333302-26RF-0010008 Design Build - SERC Solar Arrays for Agrivoltaics Research
Closed Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- 333302-26RF-0010008
- Agency
-
Smithsonian Institution
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
- PSC
- 6117 Solar Electric Power Systems
- Place of performance
- Edgewater, Maryland 21037, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Smithsonian Institution sought design-build construction of a 2.0 megawatt DC solar photovoltaic system for agrivoltaics research, with proposals originally due June 22, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. ET, extended to June 29, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. ET via Amendment 5. The procurement used full and open competition with no set-aside. Award was made to CMTA, Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, at an estimated $6.7 million from six proposals received.
Place of performance is Edgewater, Maryland, on approximately 12 acres of agricultural land at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), 647 Contees Wharf Road. The system comprises four distinct array configurations with varying heights and row spacing to enable concurrent agricultural research and education. NAICS codes are 236220 (Commercial and Institutional Building Construction), 237130 (Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction), 221114 (Solar Electric Power Generation), and 541330 (Engineering Services); size standards range from $45.0 to $47.0 million across codes.
The base bid scope includes design, permitting, construction, site infrastructure, electrical interconnection to Baltimore Gas & Electric via Option 2 (2,000 kW AC capacity with $600,000 BGE reimbursable allowance), commissioning, and a $5.0 to $10.0 million estimated cost range. Modules and inverters must be U.S. manufactured. DC-to-AC ratio is approximately 1.2. Compliance required: NEC 2023, IEEE 1547:2018, UL standards, and BGE requirements including IEEE 1547-2018 and UL-1741-SB certification with BGE smart inverter default settings. Contractor must provide 25-year module warranty and 10-year warranties on inverters and racking. On-site work commences within 60 days of Notice to Proceed; project completion is 434 calendar days. Performance and payment bonds at 100 percent of total evaluated contract value are required. Comprehensive insurance includes $5 million commercial general liability and $2 million professional liability.
Amendment 4 removed perimeter fencing from base scope and introduced four pricing options: deductive pricing for removal of 0.5 MW DC capacity and additive pricing for 8-foot chain link fencing with one non-powered 25-foot gate. Optional scope covers one year of operations and maintenance (no solar panel washing) with four one-year renewal options, and an agricultural water well system with distribution network at 250 gpm per array.
Small Business subcontracting plan required: 40 percent of subcontracting dollars to small businesses, 7 percent to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rates apply per Anne Arundel County Maryland determinations. Mandatory site visit held May 4, 2026; Amendment 1 made attendance optional for eligibility. Questions due May 18, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. EST. Technical and cost proposals submitted separately. Source selection used best-value procedures weighting technical factors more heavily than cost, evaluating design-build team qualifications and past performance, schedule and plan of accomplishment, concept design submission, and price.
Notice text
6 versions
Update #6 · Latest ·
Thank you for your efforts in submitting a proposal to the subject Solicitation. You are hereby notified that the award has been made to the following:
CMTA, Inc.
2751 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 570
Fairfax, VA 22031
Award Amount: Estimated $6.7M
Number of Offerors Solicitated: Full and Open
Number of Proposals Received: 6
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 5: Due date extended until June 29, 2026 at 3:00PM ET
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 4: Clarifications, Revision to Fencing Requirements, Addition of Pricing Options, Bid Schedule Replacement (5R), and Site Visit Availability.
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 3: GIS Site Boundary, Clarification of Project Limits, and Responses to Selected RFIs
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 2 : Response to RFI's
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 1 : Changes in required attendance for pre-proposal meeting and/or guided site visit. Attached pre-proposal meeting slides, video and sign in sheet.
The Smithsonian Institution (“Smithsonian”) is providing this Solicitation for a design build contract of a Solar Array System for Agrivoltaics Research.
The applicable North American Industry Classification Codes (“NAICS”) are:
- 236220 - Commercial and Institutional Building Construction size standard is $45.0 million.
- 237130 - Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction size standard is $45.0 million.
- 221114 - Solar Electric Power Generation size standard 500 employees
- 541330 – Engineering Services size standard is $47.0 million
Project Information:
The Work includes but is not limited to the following:
The design and construction of a ground mounted Photovoltaic (PV) system (henceforth to be referred to as “agrivoltaics”) consisting of four distinct configurations (arrays) with a total output of 2.0 Megawatts (MW) DC, for the purpose of agrivoltaics research.
The project will be located on approximately 12 acres of agricultural land on SI property, located behind the Woodlawn House on Contees Wharf Rd. in Edgewater, MD 21037. This property is part of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) located at 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037.
TOUR OF THE SITE:
Offerors are required to attend a pre-proposal meeting at the site on Monday, May 4, 2026, at 9:00 AM at the SERC Schmidt Conference Center at 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037. This meeting will allow Offerors to see the site, proposed connection points and related details. Firsthand information about the site will be essential for preparing offers. No questions about the RFP will be answered at the site visit. Offerors can contact Christine Grant at grantca@si.edu to schedule. Failure to visit the site will not constitute a basis for a claim for change due to differing site conditions.
QUESTIONS/ SUBMITTALS
It is desired that all questions be sent in word format, sequentially numbered for example first questions 1, 2, 3, second set of questions 4, 5, 6, etc. to grantca@si.edu. It is requested that all questions be sent in by Monday May 18, 2026, no later than 3PM EST. All answers to every question from any offeror will be provided in writing to all offerors on SAM.gov.
SUBMISSION:
Proposals must be submitted via Dropbox no later than 3:00 PM on Monday June 22, 2026, using the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/DeP3uaIaA1weP7iTVWiJ . Each file shall be labeled with the Company Name, File Name, Solicitation Name/Number.
If any pricing information is on the Technical Proposal, you will be disqualified.
SUBCONTRACTING PLAN REQUIREMENTS:
The successful Offeror submits with their proposal a Small Business Subcontracting Plan which will be evaluated for compliance with FAR 19.7.
For the purposes of this project, the following goals are considered reasonable and achievable during the term of the contract:
40 % a minimum of the planned subcontracting dollars to be placed with small business concerns. (The following are subsets of the small business goal):
7 % a minimum of the planned subcontracting dollars to be placed with service-disabled Veteran owned small business (SDVSB) concerns
Update #5 ·
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 5: Due date extended until June 29, 2026 at 3:00PM ET
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 4: Clarifications, Revision to Fencing Requirements, Addition of Pricing Options, Bid Schedule Replacement (5R), and Site Visit Availability.
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 3: GIS Site Boundary, Clarification of Project Limits, and Responses to Selected RFIs
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 2 : Response to RFI's
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 1 : Changes in required attendance for pre-proposal meeting and/or guided site visit. Attached pre-proposal meeting slides, video and sign in sheet.
The Smithsonian Institution (“Smithsonian”) is providing this Solicitation for a design build contract of a Solar Array System for Agrivoltaics Research.
The applicable North American Industry Classification Codes (“NAICS”) are:
- 236220 - Commercial and Institutional Building Construction size standard is $45.0 million.
- 237130 - Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction size standard is $45.0 million.
- 221114 - Solar Electric Power Generation size standard 500 employees
- 541330 – Engineering Services size standard is $47.0 million
Project Information:
The Work includes but is not limited to the following:
The design and construction of a ground mounted Photovoltaic (PV) system (henceforth to be referred to as “agrivoltaics”) consisting of four distinct configurations (arrays) with a total output of 2.0 Megawatts (MW) DC, for the purpose of agrivoltaics research.
The project will be located on approximately 12 acres of agricultural land on SI property, located behind the Woodlawn House on Contees Wharf Rd. in Edgewater, MD 21037. This property is part of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) located at 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037.
TOUR OF THE SITE:
Offerors are required to attend a pre-proposal meeting at the site on Monday, May 4, 2026, at 9:00 AM at the SERC Schmidt Conference Center at 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037. This meeting will allow Offerors to see the site, proposed connection points and related details. Firsthand information about the site will be essential for preparing offers. No questions about the RFP will be answered at the site visit. Offerors can contact Christine Grant at grantca@si.edu to schedule. Failure to visit the site will not constitute a basis for a claim for change due to differing site conditions.
QUESTIONS/ SUBMITTALS
It is desired that all questions be sent in word format, sequentially numbered for example first questions 1, 2, 3, second set of questions 4, 5, 6, etc. to grantca@si.edu. It is requested that all questions be sent in by Monday May 18, 2026, no later than 3PM EST. All answers to every question from any offeror will be provided in writing to all offerors on SAM.gov.
SUBMISSION:
Proposals must be submitted via Dropbox no later than 3:00 PM on Monday June 22, 2026, using the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/DeP3uaIaA1weP7iTVWiJ . Each file shall be labeled with the Company Name, File Name, Solicitation Name/Number.
If any pricing information is on the Technical Proposal, you will be disqualified.
SUBCONTRACTING PLAN REQUIREMENTS:
The successful Offeror submits with their proposal a Small Business Subcontracting Plan which will be evaluated for compliance with FAR 19.7.
For the purposes of this project, the following goals are considered reasonable and achievable during the term of the contract:
40 % a minimum of the planned subcontracting dollars to be placed with small business concerns. (The following are subsets of the small business goal):
7 % a minimum of the planned subcontracting dollars to be placed with service-disabled Veteran owned small business (SDVSB) concerns
Update #4 ·
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 4: Clarifications, Revision to Fencing Requirements, Addition of Pricing Options, Bid Schedule Replacement (5R), and Site Visit Availability.
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 3: GIS Site Boundary, Clarification of Project Limits, and Responses to Selected RFIs
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 2 : Response to RFI's
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 1 : Changes in required attendance for pre-proposal meeting and/or guided site visit. Attached pre-proposal meeting slides, video and sign in sheet.
The Smithsonian Institution (“Smithsonian”) is providing this Solicitation for a design build contract of a Solar Array System for Agrivoltaics Research.
The applicable North American Industry Classification Codes (“NAICS”) are:
- 236220 - Commercial and Institutional Building Construction size standard is $45.0 million.
- 237130 - Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction size standard is $45.0 million.
- 221114 - Solar Electric Power Generation size standard 500 employees
- 541330 – Engineering Services size standard is $47.0 million
Project Information:
The Work includes but is not limited to the following:
The design and construction of a ground mounted Photovoltaic (PV) system (henceforth to be referred to as “agrivoltaics”) consisting of four distinct configurations (arrays) with a total output of 2.0 Megawatts (MW) DC, for the purpose of agrivoltaics research.
The project will be located on approximately 12 acres of agricultural land on SI property, located behind the Woodlawn House on Contees Wharf Rd. in Edgewater, MD 21037. This property is part of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) located at 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037.
TOUR OF THE SITE:
Offerors are required to attend a pre-proposal meeting at the site on Monday, May 4, 2026, at 9:00 AM at the SERC Schmidt Conference Center at 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037. This meeting will allow Offerors to see the site, proposed connection points and related details. Firsthand information about the site will be essential for preparing offers. No questions about the RFP will be answered at the site visit. Offerors can contact Christine Grant at grantca@si.edu to schedule. Failure to visit the site will not constitute a basis for a claim for change due to differing site conditions.
QUESTIONS/ SUBMITTALS
It is desired that all questions be sent in word format, sequentially numbered for example first questions 1, 2, 3, second set of questions 4, 5, 6, etc. to grantca@si.edu. It is requested that all questions be sent in by Monday May 18, 2026, no later than 3PM EST. All answers to every question from any offeror will be provided in writing to all offerors on SAM.gov.
SUBMISSION:
Proposals must be submitted via Dropbox no later than 3:00 PM on Monday June 22, 2026, using the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/DeP3uaIaA1weP7iTVWiJ . Each file shall be labeled with the Company Name, File Name, Solicitation Name/Number.
If any pricing information is on the Technical Proposal, you will be disqualified.
SUBCONTRACTING PLAN REQUIREMENTS:
The successful Offeror submits with their proposal a Small Business Subcontracting Plan which will be evaluated for compliance with FAR 19.7.
For the purposes of this project, the following goals are considered reasonable and achievable during the term of the contract:
40 % a minimum of the planned subcontracting dollars to be placed with small business concerns. (The following are subsets of the small business goal):
7 % a minimum of the planned subcontracting dollars to be placed with service-disabled Veteran owned small business (SDVSB) concerns
Update #3 ·
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 2 : Response to RFI's
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 1 : Changes in required attendance for pre-proposal meeting and/or guided site visit. Attached pre-proposal meeting slides, video and sign in sheet.
The Smithsonian Institution (“Smithsonian”) is providing this Solicitation for a design build contract of a Solar Array System for Agrivoltaics Research.
The applicable North American Industry Classification Codes (“NAICS”) are:
- 236220 - Commercial and Institutional Building Construction size standard is $45.0 million.
- 237130 - Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction size standard is $45.0 million.
- 221114 - Solar Electric Power Generation size standard 500 employees
- 541330 – Engineering Services size standard is $47.0 million
Project Information:
The Work includes but is not limited to the following:
The design and construction of a ground mounted Photovoltaic (PV) system (henceforth to be referred to as “agrivoltaics”) consisting of four distinct configurations (arrays) with a total output of 2.0 Megawatts (MW) DC, for the purpose of agrivoltaics research.
The project will be located on approximately 12 acres of agricultural land on SI property, located behind the Woodlawn House on Contees Wharf Rd. in Edgewater, MD 21037. This property is part of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) located at 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037.
TOUR OF THE SITE:
Offerors are required to attend a pre-proposal meeting at the site on Monday, May 4, 2026, at 9:00 AM at the SERC Schmidt Conference Center at 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037. This meeting will allow Offerors to see the site, proposed connection points and related details. Firsthand information about the site will be essential for preparing offers. No questions about the RFP will be answered at the site visit. Offerors can contact Christine Grant at grantca@si.edu to schedule. Failure to visit the site will not constitute a basis for a claim for change due to differing site conditions.
QUESTIONS/ SUBMITTALS
It is desired that all questions be sent in word format, sequentially numbered for example first questions 1, 2, 3, second set of questions 4, 5, 6, etc. to grantca@si.edu. It is requested that all questions be sent in by Monday May 18, 2026, no later than 3PM EST. All answers to every question from any offeror will be provided in writing to all offerors on SAM.gov.
SUBMISSION:
Proposals must be submitted via Dropbox no later than 3:00 PM on Monday June 22, 2026, using the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/DeP3uaIaA1weP7iTVWiJ . Each file shall be labeled with the Company Name, File Name, Solicitation Name/Number.
If any pricing information is on the Technical Proposal, you will be disqualified.
SUBCONTRACTING PLAN REQUIREMENTS:
The successful Offeror submits with their proposal a Small Business Subcontracting Plan which will be evaluated for compliance with FAR 19.7.
For the purposes of this project, the following goals are considered reasonable and achievable during the term of the contract:
40 % a minimum of the planned subcontracting dollars to be placed with small business concerns. (The following are subsets of the small business goal):
7 % a minimum of the planned subcontracting dollars to be placed with service-disabled Veteran owned small business (SDVSB) concerns
Update #2 ·
>>>>>>>>>> Amendment 1 : Changes in required attendance for pre-proposal meeting and/or guided site visit. Attached pre-proposal meeting slides, video and sign in sheet.
The Smithsonian Institution (“Smithsonian”) is providing this Solicitation for a design build contract of a Solar Array System for Agrivoltaics Research.
The applicable North American Industry Classification Codes (“NAICS”) are:
- 236220 - Commercial and Institutional Building Construction size standard is $45.0 million.
- 237130 - Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction size standard is $45.0 million.
- 221114 - Solar Electric Power Generation size standard 500 employees
- 541330 – Engineering Services size standard is $47.0 million
Project Information:
The Work includes but is not limited to the following:
The design and construction of a ground mounted Photovoltaic (PV) system (henceforth to be referred to as “agrivoltaics”) consisting of four distinct configurations (arrays) with a total output of 2.0 Megawatts (MW) DC, for the purpose of agrivoltaics research.
The project will be located on approximately 12 acres of agricultural land on SI property, located behind the Woodlawn House on Contees Wharf Rd. in Edgewater, MD 21037. This property is part of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) located at 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037.
TOUR OF THE SITE:
Offerors are required to attend a pre-proposal meeting at the site on Monday, May 4, 2026, at 9:00 AM at the SERC Schmidt Conference Center at 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037. This meeting will allow Offerors to see the site, proposed connection points and related details. Firsthand information about the site will be essential for preparing offers. No questions about the RFP will be answered at the site visit. Offerors can contact Christine Grant at grantca@si.edu to schedule. Failure to visit the site will not constitute a basis for a claim for change due to differing site conditions.
QUESTIONS/ SUBMITTALS
It is desired that all questions be sent in word format, sequentially numbered for example first questions 1, 2, 3, second set of questions 4, 5, 6, etc. to grantca@si.edu. It is requested that all questions be sent in by Monday May 18, 2026, no later than 3PM EST. All answers to every question from any offeror will be provided in writing to all offerors on SAM.gov.
SUBMISSION:
Proposals must be submitted via Dropbox no later than 3:00 PM on Monday June 22, 2026, using the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/DeP3uaIaA1weP7iTVWiJ . Each file shall be labeled with the Company Name, File Name, Solicitation Name/Number.
If any pricing information is on the Technical Proposal, you will be disqualified.
SUBCONTRACTING PLAN REQUIREMENTS:
The successful Offeror submits with their proposal a Small Business Subcontracting Plan which will be evaluated for compliance with FAR 19.7.
For the purposes of this project, the following goals are considered reasonable and achievable during the term of the contract:
40 % a minimum of the planned subcontracting dollars to be placed with small business concerns. (The following are subsets of the small business goal):
7 % a minimum of the planned subcontracting dollars to be placed with service-disabled Veteran owned small business (SDVSB) concerns
Update #1 ·
The Smithsonian Institution (“Smithsonian”) is providing this Solicitation for a design build contract of a Solar Array System for Agrivoltaics Research.
The applicable North American Industry Classification Codes (“NAICS”) are:
- 236220 - Commercial and Institutional Building Construction size standard is $45.0 million.
- 237130 - Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction size standard is $45.0 million.
- 221114 - Solar Electric Power Generation size standard 500 employees
- 541330 – Engineering Services size standard is $47.0 million
Project Information:
The Work includes but is not limited to the following:
The design and construction of a ground mounted Photovoltaic (PV) system (henceforth to be referred to as “agrivoltaics”) consisting of four distinct configurations (arrays) with a total output of 2.0 Megawatts (MW) DC, for the purpose of agrivoltaics research.
The project will be located on approximately 12 acres of agricultural land on SI property, located behind the Woodlawn House on Contees Wharf Rd. in Edgewater, MD 21037. This property is part of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) located at 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037.
TOUR OF THE SITE:
Offerors are required to attend a pre-proposal meeting at the site on Monday, May 4, 2026, at 9:00 AM at the SERC Schmidt Conference Center at 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037. This meeting will allow Offerors to see the site, proposed connection points and related details. Firsthand information about the site will be essential for preparing offers. No questions about the RFP will be answered at the site visit. Offerors can contact Christine Grant at grantca@si.edu to schedule. Failure to visit the site will not constitute a basis for a claim for change due to differing site conditions.
QUESTIONS/ SUBMITTALS
It is desired that all questions be sent in word format, sequentially numbered for example first questions 1, 2, 3, second set of questions 4, 5, 6, etc. to grantca@si.edu. It is requested that all questions be sent in by Monday May 18, 2026, no later than 3PM EST. All answers to every question from any offeror will be provided in writing to all offerors on SAM.gov.
SUBMISSION:
Proposals must be submitted via Dropbox no later than 3:00 PM on Monday June 22, 2026, using the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/DeP3uaIaA1weP7iTVWiJ . Each file shall be labeled with the Company Name, File Name, Solicitation Name/Number.
If any pricing information is on the Technical Proposal, you will be disqualified.
SUBCONTRACTING PLAN REQUIREMENTS:
The successful Offeror submits with their proposal a Small Business Subcontracting Plan which will be evaluated for compliance with FAR 19.7.
For the purposes of this project, the following goals are considered reasonable and achievable during the term of the contract:
40 % a minimum of the planned subcontracting dollars to be placed with small business concerns. (The following are subsets of the small business goal):
7 % a minimum of the planned subcontracting dollars to be placed with service-disabled Veteran owned small business (SDVSB) concerns
Files
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Notice history
| Notice | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| This notice | Solicitation | |
| 333302-26RF-0010008 SERC Solar Arrays for Agrivoltaics Research | Pre-Solicitation |
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