Replace 2 Air Handling Units at the National Agricultural Library

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (ARS) seeks qualified contractors to replace two air handling units (AHU-4 and AHU-5) at the National Agricultural Library in Beltsville, Maryland under solicitation 1232SA26Q0412. The project encompasses complete demolition of existing units and installation of new units with integrated controls, temporary cooling provisions during construction, variable air volume (VAV) terminal installation, and comprehensive commissioning of all systems. Key requirements include attendance at a mandatory site visit held on April 14, 2026, submission of detailed technical proposals with itemized cost estimates, compliance with prevailing wage rates established under the Davis-Bacon Act for Prince George's County, Maryland, and adherence to multiple codes and standards including IBC-2021, ASHRAE, NFPA, and OSHA regulations. The evaluation will use Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable (LPTA) methodology, with award made to the responsible offeror submitting the lowest price that meets all technical acceptability factors including site visit attendance, completed forms, valid bid bond, documented relevant experience, and acceptable past performance ratings. The deadline for submission of questions was April 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST, and the proposal due date is May 7, 2026, at 4:00 PM local time.

This is a Total Small Business Set-Aside under NAICS code 238220 (Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors) with a small business size standard of $19 million, limiting competition to certified small business concerns. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the solicitation materials. The contract will be awarded as a firm fixed-price agreement with a 180-calendar-day period of performance from Notice to Proceed, with work to commence within 10 calendar days of award and all activities completed by the end-of-performance date. The contractor must provide performance and payment bonds (minimum 20 percent of proposed price, not to exceed $300,000), comprehensive labor and materials, equipment including cranes and rigging, testing, and safety provisions. The place of performance is the National Agricultural Library at 10301 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, where the facility is a 340,000-square-foot structure from the 1960s that must remain operational throughout construction with only limited coordinated outages permitted and no simultaneous outages of both air handling units allowed.