J041--621-22-108 - Replace Site Underground Chilled Water Piping - Pre-Solicitation

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Veterans Integrated Service Network 9 is soliciting proposals to replace approximately 32,000 linear feet of underground chilled water piping at the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tennessee. This firm fixed-price construction project encompasses new high-density polyethylene piping installation ranging from 4 to 24 inches in diameter across nine buildings, including comprehensive site restoration, traffic management, and system commissioning. The contractor must demonstrate substantial healthcare construction management experience with at least three completed projects valued at $10 million or more within the past five years, provide qualified key personnel with relevant credentials, and develop a technical management approach including a Gantt chart achieving 365-calendar-day completion. The government will evaluate proposals using the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) method without discussions, assessing hospital/healthcare construction management experience, technical management approach, and past performance through three client references from similar healthcare projects. Proposals are due March 12, 2026, at 10:00 AM ET, with questions due by February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET, and a mandatory site visit scheduled for February 13, 2026, at 8:00 AM ET.

This solicitation is a 100% set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) under NAICS code 236220, with no incumbent contractor identified. The estimated contract value falls between $10 million and $20 million, with a bid guarantee requirement of 20% of the bid price not to exceed $5 million. The contractor will have 548 calendar days after Notice to Proceed to complete the base bid work, with two deduct alternates available extending timelines to 518 and 456 days respectively. The project requires careful phasing to maintain continuous chilled water service to the medical center, with system shutdowns limited to no more than 6 hours unless approved by the Contracting Officer's Representative, and includes coordination across both the VA campus and ETSU branch locations in Mountain Home and Johnson City, Tennessee. All contractor personnel must complete VA Privacy Training, comply with E-Verify requirements within 30 days of award, and maintain performance and payment bonds as required for contracts exceeding $150,000.