C1DZ--523-25-004 Replace Fire Alarm A/E 36C24125R0084

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice Page 5 of 5 Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice Page 1 of 5 SOURCES SOUGHT: The VA Medical Center Jamaica Plain in Boston, MA has a requirement for a Firm Fixed Price contract to provide all professional architectural and engineering (A/E) services necessary to develop complete drawings, specifications, cost estimates, construction schedules, project phasing, investigations, site visits and construction period services associated with replacing all fire alarm devices in all buildings at Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), 150 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. The intent of this project includes but is not limited to demolition, new finishes, fire detection, and electrical work. Provide all professional architectural and engineering services necessary to review for bid completed drawings, re-develop completed drawings, specifications, cost estimates, and project phasing associated with Replacement of the Fire Alarm System in all buildings on campus (All buildings total 1,000,000M square feet). Patient Buildings have first priority, Administration/Staff Buildings have second priority, Utility and Support Buildings have third priority. Review of the existing campus network / hard wire system conditions. Creation of options related to systems design, peer-to-peer network, intuitive event driven UL 2572 mass notification standard etc. Design of new systems with including all panels, distributions, devices, smoke detectors, heat detectors, horns, strobes, pull stations, enunciators, signage, etc. Design of all support systems including electrical, mechanical, Historic Preservation Section 106 Compliance, and architectural elements shall be included. Through the course of the CODE AND CRITEREA REVIEW phase, it will be necessary to interface with Medical Center staff to ascertain the details of the scope through a series of meetings and periodic submissions of documents. All submission requirements shall conform to all VA criteria and standards, in addition to Commonwealth of Massachusetts state codes and regulations. Contractor to utilize 3D Lidar Scanning for above ceiling investigations. A/E to review FCA report and provide breakdown of corrective costs under this project. Asbestos: The proper identification of Asbestos to determine construction costs associated with Comprehensive Strategy & Report phase of this project are considered part of this project. Special attention will be required to develop a design that can be phased as to allow work to be performed while all services remain in operation and can reasonably maintain day to day operations. Through the course of the design phase, it will be necessary to interface with Medical Center staff to ascertain the details of the scope through a series of meetings and periodic submissions of documents. All submission requirements shall be in accordance with open ended A/E Contract and conform to all VA criteria and standards, in addition to Commonwealth. The NAICS code is 541330 and the small business size standard is $25.5 million. Interested parties responding to this sources sought request shall submit the following information: (1) A positive statement of your intention to submit a proposal in response to a solicitation for this project and include your firm s UEI number. (2) Evidence your firm has experience with providing A/E Services for projects that involve replacing fire alarm devices and providing corrections with similar scope and magnitude. (3) Evidence your firm has experience with providing Conceptual, Design, and Construction Period (Type A, B, and C) A/E services on an active facility for replacing fire alarm devices in various buildings including but not limited to all associated mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection and communications work. (4) Evidence your firm has experience with replacing fire alarm system designs with a magnitude of construction ranging from $5,000,000 and $10,000,000 or larger in a city setting. NCO 1 looks forward to interest of well-qualified new entrants to contracting with the Veterans Health Administration including the interest of SB and WOSB contractors and especially responses from CVE SDVOSB/VOSB Firms. This notice is published to conduct market research to determine if there is a sufficient number of verified SDVOSB s, VOSB s, WOSB s and SB s capable of performing the requirements. All information must be submitted in sufficient detail for a decision to be made on the appropriate set-aside. Failure to submit all information requested will result in a contractor not being considered as an interested SDVOSB, VOSB, or SB concern. If adequate interest is not received this action will not a be set-aside. SDVOSB or VOSB firms must be verified in the Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) database at https://dsbs.sba.gov/ by the Center for Veterans Enterprises. Additionally, all firms must have an active registration in SAM at www.sam.gov. Interested firms must submit their experience to the Contract Specialist no later than 2:00 PM EST on 5/1/2025 via email to Alexis.Duda@va.gov DISCLAIMER This sources sought is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this 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 notice. The Government will not pay any costs for responses submitted. RESULTS INFORMATION: Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Firms who fail to provide ALL of the required information will not be used to make the acquisition decision, which is the intent of this announcement. For planning purposes, the Government intends to publish a SF330 request for qualifications for this requirement on or about May 12, 2025. The SF330 request will be issued on SAM under Contract Opportunities on www.sam.gov and firms should register electronically to receive a copy when it is issued.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR QUALIFICATIONS (SF 330) The NAICS code is 541330 and the small business size standard is $25.5 million. A. INTRODUCTION: The VA Medical Center Jamaica Plain in Boston, MA has a requirement for a Firm Fixed Price contract to provide all professional architectural and engineering (A/E) services necessary to develop complete drawings, specifications, cost estimates, construction schedules, project phasing, investigations, site visits and construction period services associated with replacing all fire alarm devices in all buildings at Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), 150 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. The A/E shall prepare design and construction documents, and provide construction period services to: The intent of this project includes but is not limited to demolition, new finishes, fire detection, and electrical work. Provide all professional architectural and engineering services necessary to review for bid completed drawings, re-develop completed drawings, specifications, cost estimates, and project phasing associated with replacement of the fire alarm system in all buildings on campus (all buildings total 1,000,000M square feet). B. CONTRACT INFORMATION: The VA Medical Center Jamaica Plain located in Boston, MA has a requirement for a Firm Fixed Price contract to provide professional A/E services for the 523-25-004 Replace Fire Alarm A/E project. The magnitude of construction is between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000. The A/E firm must complete the project within the approved construction budget limit. Prospective firms are reminded they must certify that in accordance with VAAR 852.219-75, VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting-Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction (JAN 2023) (DEVIATION), in the case of a contract for services (except construction), the contractor will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not certified SDVOSBs listed in the SBA certification database as set forth in 852.219-73 or certified VOSBs listed in the SBA certification database as set forth in 852.219- 74. Any work that a similarly situated certified SDVOSB/VOSB subcontractor further subcontracts will count towards the 50% subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. Other direct costs may be excluded to the extent they are not the principal purpose of the acquisition and small business concerns do not provide the service as set forth in 13 CFR 125.6. SF330 packages shall address how each firm anticipates meeting these criteria. This requirement is in accordance with the Selection of Architects and Engineers as implemented in Subpart 36.6 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation and Subpart M836.602-1 of the VA Acquisition Manual. All submissions will be evaluated in accordance with the evaluation criteria. A "short list" of the three most highly rated after initial source selection will be chosen for negotiations of a contract award. The Government will not pay, nor reimburse, any costs associated with responding to this request. The Government is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this announcement. Respondents are put on notice that firm(s) selected by the Selection Authority will be required to submit a Fixed Price Proposal on the VA Form 6298 to include labor, overhead, profit, and other costs for this project for negotiation by the Contracting Officer prior to contract award. The negotiated agreement will be incorporated into the resulting contract. C. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: This is a request for SF 330s only. Any requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. No material will be issued, and no solicitation package or bidder/plan holder list will be issued. D. PROJECT INFORMATION: Provide all professional architectural and engineering (A/E) services necessary to develop complete drawings, specifications, cost estimates, construction schedules, project phasing, investigations, site visits and construction period services associated with the 523-25-004 Replace Fire Alarm A/E project at the VAMC Jamaica Plain in Boston, MA. E. EVALUATION SELECTION CRITERIA: Each respondent s SF 330 submittal package will be evaluated in accordance with FAR 36.6 procedures. The selection criteria, in descending order of importance will be as follows: 1. Specialized Experience/Technical Competence 2. Professional Qualifications 3. Capacity 4. Past Performance 5. Knowledge of the Locality 6. Experience in Construction Period Services 7. Commitment to the use of SDVOSB, VOSB, and other Small Businesses as Subcontractors F. SELECTION CRITERIA DESCRIPTIONS: The selection criteria descriptions (1 through 7) are provided below in descending order of importance. Specialized Experience/Technical Competence Provide recent and relevant projects related to the Statement of Work with a similar magnitude (magnitude of construction for the design is between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000) that demonstrates experience with VA Design Requirements or equivalent with replacing fire alarm devices in various buildings. Recency is defined as performance occurring within five (5) years of the date of this notice, except that ongoing projects must have begun no less than one (1) year prior to the issuance of this notice. Relevancy is defined as performance of work on projects that are similar in scope to the type of project anticipated under the resultant contract. This factor evaluates the amount of experience and technical competence the A/E firm has in designing similar types of projects and how well the proposal addresses technical capabilities in design quality management procedures, Computer-Aided Design and Drafting/Building Information Modeling, equipment resources, and laboratory requirements for the firm and any proposed subcontractors. Respondents must provide at least five (5) similar recent and relevant projects; any project provided in addition to the five will not be evaluated as part of this criteria. The following information is required for all projects provided under these criteria: Contract/Task Order Number Project Title Prime Firm Start and Completion dates Description of the project and how it is relevant to the scope of this project Professional Qualifications Professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services. The A/E firm will be evaluated according to their ability to demonstrate the education, training, registration, overall and relevant experience, and longevity with the firm of key management and technical personnel as is normally expected of a company actively providing the required services and shall have demonstrated experience to perform a project such as this within a VA Medical Center, hospital environment, or an active workplace environment. Firms shall provide brief resumes of proposed team members who will specifically serve as the project managers and designers of record, as well as of other relevant team members or subcontractor team members who will perform technical tasks under this contract. Subcontractor team member resumes shall indicate their record of working together with the prime contractor. The Designers of Record shall perform and direct the design within their respective discipline and shall sign and seal the drawings. All Designers of Record must be professionally registered in their discipline, and this must be shown on their resume. Each resume shall include a minimum of three (3) specific completed projects that best illustrate the individual team members experience in their technical field relevant to this project scope; any project provided in addition to the three will not be evaluated as part of this criteria. Key Individuals Example Table: # Key Individuals / Project Assignment Degree Type / Year Registration Type / State Years with current Firm 1 2 Capacity The VA will evaluate a firm s capacity to accomplish work in the required time. The A/E Firm shall show current and projected workload within the firm overall and for the specific team members. Documentation supplied shall support that the firm has the capacity to accomplish the work in the required time. In evaluating capacity, the VA will consider in its evaluation the volume of work awarded by VA and other federal organizations during the previous 12 months using data extracted from the Federal Procurement Data System. VA will additionally consider the full potential value of any current indefinite delivery contracts that a firm has and assess the available capacity of key disciplines to perform the work in the required time. Past Performance Firms will be evaluated for past performance on recent and relevant contracts with Government agencies (emphasis on VA work) and private industry in terms of cost control, professional performance, general management, cooperativeness, quality of work, compliance with performance schedule, and a record of significant claims against the firm due to improper or incomplete A/E services (references required). The Government will rate an offeror's Past Performance for projects identified in their Offer under Factor 1, Technical Expertise, offeror provided past performance meeting the requirements of this section, and other related experience the Government obtains. The Government may evaluate present and past performance information by using data independently obtained from other Government or commercial sources, including, but not limited to: Government databases; personal business experience with the offeror; and information provided. The evaluation may consider Past Performance information regarding predecessor companies, key personnel who have relevant experience, or subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant to this acquisition. Past Performance information on contracts not listed by the offeror may also be evaluated. The Government may contact references and contact parties other than those identified by the offeror, and information received may be used in the evaluation of the offeror s Past Performance. While the Government may elect to consider data obtained from other sources, the burden of providing current, accurate, and complete Past Performance information rests with the offeror. The Government reserves the rights to obtain and evaluate Past Performance information from any source it deems appropriate. Respondents with no previous past performance shall state so when addressing the selection criteria. Documentation supplied should detail firms ability to work with government entities and design standards or similar relevant experience with other entities. The following information is required for evaluation of past performance: The A/E firm shall submit past performance evaluations (from CPARS if experience was on a Government contract) for projects provided under Evaluation Criteria 1, Specialized Experience/Technical Competence. In addition to the past performance evaluations the firm shall provide owner points of contact for each project listed to include name, title, telephone number, e-mail, contract number, project name, project description, and start and completion dates. Recency is defined as performance occurring within five (5) years of the date of this notice, except that ongoing projects must have begun no less than one (1) year prior to the issuance of this notice. Relevancy is defined as performance of work on projects that are similar in scope to the type of project anticipated under the resultant contract. If there is no CPARS data available, Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) will be accepted. Please utilize the attached PPQ document. PPQs shall be submitted to the Contract Specialist no later than the closing date for receipt of the SF 330s. Email PPQs to NCO1ConstructionTeam2Proposals@va.gov. The subject line shall state 36C24125R0084 Past Performance for (Name of Company.) NOTE: A/E Firms must not review the Past Performance Questionnaire prior to submission. They must be submitted by the client/evaluator directly to the Contract Specialist. Firms should follow up and encourage references to get the questionnaires to the Contract Specialist in a timely manner. Do not include copies of the letters or questionnaires in the SF 330 package. Note: We recommend you contact every reference listed and let them know we may contact them for information. Their timely replies would be appreciated. Knowledge of the Locality Location in the general geographical area of the project and knowledge of the locality of the project. The A/E Firm must demonstrate that it has general knowledge of the locality of the project by providing experience working in Massachusetts or the general geographical area of the project and displaying knowledge of the locality to include project site features such as permit requirements and local laws and regulations. Respondents will be evaluated by providing three (3) projects that demonstrate their knowledge of the locality; any project provided in addition to the three will not be evaluated as part of this criteria. Experience in Construction Period Services Respondents must provide one (1) recent project from the five (5) projects provided under Factor 1, Specialized Experience, and provide a narrative on how the A/E incorporated the following into their project: Professional field inspections during the construction period Review of construction submittals Support in answering requests for information during the construction period Support of construction contract changes to include drafting statements of work and cost Estimates Any project provided in addition to the one (1) will not be evaluated as part of this criteria. Commitment to the use of SDVOSB, VOSB, and other Small Businesses as Subcontractors Respondents must provide a narrative on how they will commit to the use of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned small businesses, Veteran-owned small businesses, and other types of small businesses as subcontractors. G. QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS: a. Questions and comments regarding this notice must be submitted by email only to the Contract Specialist, Alexis Duda at Alexis.Duda@va.gov b. Oral questions will not be answered. c. The deadline for questions is 5/23/2025, at 4:00 PM EDT. H. SF 330 SUBMITTAL PACKAGE PAGE INSTRUCTIONS: a. SF 330 submittal packages shall be submitted no later than 4:00 PM EDT on 6/9/2025 to the following e-mail address: NCO1ConstructionTeam2Proposals@va.gov b. Past Performance Questionnaires shall be submitted no later than 4:00PM EDT on 6/9/2025 to the following e-mail address: NCO1ConstructionTeam2Proposals@va.gov c. Respondents are responsible for ensuring SF330 submittal packages, any revisions, and modifications are submitted by this time and to the e-mail address provided above. d. Qualified A/E firms are required to submit ONE (1) electronic copy via email to NCO1ConstructionTeam2Proposals@va.gov. If the file is too large to send via email, the offeror may send multiple emails with subject line of the e-mail clearly identifiable with multiple files clearly labeled. e. SF 330 forms are available at: https://www.gsa.gov/forms#SF f. Submission of information incorporated by reference is not allowed. g. Prospective firms shall address all selection criteria factors within their submitted SF 330 package. h. Submissions are limited to 85 pages. i. Absolutely no photographs shall be submitted. ii. Title pages and tables of contents, if applicable, are excluded from the page count limitation. iii. Pages submitted more than the limitations specified in this notice will not be evaluated by NCO 1. i. Telephone or fax inquiries will not be accepted. I. SF 330 PACKAGE CONTENTS: a. The SF 330 submittal packages shall consist of a completed SF 330, specific information addressing each of the seven selection criteria described in this notice. b. Respondents are required to meet all requirements in addition to those identified as selection criteria. c. SF 330 submittal packages not consistent with the requirements and selection criteria of this notice may be determined unacceptable and removed from consideration. d. Any SF 330 submittal package, modification, or revision, that is received after the exact time specified for receipt is late and will not be considered unless the contracting officer determines that accepting the late submittal would not unduly delay the acquisition; and there is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received at NCO 1 installation designated for receipt of submittal packages and was under NCO 1 s control prior to the time set for receipt of submittal packages; or it was the only submittal package received. J. SF 330 PACKAGE PREPARATION: a. Qualified A/E firms are required to submit ONE (1) electronic copy via email to NCO1ConstructionTeam2Proposals@va.gov. SF 330 forms are available online at: https://www.gsa.gov/forms#SF b. Electronic copy shall be in searchable PDF format of the SF 330. c. A cover sheet should be included, clearly marked with the Respondent's name, complete address with 9-digit zip code, phone number, e-mail address, UEI number, date of response, title and notice identification. d. A table of contents shall be provided for ready reference to sections and figures. e. SF 330 submittal packages shall be consistent with the following structure and formatted accordingly: SF 330 PART I CONTRACT SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS 1. Sections A through D 2. Section E 3. Section F 4. Section G 5. Section H 6. Section I 7. Other additional information and attachments SF 330 PART II GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS (Note: Respondents shall clearly label additional information and attachments). K. FAR and VAAR: The FAR, VAAR, and VAAM citations referenced in this Special Notice can be accessed via the following links: FAR https://www.acquisition.gov/ VAAR https://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaar/index.asp VAAM https://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaam/ END OF SPECIAL NOTICE ATTACHMENTS