Design-Build services for IRS Fire Alarm Modernization Project

The General Services Administration seeks design-build services to replace and modernize the fire alarm system at the Internal Revenue Service Headquarters Building in Washington, DC, with proposals due August 27, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This is a firm fixed-price procurement with no set-aside.

Place of performance is 1111 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20224, a historic seven-story federally owned building constructed between 1928 and 1936, containing 1.4 million gross square feet and housing approximately 2,600 IRS employees. The existing Edwards Signal EST 3 fire alarm system has reached end-of-life; the contractor must design and install a complete digital/addressable network voice evacuation emergency communication system, a bi-directional amplifier two-way radio communications enhancement system, and a two-way communication system compliant with the National Fire Alarm Code, NFPA 72, International Building Code, and GSA PBS Interim Core Building Standards. All personnel require HSPD-12 security clearance and PIV card issuance; contractors must obtain Enter on Duty determinations. Work must occur outside occupied hours (6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday–Friday) with the existing system remaining operational throughout construction. The contractor must design per PBS standards with fire alarm control panels serving no more than three floors, minimum three equipment distributors in the area, and dual vertical risers for redundancy. A third-party fire protection engineer (separate from the designer) must witness NFPA 72 acceptance testing.

The period of performance is 815 calendar days from Notice to Proceed: 275 days for design, 436 days to substantial completion, and 104 days for closeout. Liquidated damages are $2,058.40 per calendar day for failure to meet the substantial completion deadline. The contract value ranges from $20 million to $25 million. Evaluation is based on three equally weighted technical factors (Past Experience at 35%, Past Performance at 35%, and Site Specific Project Management Plan at 30%) plus total evaluated price. Offerors must demonstrate three similar projects completed within five years involving fire alarm replacement in occupied buildings of at least 800,000 gross square feet, with at least 70 percent self-performed work and minimum $15 million contract values. Key personnel must include a Project Manager with PMP Certification and five years' experience and an On-Site Construction Superintendent with Construction Manager Certification and three years' experience. A bid guarantee of 20 percent of bid price or $3 million (whichever is less) is required. Performance and payment bonds are required upon award. Davis-Bacon wage rates apply. The NAICS code is 236220, Commercial and Institutional Building Construction. Large businesses must submit a subcontracting plan. Amendment #1, posted August 11, 2026, extended the deadline from August 20 and incorporated government responses to 31 RFIs addressing manufacturer preference, contractor self-performance requirements, staffing roles, and technical clarifications including ground penetrating radar sufficiency and sprinkler modification authority. The pre-proposal conference and site visit are July 21, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., with registration due July 17 by 4:00 p.m. to douglas.tumbrello@gsa.gov.