Construction of the ERCIP Wellfield Expansion at Fort Drum, NY W912DS-26-S-0018

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT for the purpose of obtaining market research only. No proposals are being requested nor accepted under this synopsis. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, will use information obtained under this source sought to develop an acquisition strategy to meet the requirements for the Gas Alley ACP Modernization construction project at Fort Drum, NY. The purpose of this Sources Sought notice is to conduct market research to assess the capability and interest of small business concerns including participants in the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) Business Development Program, HUBZone small business concerns, service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) concerns, women-owned small business (WOSB) concerns (including EDWOSBs, as applicable), and other small business concerns that are small under the applicable NAICS size standard to perform a design-build construction project at Fort Drum in support of the United States Army. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New York District (NAN) anticipates a potential requirement for Design-Build (DB) construction services for the construction of five (5) new water wells. This will include well houses, SCATA systems/controls, site work and grading, utilities, and storm water management features. The project also includes approximately 5 miles of waterline, comms, duct bank, overhead powerlines, and other related work at Fort Drum. The Government estimates that design and construction of the potential requirement can be completed within twenty-four (24) months from receipt of Notice to Proceed (NTP). If market conditions indicate this estimate may be unrealistic, respondents are encouraged to provide specific information (such as known equipment lead times or other timeline concerns) for Government consideration when responding to this Sources Sought Notice. The anticipated magnitude of construction is between 10,000,000 and $25,000,000. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for the potential requirement is anticipated to be 237990, Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction. The small business size standard for the NAICS, as established by the U.S. Small Business Administration, is $45,000,000 annual revenue. Contractors with the skill, capabilities, workload capacity, and ability to obtain bonding to complete the project described above are invited to provide capability statements to the primary point of contact listed below. Other than small businesses are also encouraged to submit Capability Statements. Capability Statement Submission Requirements: All interested firms are encouraged to respond to this notice and may do so by submitting a capabilities statement. The capabilities statement is limited to ten (10) pages total and should include the following information: a. Firm s name, address, point of contact, phone number and email address. b. Identify your business size (small or other than small) under the applicable NAICS code and size standard. If you are a small business, indicate any applicable SBA socioeconomic program/status (e.g., 8(a) participant, HUBZone small business concern, small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, veteran-owned small business, or service-disabled veteran-owned small business). c. Demonstration of the firm s qualifications. Include two (2) sample projects indicating the following: Title, location, description and dollar amount of the project. Also include a statement regarding relevancy to the qualifications being sought. The response must be specific to the qualifications listed above to show that the respondent meets the requirements and possesses the necessary skills and experience. If a response does not show that the respondent meets the qualifications and/or does not possess the necessary skills and experience, the respondent will not be considered by the Government. Again, this is NOT a request for proposal or quotation; there is no solicitation available currently. A determination by the Government to proceed with the acquisition as a set-aside for 8(a) program, HUBZone, Small Business, etc. or unrestricted is within the discretion of the Government. Subcontracting Opportunities for Other-Than-SB Only: To foster inclusive opportunities and ensure broad participation of small businesses in federal contracting, we are seeking information from Other Than Small Business (OTSB) vendors on their subcontracting practices and goals. This inquiry is designed to assess the feasibility and extent of subcontracting possibilities in alignment with federal guidelines and to support the economic growth of small businesses through meaningful subcontracting opportunities. In your response, please address the following considerations by providing estimated subcontracting percentages for each of the socioeconomic categories (small business, small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, HUBZone small business, veteran-owned small business, and service-disabled veteran-owned small business): Business Practices: Describe whether your firm customarily contracts for part of the work to be performed or maintains in-house capability sufficient to perform the work. Provide two (2) examples or explain your approach. Prequalification Requirements: Identify if there are likely to be product or service prequalification requirements and how you intend to manage these in relation to subcontracting opportunities. Feasibility of Subcontracting: Discuss the feasibility of acquiring any portion of the work through subcontracting, considering the time until contract completion and the impact on performance. Address how subcontracting decisions will be made to ensure fair market value and minimal disruption. Subcontracting Goals: Please provide estimated percentage goals for subcontracting to each of the following socioeconomic categories: a. Small Business (SB) b. Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) c.Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) d. HUBZone Small Business e. Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) f. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) We are looking for vendors who demonstrate a clear understanding of the importance of small business subcontracting and have strategies in place to achieve these goals effectively. Responses are restricted to U.S. firms that are established and registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), www.sam.gov. For 8(a) and HUBZONE, firms must be certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA). All responses to this Market Research by interested businesses shall be limited to the information required above and shall be submitted via email no later than 1400 (2:00 PM) EST on February 26, 2026. Contracting Office Address: Attn: CENAN-CT 26 Federal Plaza New York, New York 10278-0090 United States Place of Performance: Fort Drum, NY 13602 United States Primary Point of Contact.: Brian Winters Contract Specialist brian.h.winters@usace.army.mil

1.0 Introduction & Background This document provides the justification for using other than full and open competition for the procurement of control system hardware, software, and integration services for the wells control system upgrade project at Fort Drum. The project requires the expansion and modernization of the existing Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system controlling the facility's water wells. The existing wells are operated by a proprietary control system. To maintain operational integrity, system stability, and cybersecurity posture, the new controls must seamlessly integrate with the incumbent manufacturer's platform. 2.0 Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition 2.1 Authority Cited The proposed procurement is justified under the authority of FAR 6.302-1, "Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements." This authority is applicable because the required supplies and services must be procured from a specific manufacturer to ensure compatibility with the existing installed infrastructure, thereby avoiding substantial duplication of cost and unacceptable delays. 2.2 Description of Supplies/Services The required supplies and services include proprietary programmable logic controllers (PLCs), input/output (I/O) modules, SCADA software licenses, and the associated engineering services for programming, configuration, and integration. These components must be fully compatible with the existing Fort Drum wells control system, which is based on the Trane platform. Only this manufacturer and its authorized representatives can provide the hardware, firmware, and software required to expand the system without compromising its integrity while maintaining the full functionality required by the Fort Drum licensed water operator. 2.3 Demonstration of Sole Source Necessity The existing SCADA system for the wells at Fort Drum is a highly integrated and proprietary platform. Key components, including the central servers, communication protocols, and programming environment, are specific to the incumbent manufacturer. Awarding a contract to another source would prevent the new well controls from integrating into the existing system for the following reasons: Proprietary Architecture: The system's communication bus and software are not open-protocol, preventing third-party controllers from being recognized or functioning within the established network. Data Analysis: The system s proprietary data analysis would be unable to fully integrate with non-Trane equipment. Data & Alarm Consistency: An alternative system would be unable to integrate into the existing alarm, trending, and historical data logging schemas, creating operational inefficiencies and information gaps. Cybersecurity: Introducing a different platform would require a completely new cybersecurity evaluation and Authority to Operate (ATO), creating a separate, less secure control network or a risky and unproven integration gateway. 2.4 Rationale for Substantial Duplication of Cost Utilizing a different controls manufacturer would result in substantial duplication of costs that would not be recovered through competition. These sunk costs would include: System Replacement: A wholesale replacement of the existing central SCADA servers, operator workstations, and network hardware would be required. Reprogramming: All existing sequences of operation for the current wells would need to be reprogrammed and recommissioned on the new platform. Operator Training: Facility operators would need to be retrained on an entirely new system, leading to lost productivity and the potential for operational errors. These duplicated costs are estimated to far exceed any potential savings from a competitive procurement for the new expansion scope alone. 2.5 Rationale for Unacceptable Delays Introducing an alternate controls brand would cause unacceptable delays to a mission-critical utility infrastructure project. Specific delays would include: Extended Redesign: The control system architecture would require a complete redesign to accommodate a new platform. Complex Integration & Testing: Significant time would be spent developing and testing a new integration method, with no guarantee of success. Commissioning Delays: Commissioning and functional performance testing would be significantly extended to validate the performance of a non-standard, multi-vendor system. These delays would jeopardize the project schedule and impact the operational readiness of the facility's water supply. 2.6 Market Research Market research confirmed that while multiple vendors manufacture control systems, no other vendor can provide components that are fully and seamlessly compatible with the proprietary architecture of the installed system at Fort Drum. Research confirmed that any attempt to use an alternative would require the costly and time-consuming replacement of the existing system, validating the conclusion that only the incumbent manufacturer can meet the agency's requirements without causing unacceptable delays and cost duplication. 3.0 Conclusion Based on the technical constraints of the existing proprietary system, the only viable path to meet the government's needs is to procure controls from the incumbent manufacturer. Therefore, a sole-source justification pursuant to FAR 6.302-1 is appropriate and necessary to ensure the successful, timely, and cost-effective completion of the Fort Drum wells control system upgrade.