Evapco cooling tower

The Department of the Air Force Air Education and Training Command has issued a pre-solicitation notice for the procurement of an EVAPCO COOLING TOWER 250 TON, Model ATW 238-3J-2 CLOSED CIRCUIT COOLER for Building 1002 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. This procurement represents a brand name requirement justified by the need to maintain compatibility with the building's existing HVAC system and controls, which were originally installed during the 2002-2003 construction period. The agency emphasizes that only this specific EVAPCO cooling tower model can operate within the building's unique closed-loop climate control system without compromising the safety of military and civilian personnel. Interested manufacturers who believe they can produce an equally capable cooling tower that meets the precise specifications must submit a capability statement with detailed supporting evidence demonstrating their ability to fulfill the requirement and prove that competition would be more advantageous to the government. The pre-solicitation was posted on July 28, 2025, with responses due by August 12, 2025.

This procurement does not utilize any set-aside designation and appears to be open to all qualified manufacturers who can demonstrate equivalent capabilities to the specified EVAPCO model. While no current contractor or incumbent is explicitly named, EVAPCO appears to be the original equipment manufacturer whose cooling towers were installed during the building's initial construction and renovation phases. The solicitation does not specify award values or budget ranges, focusing instead on the technical requirements for a single 250-ton cooling tower unit. The government's emphasis on standardization aims to reduce total cost of ownership by enabling in-house maintenance and repair capabilities, eliminating the need for training on multiple different systems, and avoiding the installation of entirely different control systems. Technical specifications indicate the cooling tower has operating and shipping weights of 9,700 lbs and 2,680 lbs respectively, with detailed engineering drawings provided to potential vendors.