Building 154 Cooling Tower Media Replacement

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service seeks replacement of cooling tower media and related components at Building 154 of its National Centers for Animal Health facility in Ames, Iowa, with proposals due July 30, 2026, and questions due July 20. This is a Total Small Business set-aside with a small business size standard of $45.0 million.

Place of performance is Ames, Iowa (1920 Dayton Avenue, Building 154, National Animal Disease Center). The project involves demolition and removal of existing fill and drift eliminators from 12 cells across six two-cell Marley cooling towers, replacement of fill area casing panels with stainless steel, and installation of Marley MX75 hanging fill (15 mil thick with integral louvers per ASTM E-84) and XCEL TU triple-pass drift eliminators across all cells. The contractor must also repair a fiberglass-reinforced polymer inner fan cylinder and complete mechanical preventive maintenance tasks. The anticipated project magnitude is between $1.0 million and $5.0 million. NAICS code 236220, Commercial and Institutional Building Construction; PSC J041.

The contractor must commence work within 10 calendar days of receiving notice to proceed and complete all work within 180 calendar days. Performance and payment bonds are required within 10 calendar days of award. Site visit attendance on July 17, 2026, at 9:00 AM is mandatory to submit an offer; registration closes July 16 at 3:00 PM. All personnel must be U.S. Citizens with REAL ID; foreign nationals are not permitted. A Superintendent must be a prime contractor employee and remain onsite during all construction work. The contractor is responsible for coordinating storage area location and receiving all deliveries; the USDA will not accept direct deliveries. Award goes to the lowest-priced technically acceptable offer with acceptable or neutral past performance, evaluated on detailed performance capability explanation, site-specific technical approach, mandatory site visit attendance, and two recent verifiable projects with location, company/agency name, price, dates, and reference contacts. Amendment 1 issued July 23 clarified key personnel roles, extended performance periods for material delays, mandated OEM design compliance (rejecting substitute fill materials), and specified that contractors navigate applicable state tax exemption processes.