24BS0037 - *DVBE Only* - Cooling Tower Maintenance and Incidental Repair Services

The California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) is soliciting quotes for Cooling Tower Maintenance and Incidental Repair Services at the Veterans Home of California - Barstow, located at 100 East Veterans Parkway. The procurement involves maintenance services for two Baltimore Air Coil Company cooling towers with 708 gallons per minute capacity and six ABB variable frequency drives. Services include semi-annual preventative maintenance during April and October, with comprehensive inspection, cleaning, repairs, and maintenance of cooling towers and associated equipment. Contractors must perform services during standard business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday) with 24/7 emergency service availability. Required qualifications include valid C-20 HVAC and/or C-55 Water Conditioning licenses, $1 million general liability insurance, and compliance with prevailing wage requirements. Key procurement dates include a mandatory walkthrough on January 7, 2025, at 10:00 AM, questions due by January 9, 2025, at 2:00 PM, and quote submissions due by January 15, 2025, at 5:00 PM.

This procurement is exclusively reserved for California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE) certified by the Department of General Services, with a minimum 3% DVBE participation requirement. The contract term runs from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2028, with compensation based on semi-annual preventative maintenance rates plus hourly rates for non-emergency and emergency services. Parts will be reimbursed at cost plus 10% up to a predetermined $3,000 allowance. Bidders must submit comprehensive documentation including Quote Rate Sheet, standard state forms, DVBE declarations, insurance documentation, and GenAI disclosure forms. The state will award the contract to the lowest responsive responsible quote, with a potential bid incentive structure offering percentage reductions for higher DVBE participation levels. Liquidated damages of $250 per day may be assessed for delays, and contractors must disclose and obtain state approval for any generative AI technology usage. Four companies attended the mandatory walkthrough: IFMG Corp, American Cooling Tower Inc., Peck General Construction, and RMS Reliable Protection Services.