Electrical Switchboard Upgrade

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking quotations for an electrical switchboard upgrade and maintenance project through Request for Quotation (RFQ) solicitation number 12326926Q0001. The contractor will be responsible for upgrading the main power electrical switchboard at the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Cotton and Tobacco Program's Corpus Christi Classing Office by installing a new 1600A pressure switch and performing comprehensive repairs to ensure compliance with the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70, NFPA 70E, and OSHA electrical safety requirements. Key requirements include conducting a thorough inspection of the existing switchboard, addressing damaged or obsolete components, installing a service-entrance surge protection system, correcting code violations, installing arc-flash warning labels, providing as-built documentation and operations and maintenance manuals, and training USDA personnel on new safety features. Award will be made to the offeror representing the best value using lowest price technically acceptable evaluation criteria, considering price (including quantity and prompt payment discounts), technical acceptability of the brand name product or equal replacement, and past performance. Critical deadlines include a mandatory site visit on April 1, 2026 at 10:00 AM Central Time, a question submission deadline of March 27, 2026 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time, and a quotation due date of April 9, 2026 at 12:00 PM local time.

This is a Total Small Business Set-Aside with a small business size standard of $19.0 million under NAICS code 238210 (Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors); no current contractor information is identified in the solicitation materials. The contract will be awarded as a firm-fixed-price purchase order with performance bonds required, and the contractor must commence work within 10 calendar days of receiving the Notice to Proceed and complete all work within 90 calendar days thereafter, with a performance period from April 13, 2026 to July 13, 2026. The project will take place at the USDA facility in Corpus Christi, Texas, where the switchboard serves 18 High Volume Instrument machines, 6 Cotton Grader Terminals, and associated computer workstations that process approximately 15 to 18 million cotton samples annually. The solicitation incorporates Davis-Bacon Act wage rates for building construction projects in Nueces County, Texas, with prevailing wage requirements and paid sick leave mandates under Executive Orders 13706 and 13658. Offerors must hold prices firm for 90 calendar days from the offer receipt date, and all work must comply with local, state, and federal electrical codes and standards, with final acceptance contingent upon successful testing, commissioning, delivery of required documentation, and USDA approval of final inspection.