National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) on-site facility Operations and Maintenance (O&M) support services

The Food and Drug Administration Office of Acquisition and Grant Services seeks on-site facility operations and maintenance support services for the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) at its Jefferson, Arkansas campus, with proposals due August 3, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central Time. The procurement is a Total Small Business set-aside under NAICS 561210 (Facilities Support Services).

Place of performance is Jefferson, Arkansas (3900 NCTR Road, 72079). The facility spans 496 acres with over one million square feet of laboratories and support structures supporting approximately 600 full-time government and contract employees. Services include 24/7/365 operations and maintenance of utility systems (steam, water, electrical, compressed air, wastewater), HVAC and refrigeration systems, electrical distribution, craft shop services (carpentry, masonry, painting, electrical, HVAC, instrumentation, metalworking), building and infrastructure repairs, grounds maintenance including snow and ice removal, pest control, janitorial services, and cafeteria food service operations.

The contract is a hybrid structure combining firm-fixed-price (FFP) for routine operations and maintenance services billed as lump-sum annual amounts, plus an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) component for additional work priced as FFP, Time-and-Materials, or Labor-Hour task orders. The base period runs from September 21, 2026, to September 20, 2027, with four one-year option periods through September 20, 2031, preceded by a 20-day phase-in period starting September 1, 2026. The estimated maximum IDIQ value is $5,000,000 across five years; minimum task order is $2,500; maximum single task order is $900,000. The incumbent contract (75F40121D00024) carries a total value of $41,569,452.81 with historical task order value of $2,292,867.08 for the 2021–2026 period.

The contractor must staff four designated Key Personnel positions: On-site Contract Manager, Operations Manager, Quality Control Manager, and EMCS Manager. Licensed operators required include Arkansas-certified boiler operators (high-pressure steam), Grade B water treatment operators, and EPA-certified refrigeration technicians. The contractor must comply with a Collective Bargaining Agreement effective September 21, 2026, covering maintenance, plant clerical, grounds, and cafeteria personnel, with seniority-based protections and wage rates from $18.52 to $37.34 per hour plus fringe benefits including health and welfare at $7.70 per hour (increasing to $8.00 in 2029), 401(k) contributions from $3.85 to $4.10 per hour, and two to four weeks vacation annually depending on tenure. The contractor furnishes grounds equipment and golf carts; the Government furnishes tools, test equipment, materials, supplies, and Government-furnished equipment. Contractor personnel must obtain favorable background investigation determinations (Tier 1 Low Risk Non-Sensitive clearance level). All reports and invoices must be Section 508 compliant. Contractor personnel cannot use privately owned vehicles to access the secured NCTR campus unless specifically authorized.

Work is managed through a government-furnished online work management system (transitioning to Archibus) and classified as Preventive Maintenance Orders (routine, scheduled), On-Demand Work Orders (emergency/one-time repairs with 50 percent completion within one working day and remainder within five working days), or IDIQ Work Orders (complex projects exceeding 600 labor hours or $25,000). Affirmative procurement of biobased products per USDA BioPreferred Program is mandatory. A Staffing Vacancy Price Adjustment Clause applies, reducing daily labor rate payments for unfilled positions after 90 calendar days.

Evaluation uses best-value tradeoff methodology weighing technical approach (operating plan, quality control plan, phase-in plan), Key Personnel qualifications, and staffing and workforce management approach—all equally weighted and significantly more important than price—with recent and relevant past performance equally weighted with technical factors and both significantly more important than price. Past performance is a key source selection factor; the FDA requires clients of responding offerors to complete a Present and Past Performance Evaluation Questionnaire submitted directly to Warren Dutter (warren.dutter@fda.hhs.gov, 301-796-2486) no later than 1:00 PM Central Time on July 15, 2026. Proposals must include a technical proposal limited to 30 pages (double-spaced, 11-point minimum font), a business proposal with detailed cost or pricing data broken down by labor category and Performance Work Statement section, and past performance references from three to five recent and relevant contracts completed within three years. Offerors must propose fully burdened ceiling labor rates for all IDIQ task order categories by ordering year with potential escalation between periods.

The Contracting Officer is Nicholas E. Sartain; the Contract Specialist is Warren Dutter (warren.dutter@fda.hhs.gov). Amendment 6, effective August 3, 2026, extended the proposal deadline from July 31 and provided clarification to Questions and Answers and updates to the Performance Work Statement. Amendments 1–6 and supporting attachments (including equipment inventory, wage determinations, facility descriptions, collective bargaining agreement, and past performance questionnaire template) are incorporated into the solicitation.