656-22-341 Conduct Substation Upgrade

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Integrated Service Network 23, is soliciting bids for electrical infrastructure construction services under Solicitation Number 36C26326B0024 to conduct a substation upgrade at the Saint Cloud VA Medical Center. The contractor must furnish all labor, materials, tools, and equipment to remove and replace two 5000 KVA utility-grade transformers with 6000 KVA units, remove and replace 16 medium-voltage transformers ranging from 30 KVA to 750 KVA, install passive anti-ram rated bollards compliant with ASTM F2656 crash rating standards (minimum M30/P1), and replace transformer pads with new concrete pads meeting 4000 psi strength specifications. Key contract requirements include submission of an Accident Prevention Plan, Activity Hazard Analyses, a Quality Control Plan, development of a phased outage plan maintaining loop continuity with minimum two-week advance notice for power disruptions, and compliance with NFPA 70, 70B, and 70E standards along with OSHA requirements. The solicitation specifies a formal site visit on April 13, 2026 at 10:00 AM CT, with technical questions due by April 27, 2026 at 10:00 AM CT submitted to dwayne.brauch@va.gov, and sealed bids due May 11, 2026 at 10:00 AM CDT submitted electronically in PDF format with a maximum file size of 5 megabytes.

This solicitation is set aside exclusively for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) concerns under 38 USC 8127, restricting competition to certified SDVOSB construction firms. The estimated construction cost range is $5,000,000 to $10,000,000, with the contract timeline spanning 870 calendar days from Notice to Proceed for substantial completion. The project requires performance and payment bonds in the amount of 100 percent of the awarded contract price within 10 days of award, and contractors must comply with Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rates as established in the wage determination for Stearns County, Minnesota, with rates ranging from $16.10 to $62.52 per hour for base wages plus applicable fringe benefits. Work will be performed at the Saint Cloud VA Medical Center in Saint Cloud, Minnesota 56303, with regular working hours of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays, and any outside-hours work requires two-week advance notice and approval. An alternate deduct option (Bid Item I) allows deletion of transformer TF-50 furnishing and installation from the contract scope, and awarded contractors must comply with SDVOSB subcontracting limitations under which general construction contractors cannot pay more than 85 percent of government payments to non-certified SDVOSB or VOSB firms.