National Foreign Affairs Security Training Center, Arlington, VA

Department of State 2019 Construction Contract for National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC) – Building B

                                                                             RFP 19AQM-20-R0043

                                                                               Pre-Solicitation Notice

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (DOS),Office of Procurement Executive, Office of Acquisitions Management, on behalf of the Office of Real Property Management (RPM) is seeking high quality firms experienced in complex construction projects for the construction of Building B at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC).  Completion of the project will provide classrooms, student support areas, offices, and support infrastructure for an additional 150,000 usable square feet (USF) of space.  The project will consist of the construction of Building B, related site work, and necessary construction services to complete the project.

This project is available for full and open competition.  NAICS code 236220 applies.

Continuing a legacy of outstanding diplomatic architecture, RPM seeks to commission our nation’s top constructors to create facilities of outstanding quality and value.

RFP 19AQM-20-R0043, National Foreign Affairs Training Center – Building B, Arlington, Virginia

Property Description:  The National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC) is a facility operated by the United States Department of State (DOS) and is home to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). The campus covers approximately 71 acres, seven of which are located on a west parcel separated from the main campus by the National Guard Bureau parcel. The NFATC site is located in Arlington County directly south of Highway 50.

The project location for the proposed Building B on the NFATC site is situated west of the existing Visitor Center and south of the existing Gym Building both located in southwest portion of the campus. The majority of the proposed building will occupy land that is currently developed as landscaped green space and parking.

Project Scope: In October 2015, the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) identified a need to expand the capabilities of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC) in Arlington, Virginia as a result of overcrowding and projected growth.  In an effort to address this need, the Department determined to expand NFATC capacity with an additional building to provide classrooms, student support areas, offices, and support infrastructure.  Funding was identified and reprogrammed.  The Building B project  is designed to provide an additional 150,000 usable square feet (USF) of space and enable consolidation of all FSI training, eliminating the need for nearly 100,000 SF of office space currently in use in Rosslyn (at 1200 Wilson Blvd and SA-15). 

The Program of Requirements (POR) of Building B consists primarily of dedicated classrooms and office suites for the School of Professional and Area Studies (SPAS) and the Leadership Management School (LMS). The program includes a large number of unassigned classrooms to be used by every department. Within the building, offices and work spaces for SPAS and LMS staff are also provided in the form of commingled department suites.  Informal student areas are important program elements. These will take the form of student pantry, kitchenettes, classroom breakout rooms and spaces, computer zones, lockers, focus rooms, and informal lounges. These spaces will encourage informal learning and collaboration between students as well as between students and instructors.  Building B POR includes a large multi-purpose room to accommodate a variety of functions, from large lectures and presentations to small seminars. This space will be divisible into four spaces, allowing for maximum flexibility.  Accompanying the multi-purpose room will be storage and a catering kitchen to accommodate the range of functions.

Approximate construction cost: $70 - $90 million.

2.  Project Solicitation

The project solicitation will be available on the Department of State ProjNet System on or about December 10, 2019

A Pre-Proposal Conference and Site Visit will be held on or about December 19, 2019. Preregistration is required and limited to firms that provide the below information in the letter of interest.  Firm/Names/Vehicle Registration information will be required at least three (3) days prior to the pre-proposal conference.  Firms will be notified of specific time and conference location prior to the pre-proposal conference.

High Quality Firms with the proven capabilities and past performance that wish to participate in this solicitation shall submit a letter of interest in writing to Michael Howard AND Keith Westry by email: HowardMF@state.gov AND WestryK@state.gov.  The letter of interest shall include the following information

Project Name

Company Name

Company Address

Company DUNS Number

Company Telephone Number

Company FAX Number

Contact Person Name

Contact Person E-Mail Address

Contact Person Telephone Number

Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code

Facility Clearance level

Eligible firms will be provided key codes and a link to the ProjNet (www.projnet.net) Plan Room and Bidder Inquiry be used to access the respective Unclassified and Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) solicitation information.

The Solicitation will include a statement of work, standards, and criteria for the project that set out the project scope, design requirements, design process, design documentation, design expertise, construction process, post-construction activities, reference drawings and specifications, codes and standards, and security requirements.

The contract will be “firm fixed-price.”  Construction services will include providing construction labor and materials to execute the design; on-site organization with management to ensure overall project coordination; and overall control throughout the life of the project.  Required services include preparation of construction documents, quality control plans, safety plans, project schedules and project close-out activities.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Organizations that wish to use the experience or financial resources of any other legally dependent organization or individual, including parent companies, subsidiaries, or other related firms, must do so by way of a joint venture. A prospective offeror may be an individual organization or firm, a formal joint venture (where the arrangement among the co-venturers has been reduced to writing), or “de facto” joint venture (where no formal agreement has been reached, but the offering entity relies upon the experience of a related U.S. person firm that guarantees performance).

3. Security Requirements

In order to be eligible for award of this contract, the successful offeror(s) must possess, or be eligible to obtain, a FINAL Secret facility clearance (FCL) issued by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) prior to contract performance, issued in accordance with the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), DOD 5220.22-M. Specifically designated contractor personnel by the Department’s Government Project Manager requiring access to either the Command Center or the Security Equipment Room (SER), must possess a Secret personnel security clearance issued by DCSA. Subcontractors requiring access to the Command Center or the Security Equipment Room (SER), must also possess a Secret FCL and PCLs issued by DCSA.  All Offerors are required to comply with security requirements as detailed in the NISPOM and Contract Security Classification Specification, DD Form 254 approved by DS/IS/IND and associated 01541. Joint Ventures (JV) and entities comprising the JV, must separately possess a SECRET FCL prior to contract performance. Offerors already possessing the requisite FCLs and PCL requirements, must submit their Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code, facility clearance level with the required letter of interest and proposal/submittal. 

If an Offeror does not possess an FINAL Secret FCL, the Department of State will sponsor the uncleared firm for an FCL.

Sponsorship will be available to prime contractors upon expression of intent to submit a proposal.  A period of 90 days from the date of the issuance of the RFP will be allowed for the uncleared firm to obtain the necessary FCL.  DOS sponsorship does not guarantee that the Offeror will receive the FCL, nor that it will be received within the 90-day period.  No contract can be awarded until at least a Final Secret FCL has been granted.  The Government will not be obligated to extend its solicitation schedule, or to make an award to a sponsored firm, if that firm has not been issued a Final Secret FCL/PCL.