be submitted as one project with the combined contract value applied to criterion (4).

The criterion states a total contract value greater than or equal to 5,000,000,000 Japanese yen or 30,000,000 U.S. dollars equivalent. These two figures are not equivalent at prevailing exchange rates. For a project awarded and performed in Japanese yen, please confirm that the yen figure controls. If a U.S. dollar conversion is applied, please state the exchange rate source and the effective date used, whether contract award date, physical completion date, or the prequalification due date. Please also confirm whether the threshold is measured against original award value or final contract value including modifications.

The notice revised to remove $30M USD equivalent verbiage.

The project description adds hazardous materials abatement, which for a facility constructed in 1992 would likely include asbestos containing materials, PCB in lighting ballasts and possibly transformers, lead based coatings, and CFC or HCFC refrigerant recovery from existing HVAC equipment. Please confirm whether abatement will be included in the base contract or performed under a separate Government contract. If included, has a pre demolition hazardous materials survey been completed for B743 and will that survey be issued with the Invitation for Bids. Please also confirm whether Japanese abatement licensing and notification requirements, including the tokutei kenchikubutsu pre demolition survey and the Article 88 notification, will be evaluated under any prequalification factor.

Yes, a hazardous materials abatement will be included in the base contract. Yes, a pre-demolition hazardous materials survey has been completed for B743 and that survey will be issued with the Invitation for Bids.

No, Japanese abatement licensing and notification requirements, including the tokutei kenchikubutsu pre demolition survey and the Article 88 notification will not be evaluated under any prequalification factor.

Building 743 was constructed in 1992 and would have been designed under the post 1981 Japanese seismic provisions, so the extent of the retrofit is not evident from the project description. Please identify the governing seismic criteria, whether ASCE 41 with a stated performance objective, the applicable Unified Facilities Criteria, or the Japanese Building Standard Law taishin shindan and taishin kaishu framework using an Is value target. Has the Government completed a seismic evaluation of B743, and will the Invitation for Bids include a prescriptive retrofit design or will the seismic retrofit be a delegated design by the contractor.

DoD Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) requirements shall govern. Yes, the US Government has completed a seismic evaluation. The seismic retrofit design will be included in the contract documents, and not a delegated design by the Contractor.

Please confirm whether B743 will be fully vacated for the duration of construction or whether the work will be phased around occupied units, and if phased, whether the Government will define the phasing sequence in the Invitation for Bids or leave it to the contractor. Please also state the anticipated performance period and whether unit by unit or floor by floor turnover is required.

No phasing as building will be fully vacated for the duration of construction. Anticipated period of performance is 910 days. No requirements for either unit-by-unit or floor-by-floor turnover.

Paragraph b of the Local Sources section states the license must be accurately shown on the MLIT website by the proposal due date and time, while the prequalification notice requires it by the prequalification due date and time. Please confirm which date controls for prequalification eligibility.

The date specified in the Prequalification Notice (W912HV27BA001) 9 Sep 2026. No paragraph b of the local sources section exist in the notice.

The Local Sources section permits either the joint venture as an independent entity to satisfy the local source requirements or each member to satisfy them individually. Please confirm this alternative applies to the prequalification, and confirm whether a Japan registered branch or subsidiary of a foreign parent qualifies as a local source where that entity is itself licensed and registered to perform construction in Japan.

The local sources section does not exist in the notice. Please follow instructions as provided.

The stated magnitude spans 10,000,000,000 to 25,000,000,000 Japanese yen, which is a wide range for a sealed bid procurement. Please confirm whether the Invitation for Bids will include option items, additive or deductive bid items, and whether award will be based on the base bid alone or the base bid plus options.

Understood, this information will be provided to qualified bidders in the solicitation when issued.

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