RFP Central Utility Building Addition and Renovation Construction, UIP Subproject 1-CUB

Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC (FFDG) is requesting proposals for a general contractor to build an addition and renovate the Central Utility Building at Fermilab in Illinois, with proposals due November 17, 2026, and a virtual pre-proposal meeting on October 1, 2026. Construction must occur within Fermilab's accelerator shutdown window from January 1, 2028, through January 1, 2030, a critical constraint that compresses all on-site work and milestones into that 24-month window.

The scope encompasses building an addition to and renovating the Central Utility Building, which supplies chilled water, hot water, low conductivity water, and makeup water to laboratory buildings and systems. The general contractor furnishes all supervision, labor, materials, tools, equipment, bonding, safety oversight, quality control, and transportation. Key milestones include Notice to Proceed by December 30, 2027; construction start January 3, 2028; AUP 1 CUB Extension completion by January 31, 2029; AUP 2 Existing CUB Upgrade completion by June 29, 2029; and final completion by September 28, 2029.

FFDG uses a tradeoff source selection method weighted 70 technical points to 30 price points, with non-cost factors significantly more important than cost. Technical evaluation covers organizational structure and key personnel (20 points), approach, safety compliance, and work plan (25 points), and past performance (25 points). Offerors must demonstrate a minimum of three comparable past projects, including at least one valued at $50 million or greater and additional projects at $35 million or more, with experience on large water-cooled chillers and building renovations.

Pricing must be a firm fixed price. Bid guarantees of not less than 20 percent of bid price (not exceeding $3 million), payment bonds (100 percent of contract price if exceeding $35,000), and performance bonds (100 percent of contract price if exceeding $150,000) are required. Offerors must provide three years of audited financial statements with a current ratio of 1.20 or greater, single-project bonding capacity equal to or greater than the proposed price, and aggregate bonding capacity of not less than $100 million. Davis-Bacon Act wage standards apply with weekly certified payroll through LCPTracker. Pass/fail safety and quality requirements include three-year rolling safety performance data, NCCI Workers' Compensation Experience Rating worksheets, OSHA 300A Form logs, and corporate safety and quality plans demonstrating compliance with 10 CFR Part 851 and DOE Order 414.1E. Questions are due November 3, 2026.