36C25625C0036 Award and Justification Notice

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued a Special Notice for Project 667-25-811, which involves emergency fire main repair and isolation valve replacement at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. The notice, identified by Solicitation Number 36C25625C0036, documents an award to Utility Systems Solutions, Inc. of Dallas, TX, for a total contract value of $399,965.00. The contract was awarded on May 22, 2025, through the VA's Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System's Network Contracting Office 16, with Beth Cook serving as the contracting officer. The procurement was processed under a sole-source method using Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-2 statutory authority for unusual and compelling urgency.

The primary objective of this emergency contract was to address critical infrastructure vulnerabilities at the VA medical facility, specifically involving the repair of a 6" ductile pipe and replacement of four non-operable underground fire suppression isolation valves that compromised the facility's fire safety capabilities. The project required extensive underground utility work, including hydro-vac excavation, utility locates, concrete repair, and site restoration, with a compressed 20-day performance period. Utility Systems Solutions, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) already working on-site, was selected after market research identified 2,217 potential SDVOSB contractors. The VA determined the pricing to be fair and reasonable through comparison with independent government cost estimates and similar procurements documented in the Federal Procurement Data System. The contract falls under NAICS Category 238220 for Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors and PSC Category Z2NZ for Repair or Alteration of Other Utilities.