Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) Microgrid - Sources Sought Notice

****** THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE IS UTILIZING MICROSOFT FORMS FOR RESPONSE SUBMISSION. REFER TO ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION INSTRUCTION BELOW.  

Description:
A market survey is being conducted to determine if there are a reasonable number of interested small business concerns to set this future project aside for them. If your firm is a Small Business, certified HUBZone, 8A, Woman-Owned Small Business or Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business and you are interested in this project please respond appropriately.

Project Location: Rock Island Arsenal (RIA), Rock Island, IL 61299

Project Description:

Design-Bid-Build (DBB) construction project.  

Construct a microgrid system at Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) powered by natural gas-fired (NG) Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engine (RICE) generators with a total capacity of 14 Megawatts (MW), 3 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, and a 400-kilowatt (kW)/1.6 Megawatt-hour (MWh) Energy Storage System (ESS). This system will integrate with the existing 2.8 MW hydroelectric power plant. During an electric utility grid outage, the new microgrid system will provide sustained power to the entire RIA electrical distribution system when islanded from the grid, ensuring uninterrupted support for RIA’s Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence.

The system will include automated isolating switchgear to form the microgrid, paralleling switchgear for the generators, and other necessary controls. It is designed to support approximately 12 MW of critical load and 4 MW of non-critical load, covering the entire RIA installation’s electrical demand. The microgrid will operate as a stand-alone, autonomous electrical power system with the capability to provide a data link connection to the installation’s monitoring and control system.

Supporting facilities will include site development, utilities and connections, lighting, paving, parking, walkways, curbs, gutters, storm drainage, landscaping, and signage. The project will also incorporate all necessary building information systems, as well as fire detection, fire hydrants, and security protection and alarm systems.

Sustainable principles, including life-cycle cost-effective practices, will be integrated into the design, development, and construction of the project. The design will adhere to the Army Sustainable Design and Development Policy and comply with all applicable laws and Executive Orders.

Anticipated Period of Performance: 902 calendar days

NAICS code: 237130 Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction. Size Determination is $45M.

Disclosure of the Magnitude of Construction Projects: The estimated price range is between $25,000,000 and $100,000,000. Please note that the Government expects this project to be on the upper end of that price range.

Responses should include:

1. Identification and verification of the company’s small business status.
2. Contractor’s Unique Entity Identifier Number and CAGE Code(s).
3. Documentation from the firm’s bonding company showing current single and aggregate performance and payment bond limits.
4. Descriptions of Experience – Interested construction firms must provide no more than three (3) example projects with either greater than 95 percent completion or projects completed in the past five (5) years where the interested firm served as the prime contractor. Each project must include the name, title, project role, e-mail address, and telephone number of at least one reference.  References may be used to verify project size, scope, dollar value, percentages, and quality of performance. Example projects must be of similar size and scope.

Projects similar in scope shall include construction of a microgrid demonstrating a majority, but not all, of the following elements:

•  Natural gas (NG) centralized generators 
• Installation of natural gas lines 
• Information and Communication Systems 
• Installation and Commissioning of Microgrid systems 
• Installation of necessary breakers and switchgear 
• Installation of Photovoltaic systems
• Installation of centralized generation to provide power to multiple buildings with controls
• Installation of electrical and telecommunication duct bank and controls for Microgrids
• Implementation of control systems for electrical peak shaving

Projects similar in size to this project include:

Construction of projects for new construction natural gas generation systems which meets or exceeds the following size elements:

• Installation and construction of natural gas generators able to handle loads of .5 – 2.5MW

c. Based on the information above, for each project submitted, include:

1. • Current percentage of construction complete and the date when it was or will be completed.
   • Scope of the project. 
   • Size of the project.
   • The dollar value of the construction contract and whether it was design/bid/build or design-build.
   • The percentage of work that was self-performed as project and/or construction management services or physical construction type work.
   • Identify the number of subcontractors by construction trade utilized for each project.

Small Businesses are reminded under FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting; they must perform at least 15% of the cost of the contract, not including the cost of materials, with the firm’s own employees for general construction-type procurement. Include the percentage of work that will be self-performed on this project, and how it will be accomplished.

NOTE: Total submittal package shall be no longer than 8 pages. Please only include a narrative of the requested information; additional information will not be reviewed.

Electronic Submission Instructions:

Provide responses via Microsoft forms using the below link or QR code (attached as document label "RIA Microgrid SSN - QR code"): 

Link: https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/jCRhKtQvrM

Please note this is NOT a Request for Proposal and does not constitute any commitment by the Government.

Responses to this sources sought notice will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. All interested sources must respond to future solicitation announcements separately from responses to this market survey.