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Sources Sought Notice for Architect - Engineering services
for 632-22-118 - Evaluate Water System

SYNOPSIS
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. 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.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a qualified Architect-Engineering (AE) firm to provide Schematics, Design Development, Construction Documents, Technical Specifications, Construction Period Services, Site Visits, Cost Estimates, As-Built Documentation, and all other related information for Project 632-22-118, Evaluate Water System at Northport VA Medical Center, 79 Middleville Road, Northport, NY 11768.

This requirement is being procured in accordance with the Brooks Act as implemented in FAR Subpart 36.6. Applicable NAICS code is 541330 and small business size standard of $16.5 Million. Magnitude of Construction is between $250,000 and $500,000. This is a 100% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Set Aside. The anticipated award date of the proposed Architectural and Engineering Contract is on or before June 30, 2023. Potential contractors must be registered in SAM (www.sam.gov) and visible/certified in Vet Biz (https://www.vip.vetbiz.va.gov) at time of submission of their qualifications in order to be considered for an award. As a prospective offeror or bidder for this Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set aside, you are verifying your company meets the status requirements of a SDVOSB concern as established by VAAR 852.219-10. NOTE - Offerors are referred to 852.219-11 (d)(1) Services. In the case of a contract for services (except construction), it will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs. In order to assure compliance with this clause, all firms submitting a SF330 for this Sources Sought Notice are required to indicate what percentage of the cost of contract performance will be expended by the concerns employees and in which discipline(s) and percentage of cost of contract performance to be expended (and in what disciplines) by any other subcontracted or otherwise used small or large business entity(s). Any subcontracted or otherwise business entity(s) used must be identified by name, office location and size/type of business (i.e. SDVOSB, VOSB, 8(a), large, etc).

Due to modifications that were done to the structures over the years, the underground utilities serving such structures have been modified. These changes are oftentimes executed in the form of projects which cover only the areas of the structure that are being modified and the immediate areas surrounding it. These projects therefore result in as-builts limited to the areas under their respective scopes of work. The original master site plan therefore has not been updated as a result of these independent projects. Smaller-scale projects may have resulted in changes to the original as-built conditions and will need to be captured in this effort due to the lack of documentation. Some drawings for these types of projects are existing and will be made available to the A/E.

The scope of this project is to generate an existing as-built site plan of the domestic water and Fire Water services at the Northport VA campus. In order to show a true representation of these utility services in their current state, the VA Contracting Officer (CO) and Contracting Officer Representative (COR) will provide access to the existing legacy drawings which could be in any of the following format(s): mylar, sepia, blueprints, paper, PDF, etc. The final product shall be a completed Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawing in a licensed AutoCAD 2020 or latest version and current Adobe Acrobat PDF format files, depicting the as built layout of the domestic and fire water systems. The background or site plan used accurately depict the campus and its structures, buildings, etc. to provide a true representation of the campus state at the time of this project s completion. The A/E shall also provide PDF(s) and paper copies of this work. The As-Built drawings shall be signed and sealed. Submission shall be subject to the approval of the CO. The A/E shall obtain the services of subcontractors as necessary to conduct any topographic surveys, subsurface utility survey and other such investigations as required. The reports from these investigations shall be included in the final submission package along with a document summarizing the findings and proposed recommendations to address any deficiencies of existing underground Domestic and Fire Water systems and above ground components such as location of valves, fire hydrants, sizes, tag numbers, etc. All the aforementioned items shall be part of the scope of work.
The A/E shall attend authorized conferences, including Pre-Bid Walk-thru, as requested by the Contracting Officer (CO) or Contracting Officer Representative (COR). The A/E shall at a minimum provide representatives of the following professional registered disciplines for each conference: Site Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer.

This Contract does not involve VA sensitive information and Contractor personnel do not require access to VA systems. Information made available to the Contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the Contractor/ subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of VA.

To fulfill the stated scope of work, the A/E firm will need to perform the four (4) listed tasks shown in
section 2.0: TASKS.

1.1 NARA RECORDS MANAGEMENT
1. Contractor shall comply with all applicable records management laws and regulations, as well as
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records policies, including but not limited
to the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. chs. 21, 29, 31, 33), NARA regulations at 36 CFR Chapter
XII Subchapter B, and those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the
Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a). These policies include the preservation of all records,
regardless of form or characteristics, mode of transmission, or state of completion.

2. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for Government use and delivered to, or
falling under the legal control of, the Government are Federal records subject to the provisions of
44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), as
amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and
scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statute or regulation.

3. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, Contractor shall maintain all records created for Government
use or created in the course of performing the contract and/or delivered to, or under the legal control
of the Government and must be managed in accordance with Federal law. Electronic records and
associated metadata must be accompanied by sufficient technical documentation to permit
understanding and use of the records and data.

4. The Department of Veterans Affairs Northport Medical Center and its Contractors are responsible
for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of
mutilation. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of The Department of Veterans
Affairs Northport Medical Center or destroyed except for in accordance with the provisions of the
agency records schedules and with the written concurrence of the Head of the Contracting Activity.
Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and
penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. In the event of any unlawful or accidental removal, defacing,
alteration, or destruction of records, Contractor must report to Northport V.A. The agency must
report promptly to NARA in accordance with 36 CFR 1230.

5. The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate Contracting Officer upon discovery of any
inadvertent or unauthorized disclosures of information, data, documentary materials, records or
equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorized personnel with a need-toknow
as described in the [contract vehicle]. The Contractor shall ensure that the appropriate
personnel, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security
and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is
properly protected. The Contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems
operated or maintained on the Government s behalf, without the express written permission of the
Head of the Contracting Activity. When information, data, documentary material, records and/or
equipment is no longer required, it shall be returned to The Department of Veterans Affairs
Northport Medical Center control, or the Contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items
returned to the Government shall be hand carried, mailed, emailed, or securely electronically
transmitted to the Contracting Officer or address prescribed in the [contract vehicle]. Destruction of
records is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4).

6. The Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any
contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of
information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, contracts. The
Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and The Department of
Veterans Affairs Northport Medical Center guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary
information, classified, and controlled unclassified information.

7. The Contractor shall only use Government IT equipment for purposes specifically tied to or
authorized by the contract and in accordance with The Department of Veterans Affairs Northport
Medical Center policy.

8. The Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any non-public The Department
of Veterans Affairs Northport Medical Center information that are not specifically tied to or
authorized by the contract.

9. The Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains
information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected from public
disclosure by an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act.

10. The Department of Veterans Affairs Northport Medical Center owns the rights to all data and
records produced as part of this contract. All deliverables under the contract are the property of the
U.S. Government for which The Department of Veterans Affairs Northport Medical Center shall
have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to
be in the public interest. Any Contractor rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as
required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20.

11. Training. All Contractor employees assigned to this contract who create, work with, or otherwise
handle records are required to take VHA-provided records management training. The Contractor is
responsible for confirming training has been completed according to agency policies, including
initial training and any annual or refresher training.

1.2 INFORMATION SECURITY PRIVACY
1. Information made available to the Contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or
administration of this contract or information developed by the Contractor/subcontractor in
performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be
used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA. This clause expressly limits
the Contractor/subcontractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR
52.227-14(d) (1).

2. The term security incident means an event that has, or could have, resulted in unauthorized access
to, loss or damage to VA assets, or sensitive information, or an action that breaches VA security
procedures. The Contractor/subcontractor shall immediately notify the COTR and simultaneously,
the designated ISO and Privacy Officer for the contract of any known or suspected security/privacy
incidents, or any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including that contained in
system(s) to which the Contractor/subcontractor has access.

3. The C&A requirements do not apply, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required.

1.3 CONTRACTOR CONFINED SPACE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
1. Contractor will be informed by the Medical Center s COTR/Project Manager, (in-charge of the
confined space work), if the workplace is a permit-required or non-permit required confined
space, and if that confined space entry is allowed only through compliance with a permit space
program meeting the requirements of Medical Center Memorandum 001-183 Confined Space
Program.

2. Contractor will be apprised of the elements including the hazards identified and the Medical
Center s (last employer) experience with the space that makes the space in 17question a permit
space by the Medical Center s COTR/Project Manager, (in-charge of the confined space work).

3. Contractor will be apprised by the Medical Center s COTR/Project Manager, (in-charge of the
confined space work), of any precautions or procedures that the Medical Center has
Implemented for the protection of employees in or near permit space where contractor personnel
will be working.

4. The Medical Center s COTR/Project Manager, (in-charge of the confined space work), will
advise the Contractor of how to fill out the required forms and gain the necessary Confined
Space Entry Permits from the Fire Department and be responsible for the Contractor following
the requirements of CM 001-183 Confined Space Program.

5. The Medical Center s COTR/Project Manager, (in-charge of the confined space work), and
contractor will coordinate entry operations when both Medical Center personnel and contractor
personnel will be working in or near permit spaces as required by 29 CFR 1910.146(d)(11) and
1926.21(b)(6).

6. Contractor will obtain any available information regarding permit space hazards and entry
operation from the Medical Center s COTR/Project Manager, (in-charge of the confined space
work).

7. At the conclusion of the entry operations, the Medical Center s COTR/Project Manager, (incharge
of the confined space work), and contractor will discuss any hazards confronted or
created in permit spaces.

8. The contractor is responsible for complying with this Medical Center Memorandum 001 183
Confined Space Program, 29 CFR 1910.146(d) through (g) and 1926.21(b)(6). The Medical
Center will provide rescue and emergency services required by 29 CFR 1910.146(k) and
1926.21(b)(6).

9. Prior to awarding a contract to commence entry operations, the Contractor shall submit proof of
training required under 29 CFR 1910.146(g) to the Medical Center Contracting Officer and the
Medical Center s COTR/Project Manager, (in-charge of the confined space work).

10. Questions regarding the Medical Center s permit-required confined space entry program can be
addressed to the VA Fire Department (ext. 2769) and COTR/ Project Manager.

2.0 TASKS
The scope of this project shall be accomplished through a series of tasks as outlined below and performed in the respective order of sequence. A breakdown of task # 1 deliverables can be found in section 4.0:
Milestones.
1. Preparation (5%)
2. Create New Site Plan (30%)
3. Survey Existing Domestic & Fire Water Systems (30%)
4. Create As-Built drawing(s) of Domestic & Fire Water Systems (35%)

Task 1. Preparation
The A/E and subconsultant(s) team shall familiarize themselves with the entire Northport VA Campus by
way of conductive site survey and any additional methods as required. The team shall gather all relevant
information in preparation for survey. This information may be copies of existing legacy drawings, RFI s
etc, and may be obtained from the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). The A/E shall request and
obtain contractor badge(s), submit signed privacy disclosure form and all other required documentation as
required by CO or COR.

The Northport VA has prepared preliminary drawings which show the layout of the existing Domestic &
Fire Water systems based on the original legacy drawings while also incorporating the changes from the
many separate drawing sets of work done throughout the years. The background used is from an outdated
site plan. These drawings were developed in-house for reference only, however A/E should not rely upon it, as its accuracy has not been validated. Additional drawings are also included which show the areas that make up each of the five (5) phases, note that the background used is also not up to date but shown for reference only.
A Breakdown of Task #1 deliverables is found in section 4.0: Milestones.

Task 2. Create New Site Plan(s).
In order to accurately show the exact location of the existing Domestic & Fire Water Service lines, an
updated new site plan must be created. Refer to Task 1 for supporting documents that may be required. A
breakdown of task # 2 deliverables is found in section 4.0: Milestones. The updated final site plan shall be
made available in AutoCAD, PDF and hard copy (full sized) drawing format.

All electronic Equipment used to perform the survey shall be calibrated/ inspected by an approved body
within a period not to exceed one year at the time of survey. Certificate of calibration for all tools must be
submitted to VA for review. More than one (1) technique must be used for surveying and mapping out the
site plan to ensure accuracy, A/E shall identify the proposed techniques to the COR for review and
approval prior to executing them. Examples include but not limited to:
· Aerial Photogrammetry
· Global Positioning Satellite Data (GPS)
· Point Cloud Modeling
· Computer-Assisted Drawing (CAD)

The updated site plan must be scaled and shall also include standard elements such as:
· North Arrow
· Grid lines
· Property/ elevation lines
· Existing structures
· Street / parking area layout
· Fire Hydrants
· Street lighting
· Landscaping (including trees, grass areas)
· Labeling of existing areas / structures / roadways/ parking lots
· Legend / key notes
· Site address
· Manhole Cover Plates (relevant to Domestic and Fire Water Services)

Task 3. Survey Existing Domestic & Fire Water Services
Once an updated site plan has been developed, the process of surveying the existing Domestic & Fire
Water systems may proceed. A breakdown of task # 3 deliverables is found in section 4.0: Milestones.
The process for this task shall include the following steps:

· A licensed and qualified Engineer with demonstrated design experience in Domestic & Fire
Water distribution systems shall Review and analyze existing drawings. Refer to Task #1.
· Field survey all underground domestic & Fire water piping throughout the entire Northport
campus and terminate at the exterior foundation of each structure.
· Survey above and below grade valves & Fire hydrant locations. Provide a valve schedule
indicating the service, type and size of valves.
· Survey underground Domestic and Fire Water Services using non-destructive methods where
possible, examples include but not limited to; Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Magnetic
Location, Electromagnetic Location, Acoustic Pipe Location (APL), approved alternate methods.
· Survey shall be performed using more than one technique to ensure the validity of the results and
A/E shall identify the proposed techniques to the COR for review and approval prior to executing
them. (E.G. locate pipe using magnetic location, and then verify the results using Ground
Penetrating Radar).
· All electronic Equipment used to perform the survey shall be calibrated/ inspected by an
approved body within a period not to exceed one (1) year at the time of survey. Certificate of
calibration for all tools must be submitted to VA for review.
· Survey shall identify the pipe size, pipe depth, material type and valve location(s).
· Points of interconnection between the Domestic and Fire Water systems shall be clearly shown.
Access to manhole(s) may be required. Refer to Task #1 for confined space requirements.
· Create progress drawings and submit in electronic AutoCAD (DWG) and Adobe Acrobat (PDF)
formats.

Task 4. Create As-Built Drawings of Domestic & Fire Water Services
This task will consist of creating as-built drawings of the existing Domestic & Fire Water services using
the results obtained from the field survey mapping described in Task # 3. The drawing(s) shall be in
AutoCAD .DWG format 2020 or latest, and a PDF and full-size paper print shall be furnished from this
.DWG drawing. Refer and adhere to the VA AutoCAD Standards found in the VA Technical Information
Library (TIL)(https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/projReq.asp). Refer to Task #1 for additional guidance. The
background used in the final drawing shall be from the newly created site plan that was developed under
Task # 2. A breakdown of task # 4 deliverables is found in section 4.0: Milestones.

At a minimum, the final drawing shall include the following:

· A complete drawing showing the existing Domestic Water System and Fire Water System; each
on their own individual layers. The piping and valves must each be saved on separate CAD
layers. Include the pipe size, the buried depth, pipe material, valve tags, valve location. Show all
system components up to the exterior foundation of each structure.
· Show location and size of existing abandoned Domestic & Fire Water piping. Clearly indicate by
a unique symbol that the piping is abandoned and no longer in service.
· Show manhole cover plates (of Domestic and Fire Water systems), valve covers, hydrants, valve
tags.
· Call out Pipe and valve depths below grade (Inverts).
A/E shall also provide a Findings and Recommendations Report highlighting all the deficiencies found
within the Fire & Domestic Water Systems (I.E leaking valves/mains, dead legs, prohibited cross
connections, etc). The report shall also list three (3) options for replacing the entire Domestic & Fire
Water Systems with new piping and components to reduce system downtime as much as possible. Finally,
the report shall also include a cost estimate of labor and materials cost for the three (3) separate options.

3.0 PHASING
Due to the large footprint of this project, five (5) phases which are listed below have been created to break
down the project into smaller more manageable areas. The phases shall be performed in sequential order,
starting with Phase #1. Within each phase, there are four (4) tasks that must also be performed in
sequential order, starting with Task # 1 (e.g., Task #1 shall be completed and approved by COR before
moving on to Task #2). Refer to the schedule chart in section 4.0 for all required submissions.
The attached Phasing Map shows a visual depiction of the areas within the VA property line that make up
the five (5) phased areas. A general description of areas/ structures that are included in the phased areas
(but not limited to) are listed below:

Phase 1: Golf course, building # 20, 21, 23, 26, 27, 28
Phase 2: Golf Couse, wooded areas, parking lot, Water Tower
Phase 3: Parking lot, building # 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 37, 40, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 88, 89, 200, 200N
Phase 4: Wooded areas, sewage treatment plant, water wells, building # 13, 15, 16, 210, 220
Phase 5: Wooded areas, parking lot, building # 8, 9, 36, 13, 14, 16, 36, 41, 42, T55, 82, 92, 112, 113, 114,
115, 116, 142, 145, 203, 211

4.0 MILESTONES
The milestone s Completion Percent listed below shall be commensurate with billing payments.

Deliverables:
The chart below applies to each phase, the description column below provides a brief description of the
tasks listed in section 2.0; Refer to section 2.0 for a complete description of requirements.
The summary below provides a brief description of the task requirements and provides additional information pertaining to the deliverables required from the A/E. refer to the appropriate sections above for a complete break-down of requirements.

Task # 1: A/E shall submit a typed document on company letterhead stating that they have requested and received all documentation and information required to perform the work (state the phase number to which the submission corresponds to. Include a formal meeting minute with list of attendees.

Task # 2: A/E shall submit a typed document on company letterhead stating the proposed techniques to be used in the survey (two (2) or more techniques must be used to ensure validity). Once COR approves the proposed techniques, A/E shall submit calibration certificate(s) of all equipment to be used in the survey. Submit new Site Plan showing an accurate representation of site. Include elements as described in Section 2.0, and best engineering practices. Submit all required documentation to COR for review and approval.

Task # 3: A/E shall submit a typed document on company letterhead stating the proposed techniques to be used in the survey (two (2) or more techniques must be used to ensure validity). Once COR approves the proposed techniques, A/E shall submit calibration certificate(s) of all equipment to be used in the survey. Submit sketch / preliminary drawing(s) showing the Domestic & Fire Water Systems and all components as listed in Section 2.0. Submit to COR for review and approval.

Task # 4: Submit pre-finalized drawings (not signed) of the Domestic & Fire Water Systems which include the newly created site plan as the background and the report of findings and recommendations for
COR review and approval. Once COR approves, A/E shall submit 100% as-built signed and sealed drawings and finalized report of findings and recommendations. Drawing shall conform to VA standards, refer to Section 2.0 for all requirements.

Schedule:
Each submission in the schedule below shall be performed in sequential order, starting with submission # 1. Each submission must be approved by the COR before payment for that submission can be approved and before proceeding to the next submission. A/E shall not be compensated for re-submissions that may be required to satisfy the requirements of that specific submission. The A/E Time Allotment column in the table below shows the number of business days (during normal business hours) that are to be allocated to the A/E for the fulfillment and submission of documents to the COR for review and approval. The COR Time Allotment will take effect next business day upon submission from A/E. The COR will review and approve or reject the submission and notify the A/E during this time frame. Conversely, the A/E Time Allotment will also take effect next business day after having received a response from the COR. The A/E and COR are not required to use all the allotted time and may submit earlier.
For example, Submission #1 allows the A/E up to five (5) business days to submit the required documents to the COR, it subsequently allows the COR five (5) business days upon receipt of the document(s) to review and provide a response.

SELECTION CRITERIA DESCRIPTIONS
The selection criteria descriptions are provided below.
(1) PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY FOR SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE OF REQUIRED SERVICES.
Provide brief resumes of proposed team members who will specifically serve as the Project Managers and Designers of Record. 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. Each resume shall include a minimum of two (2) specific completed projects that best illustrate the individual team members experience relevant to this contract scope.
(2) SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCE
Specialized experience and technical competence required for this specific project, including, where appropriate, experience in energy conservation, pollution prevention, waste reduction, and the use of recovered materials.
(3) CAPACITY
This factor evaluates the ability of the firm, given their current projected workload and the availability of their key personnel, to accomplish the possible myriad of design projects in the required time.
The general workload and staffing capacity of the design office will be evaluated.
i. List current projects with a design fee of greater than $20,000 being designed in the firms office.
ii. Indicate the firms present workload and the availability of the project team (including sub-consultants) for the specified contract performance period.
iii. Describe experience in successfully delivering projects per performance schedule, providing timely construction support, and successfully completing multiple projects with similar delivery dates.
(4) PAST PERFORMANCE: VISN2 will evaluate past performance on recent and relevant contracts with government agencies (emphasis on VA work) and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work, compliance with performance schedules and a record of significant claims against the firm due to improper or incomplete engineering services (references required).
i. Recent is defined as performance occurring within 5 years of the date of this Sources Sought, except that ongoing projects must have begun no less than one (1) year prior to the issuance of this Sources Sought.
ii. Relevancy is defined as performance of work on projects that are similar in scope to the types of projects anticipated under the resultant contracts.
iii. Respondents with no previous past performance shall state this when addressing the selection criteria. Where there is no record of past performance, the proposal will be evaluated neither favorably nor unfavorably. Superior performance ratings on relevant projects may be considered more favorably in the evaluation.
Submission Requirements:
i. Submit a minimal of three (3) references; any of the following evaluations are acceptable:
a. Contractor Performance Assessment Report System (CPARS), or
b. Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) evaluation for each project submitted under Criterion 2.
ii. If a completed CPARS evaluation is available, it shall be submitted with the completed SF330 package. If there is not a completed CPARS evaluation, the PPQ included with this notice is provided for the Offeror or its team members to submit for each project included in criterion (2). If a PPQ is submitted, but an official CPARS evaluation is found for that project in government databases, the official evaluation will take precedence. If a CPARS evaluation is not available, ensure correct phone numbers and email addresses are provided for each contract customer/reference. Completed PPQs should be submitted with your SF330. If the A-E is unable to obtain a completed PPQ from a contract customer/reference for a project before the response date set forth in this notice, the A-E should complete and submit with their response the first page of the PPQ (Attachment #1), including contract and point of contact information for the respective projects.
iii. A-Es should follow-up with references to ensure timely submittal of questionnaires. At the reference s request, questionnaires may be submitted directly to the Governments point of contact, Les Griffith via email at lester.griffith@va.gov, prior to the response date. A-Es shall not incorporate by references into their response CPARS or PPQ evaluations previously submitted in response to other A-E services procurements. However, this does not preclude the Government from utilizing previously submitted PPQ information in the past performance evaluation. Submitted CPARS and PPQ evaluations shall be attached to the SF330, behind the SF330 Part II document.
(5) LOCATION
i. The A/E Firm proximity to the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport VA Medical Center, 79 Middleville Rd, Northport, NY 11768 is an evaluation criteria.
ii. This distance is determined according to http://maps.google.com/
iii. This factor evaluates the 350 mile distance the AE firm's design office or offices lies from the location of work. Please provide the address (es) and distance of your closest office to the address listed below.
(6) The extent to which potential contractors identify and commit to the use of service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses, Veteran-owned small businesses, and other types of small businesses as subcontractors.
(7) Experience in construction period services to include professional field inspections during the construction period, review of construction submittals, support in answering requests for information during the construction period, and support of construction contract changes to include drafting statements of work, and cost estimates shall be included as an evaluation criterion when construction period services is included in the statement of work for A-E services.
PLEASE NOTE: The AE Evaluation Board must be provided with complete and accurate information for ALL seven (7) evaluation factors above in order to rank as qualified and eligible firms. Therefore, the AE firm must expand upon, as it deems necessary, on any evaluation factor not well demonstrated or addressed with Part 1A to Part IG and Part II of the SF330. The AE firm shall use Part IH and/or use additional sheets to supplement/address all evaluation factors to clearly demonstrate its qualifications.
LIMITATIONS 852.219-11 VA NOTICE OF VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (NOV 2020) (DEVIATION) (a) Definition. For the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veteran-owned small business or VOSB: (1) Means a small business concern
(i) Not less than 51 percent of which is owned by one or more Veterans or, in the case of any publicly owned business, not less than 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more Veterans; (ii) The management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more Veterans; (iii) The business meets Federal small business size standards for the applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code identified in the solicitation document; (iv) business has been verified for ownership and control pursuant to 38 CFR part 74 and is listed in VA s Vendor Information Pages (VIP) database; (https://www.vetbiz.va.gov/) and (v) The business will comply with VAAR subpart 819.70 and Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations regarding small business size and government contracting programs at 13 CFR part 121 and 125, provided that any requirement therein that applies to a service-disabled Veteran-owned small business concern (SDVO SBC), is to be construed to also apply to a VA verified and VIP-listed VOSB, unless otherwise stated in this clause. (vi) Unless otherwise stated, the term VOSB includes VIP-listed service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSB). (2) Veteran is defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(2). (3) The term small business concern has the meaning given that term under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632). (4) The term small business concern owned and controlled by Veterans has the meaning given that term under section 3(q)(3) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(q)(3)), except that for a VA contract the firm must be listed in the VIP database (see paragraph (a)(1)(iv) above). (b) General. (1) Offers are solicited only from VIP-listed VOSBs, including VIP-listed SDVOSBs. Offers received from entities that are not VIP-listed at the time of offer shall not be considered. (2) Any award resulting from this solicitation shall be made only to a VIP-listed VOSB who is eligible at the time of submission of offer(s) and at time of award. (3) The requirements in this clause apply to any contract, order or subcontract where the firm receives a benefit or preference from its designation as a VOSB, including set-asides, sole source awards, and evaluation preferences. (c) Representation. Pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 8127(e), only VIP-listed VOSBs are considered eligible to receive award of a resulting contract. By submitting an offer, the prospective contractor represents that it is an eligible VOSB as defined in this clause, 38 CFR part 74, and VAAR subpart 819.70. (d) Agreement. When awarded a contract action, including orders under multiple- award contracts, a VOSB agrees that in the performance of the contract, the VOSB shall comply with requirements in VAAR subpart 819.70 and SBA regulations on small business size and government contracting programs at 13 CFR part 121 and part 125, including the non-manufacturer rule and limitations on subcontracting requirements in 13 CFR 121.406 and 125.6. Unless otherwise stated in this clause, any requirement in 13 CFR part 121 and part 125 that applies to an SDVO SBC, is to be construed to also apply to a VIP-listed VOSB. For the purpose of the limitations on subcontracting, only a VIP-listed VOSB, (including independent contractors) is considered eligible and/or similarly situated (i.e., a firm that has the same small business program status as the prime contractor). An otherwise eligible firm further agrees to the following: (1) Services. In the case of a contract for services (except construction), it will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP- listed VOSBs. (2) Supplies or products. (i) In the case of a contract for supplies or products (other than from a non- manufacturer of such supplies), it will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed VOSBs.
(ii) In the case of a contract for supplies from a non-manufacturer, it will supply the product of a domestic small business manufacturer or processor, unless a waiver as described in 13 CFR 121.406(b)(5) has been granted. (3) General construction. In the case of a contract for general construction, it will not pay more than 85% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed VOSBs. (4) Special trade construction contractors. In the case of a contract for special trade contractors, no more than 75% of the amount paid by the government to the prime may be paid to firms that are not VIP-listed VOSBs. (5) Subcontracting. A VOSB must meet the NAICS size standard assigned by the prime contractor and be listed in VIP to count as similarly situated. Any work that a first tier VIP-listed VOSB subcontractor further subcontracts will count towards the percent of subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. For contracts referenced in (d)(2), (3), and (4), the cost of materials is excluded and not considered to be subcontracted. When a contract includes both services and supplies, the 50 percent limitation shall apply only to the service portion of the contract. For information and more specific requirements, refer to 13 CFR 125.6. (e) Required limitations on subcontracting compliance measurement period. A VOSB shall comply with the limitations on subcontracting as follows: [Contracting Officer check as appropriate.] _____By the end of the base term of the contract or order, and then by the end of each subsequent option period; or _____By the end of the performance period for each order issued under the contract. (f) Joint ventures. A joint venture may be considered eligible as a VOSB if the joint venture is listed in VIP and complies with the requirements in 13 CFR 125.18(b), provided that any requirement therein that applies to an SDVO SBC is to be construed to also apply to a VIP-listed VOSB. A joint venture agrees that, in the performance of the contract, the applicable percentage specified in paragraph (d) of this clause will be performed by the aggregate of the joint venture participants. (g) Precedence. Any inconsistencies between the requirements of the SBA Program for SDVO SBCs and the VA Veterans First Contracting Program, as defined in VAAR subpart 819.70 and this clause, the VA Veterans First Contracting Program takes precedence. (h) Misrepresentation. Pursuant to 38 USC 8127(g), any business concern, including all its principals, that is determined by VA to have willfully and intentionally misrepresented a company s VOSB status is subject to debarment from contracting with the Department for a period of not less than five years (see VAAR 809.406, Debarment).
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Qualified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms are required to submit one (1) electronic copy of the SF 330 (which can be downloaded from www.gsa.gov/forms. All packages shall be submitted no later than Monday, April 13, 2023 at 2:00 PM EST including Past Performance (CPARS) evaluations Questionnaires (attachment).
All submittals must be sent to the attention of Les Griffith(10N2NCO), at lester.griffith@va.gov.
The submission must include an insert detailing the following information:
1. Dun & Bradstreet Number;
2. Tax ID Number;
3. The e-mail address and phone number of the Primary Point of Contact; and
4. A copy of the firms CVE verification
The Contracting Officer is not responsible for not receiving submissions due to the offeror misaddressing the package or illegibility of the information. NOTE: Any request for assistance with submission or other procedural matters shall be submitted via email only to lester.griffith@va.gov; telephone inquiries will not be honored.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. 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.

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