Basic Infrastructure Support Mechanism (BISM)

The Basic Infrastructure Support Mechanism (BISM) solicitation, issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), seeks qualified local construction contractors to provide infrastructure development services addressing needs in health, democracy and governance, education, youth, water, and economic growth sectors. The solicitation requires strict compliance with the Taylor Force Act, which prohibits assistance that directly benefits the Palestinian Authority, including infrastructure operated or maintained by PA ministries or bodies that would increase PA tax revenue. Key contract requirements include responsibility for permitting, safety coordination, environmental and climate risk mitigation, and adherence to international and local building codes and standards. Evaluation criteria assess technical approach, past performance on contracts of similar size and scope completed within the past three years, quality, cost control, timeliness, customer satisfaction, and personnel effectiveness. The solicitation underwent multiple amendments with final deadlines established as follows: questions deadline of July 6, 2023, revised proposals due date of July 30, 2023 at 4:00 PM local Tel Aviv time, and a mandatory pre-bid conference held on June 26, 2023 at AECOM's offices in Ramallah.

No set-aside designation was used for this procurement opportunity. The solicitation does not identify any incumbent contractors or specific names of current contract holders. The maximum contract value is $58 million over a five-year period of task order issuance, with individual task orders available as firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursement, or fixed-price contracts. Specific initial task order work includes the expansion and rehabilitation of two youth development resource centers in Tulkarem and Tubas, with construction of approximately 680 square meters at the Tulkarem site and 800 square meters at the Tubas site, requiring completion within 360 calendar days of notice to proceed. The place of performance encompasses the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, with site visits available for prospective offerors to inspect the project locations in Tulkarem and Tubas prior to proposal submission.