Porthill Land Port of Entry (LPOE) Modernization Project - Design - Build Construction

The GSA intends to issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a Design-Build (DB) contract for new construction services to replace the existing Porthill LPOE located in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.  The Porthill LPOE is a limited-service port of entry operating 12 hours a day, seven days a week between Porthill, Idaho, and eastern British Columbia, Canada.  It primarily serves personal vehicles and buses but also processes a limited number of pedestrians (mostly hikers) and permitted commercial truck traffic.  It is relatively remote: 27 miles northwest of Bonners Ferry, ID.  After 55 years of continuous operations, the Porthill LPOE is no longer able to meet the operational needs of CBP.  The expansion and modernization project will enhance the port’s operational efficiency, capability, and provide new, modern facility meeting Federal Design Directives, and providing energy efficient facilities to house port operations and processing functions.

The Porthill LPOE, building in 1967, is situated in northern Idaho along the U.S. and Canada border, plays a critical role in facilitating trade, travel, and national security.  The project aims to replace the existing port with a modern facility to meet current operational demands while ensuring compliance with Federal Design Directives and the Core Building Standards (CBS).

GSA intends to award a firm-fixed price design-build contract pursuant to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) two-phase design-build selection procedures (FAR Subpart 36.3).  For this contract award process, GSA will issue two Solicitations in sequence: Phase 1 and Phase 2, respectively.

The purpose of Phase 1 (the Request for Qualifications) is to select the most highly qualified Offerors from Phase 1 to participate in Phase 2 (the Request for Proposals).  Once Phase 1 is complete, the Contracting Officer will invite the “short-listed” Offerors to submit Phase 2 proposals.  Potential Offerors are hereby placed on notice that GSA will publicly announce the names of the Phase 1 “short-list” on SAM.gov.

Maximum Number of “Short-Listed” Offerors: The Contracting Officer will select a maximum of three (3) of the most highly rated Offerors to proceed to Phase 2.

Phase 2 of the solicitation is prepared in accordance with FAR Part 15 and include the Phase 2 evaluation factors, developed in accordance with 15.304.  Phase 2 solicitations require submission of technical and price proposals, which are evaluated separately, in accordance with Part 15.

Stipend:  In consideration for the preparation of a Phase 2 technical proposal, GSA will pay a stipend to Offerors not selected for award of the resulting contract.  Offerors that submit incomplete or unacceptable Phase 2 proposals will not be eligible for a stipend.  For the avoidance of doubt, no stipend is paid during Phase 1.

At the conclusion of Phase 2, GSA intends to award a contract to a single Offeror for all design and all construction services.

This procurement will be open to both large and small business firms.  The firm (if not a small business concern) shall be required to present an acceptable small business subcontracting plan in accordance with FAR 19.7, as part of its proposal. 

The RFQ will be issued electronically in August 2025 at: http://www.SAM.gov/.