626-24-203_Cooling Tower and Chillers

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Integrated Service Network 9, seeks to upgrade cooling towers and chillers at the Nashville VA Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, with sealed offers due September 9, 2026 at 1:00 PM Central Time. The procurement is a 100% set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), restricted to firms certified in the SBA Small Business Search registry.

The work involves furnishing all labor, materials, equipment, and supervision to install two new Marley NC8409TAN2 cooling towers (no substitutions permitted), new condenser water lines, pumps, structural platforms, and electrical upgrades including a new Automatic Transfer Switch, with N+1 redundancy for the condenser water system. Place of performance is Nashville, Tennessee (Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, 1310 24th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212). The NAICS code is 238220, Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors; PSC is Z2DA.

The estimated project magnitude is between $5 million and $10 million under a firm-fixed-price contract. The base bid covers the complete upgrade project with 548 calendar days from Notice to Proceed, plus three deductive bid alternates. A critical constraint requires completion of Fan Room #2 work by February 28, with all hospital-impact work occurring during nights and weekends only. The contractor must maintain 24/7 medical center operations, coordinate with the Contracting Officer's Representative for utility interruptions (requiring 14 days advance notice for electrical shutdowns), maintain minimum 40°F facility temperature, and comply with strict security and document control procedures within an active federal medical facility.

Evaluation uses Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) criteria, weighting relevant construction experience, key personnel experience, and past performance (three CPARS demonstrating satisfactory ratings). SDVOSB subcontracting limits are 75% maximum to non-SDVOSB firms (excluding materials); specialty trade contractors must perform 25% of personnel costs as self-performed work. A bid guarantee of 20% of bid price or $3 million, whichever is less, is required. Amendment 0003, effective August 18, 2026, mandates JA-Marley Towers as the required brand with no substitutions. Amendment 0002, effective August 4, 2026, provides contractor question responses and cites February 28 as a hard completion deadline for Fan Room #2 work.