Guard Booth - Austin

The Internal Revenue Service seeks demolition and installation of two 4' x 4' Durasteel bullet-resistant guard booths at Gates 2 and 3 of its Austin Campus, with proposals due September 18, 2026. This is a total small business set-aside; conflicting source documents identify the set-aside as either "Total Small Business" or "Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)" at 100%, and clarification is warranted.

Place of performance is Austin, Texas (3651 S IH 35, 78741). The booths must meet Interagency Security Committee Level IV or higher standards, with ballistic protection meeting UL 752 Level 8 and NIJ Standard 0108.01 Level III applied continuously to walls, roof, ceiling, doors, glazing, framing, penetrations, joints, interfaces, and HVAC/utility penetrations. Booth specifications include welded steel construction with minimum 2.5" x 2.5" x 0.120 ASTM A500 Grade B tubing; exterior bullet-resistant steel plate walls; minimum 2.5-inch wall thickness; R-10 wall and R-19 ceiling insulation; fixed tinted ballistic glazing; 22-inch deep full-width steel interior counter; and 100-amp single-phase load center. Each booth requires 120V/220V single-phase electrical service. The Government's basis of design is the Porta-King Durasteel PC-44SL 4' x 4' configuration, but approved equivalent products meeting all technical, structural, and ballistic requirements may be proposed.

Period of performance is 120 calendar days from contractual start date with no option periods. Liquidated damages are $5,000 per day for delays. The booth manufacturer must have at least 20 years of documented experience; the prime contractor must have at least five years of relevant experience with three references for similar projects completed within the previous five years. The contractor is not required to manufacture the booths but remains responsible for the turnkey requirement and all small business compliance.

Required insurance includes workers' compensation, employer's liability coverage of at least $100,000, comprehensive general liability coverage of at least $500,000 per occurrence, and automobile liability coverage of at least $200,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $20,000 per occurrence for property damage. Bonding is not required. NAICS code is 332311, Prefabricated Metal Building and Component Manufacturing, with a 750-employee size standard and Nonmanufacturer Rule applicability. PSC code is 5410.

Evaluation uses Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) methodology. Technical Approach, Contractor Qualifications, Quality Control and Safety, Schedule and Phasing, and Past Performance are evaluated on an Acceptable/Unacceptable basis with no comparative ranking; only technically acceptable quotations are considered for award based on lowest evaluated price. Submission must include sufficient technical documentation to demonstrate compliance; price quote alone may be insufficient for technical acceptability.

Amendment 1, issued September 15, 2026, incorporated FAR 52.222-5 (Insurance - Work on a Government Installation), SF 1449, and line-item schedule documentation. Prospective offerors must acknowledge receipt via email to Dr. Carolyn Bennett at carolyn.d.bennett@irs.gov. The Contracting Officer is Dr. Carolyn Bennett. Questions were due by September 8, 2026 (now past). SF 1449 documentation shows a total award amount of $45 million; however, this figure appears inconsistent with a two-booth procurement and warrants verification.