Y1EB--Major Construction Project Western New York National Cemetery - Phase 1C Pembroke, NY

Sources Sought Notice

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Office of Construction and Facilities Management

Major Construction Project

Western New York National Cemetery

Pembroke, New York

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The purpose of this project is to construct a maintenance complex, honor guard building, and supporting infrastructure. The maintenance complex consists of a maintenance building, a materials storage building, parking, a maintenance yard, and access to the facility from the main road. Also included in the maintenance facility construction is a small yard for outsourced contract personnel. The honor guard building sits within the cemetery proper and consists of a building and parking lot. The honor guard facility provides space for personnel who provide honor guard services at cemetery services. This phase will complete Phase 1 of the cemetery.

The design-build contract shall include a full complement of design services not limited to schematic design, design development and construction documents in addition to all construction, commissioning, and LEED Silver certification.

The approximate project duration will be 540 calendar days from the Notice to Proceed.

The estimated magnitude for this project is between $10,000,0000 and $20,000,000.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 236220Â - Commercial and Institutional Building Construction with a size standard of $39.5 Million.

CFM intends to conduct this acquisition in accordance with Subpart 36.3, Two-Phase Design-Build Selection Procedures.

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

This source sought notice is for market research purposes in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10. It does not constitute a solicitation and is not considered as a commitment by the Government.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks expressions of interest for a construction contract at Western New York National Cemetery with the use of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA).

This is the first stage of the forthcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Design-Build Construction Contract for Phase 1C expansion of the Western New York National Cemetery located in Pembroke, NY.

At this time, we are attempting to identify potential small, bondable, and experienced businesses such as: (1) Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB): (2) Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB); (3) 8 (a) contractors, (4) HUBZone Small Businesses, (5) Women Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), (6) and /or Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB) that are capable of meeting this construction requirement.

All firms responding to this source sought notice are advised that their response to this notice is not a request that will be considered for contract award. All interested parties will be required to respond to the resultant solicitation separately from their response to this source sought notice. Firms interested in submitting their capabilities for this project must submit by the deadline of this notice.

CAPABILITIES STATEMENT

Size of businesses encouraged to respond:

(1) Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB): (2) Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB); (3) 8 (a) contractors, (4) HUBZone Small Businesses, (5) Women Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), (6) and /or Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB)

Capabilities Statement will include:

Cover Letter/Introduction: (1) Company name, address, SAM UEI No., point of contact with phone number, and e-mail address.

Business Size Determination and Qualifying Small Business Status if a Small Business:

If applicable, please provide evidence of SDVOSB or VOSB status through registration at VIP (HTTPS://www.vip.vetbiz.va.gov )

If applicable, please provide evidence of ability to offer as a small business under NAICS Code 236220Â - Commercial and Institutional Building Construction, Small Business Size Standard of $39.5 Million, and listing in the System for Award Management (www.beta.SAM.gov), including a copy of the representations and certifications in the system.

Bonding Capacity: Provide a letter from your surety letterhead that affirms your company s bonding capacity to furnish a bid bond, payment bond, and performance bond for a project between $10 to $20 Million.

Evidence of capability to obtain financing for a project of this size. If desired, the company may also submit a narrative describing its capability, not to exceed one (1) page.

Contractor Capability Statement: Statement shall not to exceed an additional fifteen (15) pages and include, but not be limited to, the following:

Corporate Experience: Provide at least three projects in the past five years (2016 2021) that demonstrate experience with design and construction of buildings within a national cemetery. If no national cemetery experiences exist, please provide at least three projects similar to construction of buildings within state or private cemeteries, parks, golf courses or a similar facility.

Design-Build Experience: Provide at least three projects demonstrating previous experience performing master planning and design-build projects (must be design-build examples) with a value no less than $20,000,000.

Capability to Perform: Provide a potential team composition for this type of design-build project and the major associated tasks and responsibilities for each team member to include integrated planning, design, construction, commissioning, and construction period services. Provide a list of current projects and how this project will be managed.

Project Labor Agreement (PLA) Questionnaire Below Must be Filled Out and Attached to the Capability Statement:

A PLA is defined as a pre-hire Collective Bargaining Agreement with one or more labor organizations that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project and is an agreement described in 29 U.S.C. 158(f).

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 22.503 Policy:

Project Labor Agreement (PLA) is a tool that agencies may use to promote economy and efficiency in Federal procurement. Pursuant to Executive Order 13502, agencies are encouraged to consider requiring the use of project labor agreements in connection with large-scale construction projects.

An agency may, if appropriate, require that every contractor and subcontractor engaged in construction on the project agree, for that project, to negotiate or become a party to a project labor agreement with one or more labor organizations if the agency decides that the use of project labor agreements will:

(1) Advance the Federal Government's interest in achieving economy and efficiency in Federal procurement, producing labor-management stability, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations governing safety and health, equal employment opportunity, labor and employment standards, and other matters; and

(2) Be consistent with law.

Agencies may also consider the following factors in deciding whether the use of a project labor agreement is appropriate for the construction project:

(1) The project will require multiple construction contractors and/or subcontractors employing workers in multiple crafts or trades.

(2) There is a shortage of skilled labor in the region in which the construction project will be sited.

(3) Completion of the project will require an extended period of time.

(4) Project labor agreements have been used on comparable projects undertaken by Federal, State, Municipal, or private entities in the geographic area of the project.

(5) A project labor agreement will promote the agency s long term program interests, such as facilitating the training of a skilled workforce to meet the agency s future construction needs.

(6) Any other factors that the agency decides are appropriate.

See FAR Provision: 52.222-33 Notice of Requirement for Project Labor Agreement and FAR Clause 52.222-34 Project Labor Agreement for further details

Please submit capability packages via email to Linda Ward, Contracting Officer at Linda.Ward2@va.gov no later than 1:00pm EDT on November 14, 2022, in the subject line state Western New York National Cemetery (WNY1C), Phase 1C Maintenance Complex and [Company Name]. Note that this mailbox will only accept emails of 15MB in size, so you may break your submission into multiple emails if needed.

All information concerning this requirement will be posted only on SAM.gov. At this time no solicitation exists, therefore, DO NOT REQUEST A SOLICITTION PACKAGE.

DISCLAIMER

This Sources Sought notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this Source Sought that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding Contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Source Sought notice.

PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT (PLA) QUESTIONNAIRE: (Please respond to the questions below)

1. Is your company familiar with Project Labor Agreement (PLA) and its use on construction projects?

Yes/No

Comments:

2. Would your company likely submit a proposal for the VA construction solicitation that requires the use of a PLA?

Yes/No

Comments:

3. If VA requires a PLA, would your proposed construction cost likely to increase or decrease, and what is the likely percentage of cost increase or decrease?

Comments:

4. Does the VA requirement to use of a PLA on a construction project restrict competition?

Yes/No

Comments:

5. Do you expect subcontractor resistance should VA requires the use of a PLA on this construction solicitation?

Yes/No

Comments:

6. Do you have additional comments regarding the use of a PLA for this project?

Company's Name, DUNS, and SAM UEI:

Company's Address:

Today's Date:

Company Representative's Name (Print):

Company Representative s Signature:

Telephone number and email:

Please submit your PLA questionnaire by 1:00pm EDT, November 14, 2022, to Linda.Ward2@va.gov.