Page 4 of 4 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Network Contracting Office 6 (NCO 6) Sources Sought 36C24625R0036 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. Additionally, the Government reserves the right to revise specifications, and refine contract requirements, before the release of any associated solicitation. This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP). OVERVIEW The Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 6 is conducting market research to identify potential sources for Architect-Engineer services to complete the below scope of work. The place of performance will be the hospital campus of the Durham VA Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, located at 508 Fulton Street Durham NC 27705. Forward all questions to the point of contact identified below. The magnitude of construction for this project is currently between $250,000 to $500,000 but is subject to revision prior to release of a solicitation. The anticipated Period of Performance is 1,129 calendar days from the Notice to Proceed. SCOPE OF WORK Architect/Engineer (A-E): Provide a design to upgrade the data center to meet the VA requirements for new Cerner equipment for the Durham VA Health Care System. Architect-Engineer Services shall include: Provide a design narrative, drawings, specifications, and a cost estimate at 30%, 60%, 90%, and final design stages for Project 558-25-151 Replace and Upgrade Emergency Power Systems, Equipment and Components in Building 1. This includes but is not limited to determining the capacity of building 18 s 3 generators and supportive infrastructure against peak demand and providing recommendations to either upgrade or replace current generator sets; provide emergency power distribution to Sterile Processing Service (SPS) Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Operating Room (OR) HVAC, Emergency Department (ED) HVAC, 3rd Floor Laboratory HVAC, Morgue HVAC, Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI) Department HVAC, Computed Thermography (CT) Department HVAC, Garage B, and other critical equipment per Facilities Condition Assessment (FCA) report. Upgrades should support VA 96-hr requirements. The AE s primary project design objectives are to improve the environment of care for patients, visitors, and staff through the design of a reliable emergency power system for HVAC equipment and critical departments. This is to avoid loss of airflow and pressurization to units during loss of normal power. Provide construction period services which shall include site visits, submittal and RFI review, changes, cost estimation, and as-built preparation. Provide the number of site visits necessary for discovery during Phase I-Investigative Service/Schematic Design/Other Related Services to prepare documents for Phase II-Design Development and Phase III-Construction Documents not listed under Phase IV-Construction Period Services. All work to be performed for this project must meet all National Fire Protection Association Codes and Standards (NFPA); National Electric Code (NEC); National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA); Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007); Underwriters Laboratory, Inc. (UL); International Code Council Codes; Applicable VA Design Guides, Design Manuals and Standards located on the Office of Construction Management Website (http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/index.asp); Federal, State, and Local regulations and codes; and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards and guidelines. Design must adhere to the following energy requirements: All new construction shall be designed to achieve an energy consumption level that is at least 30% below the level achieved under ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010, if life cycle cost effective. Use Appendix G of American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Condition Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1-2010 to document the energy savings. Should the 30% reduction in energy consumption prove not to be life cycle cost effective, then the A/E shall evaluate alternative designs at 5% successive decrements to identify the most energy-efficient design that is life cycle cost effective. The following parameters shall be used for performing the analysis: 20-year life-cycle period for system comparisons Use Public domain programs such as TRACE, E-CUBE, Carrier E20-II, etc. 7% Discount Factor Neither includes taxes, nor insurance while computing cost. Design and construction shall be done in such a way that facility will always meet emergency power required under Joint Commission (J.C.) and VHA Standards. Deliverables: Narratives with Calculations: Written narratives shall be used as part of each design submission. The narrative should be used to elaborate on and provide an explanation of key design decisions by A/E and/or the VA, objectives, obstacles, alternatives and resolutions, design issues or decisions relating to constructability, and in general to communicate all information relevant to the design submission. The narrative shall also include printouts of the calculations that include and are not limited to the following: HVAC load calculations, plumbing calculations, fire protection calculations, electrical power calculations, lighting calculations, and structural calculations. Calculations shall compute as far back in the system as necessary to prove if existing system can support connections to renovations/new construction. Design Scope: Once alternatives/options are selected, A/E shall develop and provide a complete set of hard and electronic drawings and specifications for bidding and construction purposes which encompass the previously selected options. The package shall contain Architectural and MEP drawings of sufficient detail that the construction contractor can accomplish the modifications with a minimum of additional guidance. Additionally, the A/E shall provide a detailed cost estimate of the project construction costs, phasing plan for installation which includes a 4-week lead time for major outages for the use of VA COR and a constructability analysis identifying the most efficient, cost-effective ways to accomplish the construction while allowing for the least disruption of hospital operations. The following A/E design submissions shall be in accordance with the A/E requirements listed on the VA website: Part I: Feasibility Study/Options: Prior to the initiation of any detailed design, the A/E shall, in conjunction with representatives of the Engineering Department, conduct inspections of the existing facilities, live peak load demand analysis, develop various alternatives, and conduct a feasibility analysis of these alternatives. NOTE: Specifications are not required with the Preliminary and Schematic Design submissions. Part II: 30% Submission: The requirements are working drawings at the 30% stage, marked-up specifications, draft phasing plan, draft Durham VA PCRA and NEPA forms and a preliminary detailed construction cost estimate showing a quantitative survey of all labor and material. Submit 4 half size sets of drawings (22 x 34 ) on bond paper, 2 bound copies of the marked-up specifications, 1 copy of the preliminary construction cost estimate, and 1 copy of the design narrative with calculations. Also provide 1 digital copy of the drawings (pdf and AutoCAD), specifications (pdf), cost estimate (pdf), and design narrative with calculations (pdf) on CD-ROM. Part III: 60% Submission: The requirements are working drawings at the 60% stage, marked-up specifications, draft phasing plan, draft Durham VA PCRA and NEPA forms and a detailed construction cost estimate showing a quantitative survey of all labor and material. Submit 4 half size sets of drawings (22 x 34 ) on bond paper, 2 bound copies of the marked-up specifications, 1 copy of the preliminary construction cost estimate, and 1 copy of the design narrative with calculations. Also provide 1 digital copy of the drawings (pdf and AutoCAD), specifications (pdf), cost estimate (pdf), and design narrative with calculations (pdf) on CD-ROM. Part IV: 90% Submission: The requirements are complete construction drawings showing all details and views, updated detailed cost estimate, finalized specifications, finalized phasing plan, PCRA and NEPA forms and a design narrative with calculations. Submit 6 half size sets of drawings (22 x 34 ) on bond paper, 2 bound copies of the marked-up specifications, 1 copy of the preliminary construction cost estimate, and 1 copy of the design narrative with calculations. Also provide 1 digital copy of the drawings (pdf and AutoCAD), specifications (pdf), cost estimate (pdf), and design narrative with calculations (pdf) on CD-ROM. Part V: 100% Final Submission: Provide 1 set of bound drawings (30 x42 ) on bond paper, 4 sets of half size (22: X 34 ) drawings on bond paper, 2 sets of unbound specifications, 1 copy of the construction cost estimate, and 1 bound copy of the design narrative with calculations. Also provide 1 digital copy of the drawings (pdf and AutoCAD), specifications (pdf), cost estimate (pdf), and design narrative with calculations (pdf) on CD-ROM. The design deliverables must adhere to the following requirements: Specifications: The project specifications shall be prepared in Microsoft Word by the A/E from the VA Master Specifications. The general format shall include Part 1-General, Part 2-Products, and Part 3-Execution. Part 1 verbiage shall include the general requirements, identify applicable standards, and identify submittals required for a particular specification. This information should be directly related and correspond to a specific submittal number enumerated in the Submittal Register as identified in Para. 11 below. Part 2 shall include description of the salient characteristics of the products. Part 3 shall include a description of the methods used to install items of construction. The A/E shall identify all VA Master Specification sections applicable to the project and edit them accordingly to fit the scope of work. If additional specification sections are needed that are not listed in the VA Master Specs, the A/E is responsible to write and edit an appropriate CSI format specification section. Specifications shall be printed on 8 ½ x 11 bond paper using 12pt Times-New-Roman font. The A/E shall incorporate into the specifications and its construction site inspection procedures the applicable Infection Control and Dust Control provisions. Construction Cost Estimates: The A/E shall prepare a Construction Cost Estimate in Microsoft Excel using the CSI 34-division format. The Cost Estimates shall include a copy of the quantity take-offs, breakdown of individual line items that accurately reflect the quantity take-off of the various categories of work involved, unit of measure, quantities, unit cost, overhead, profit, Bond, and project management. All cost data shall be taken from the most current version of a recognized industry standard, e.g., Means Estimating Guides. For items that are not in the industry standards, vendor quotes and justification for labor hours shall be provided. Construction Cost Estimates shall be submitted with 30%, 60%, 90%, and 100% design reviews and for the final submission. As part of the cost estimating effort, the A/E shall provide a Schedule of Values such that discrete elements of the Specifications are identified and may be used in negotiations with a proposal bidder. The estimate shall also include an estimated period of performance of the construction based on a CPM schedule. Submittal Register: The A/E shall develop a list of all uniquely identified submittals required by the specifications in Section 1 of each individual specification. The register should include specification reference, and item to be reviewed/approved and correspond to the Submittal Requirements as identified in the Specification Section addressed in paragraph above. Part VI: Final Documents/Reproduction: The A/E shall be responsible for all reproduction during design; however, only materials which are submitted to the VA for design reviews shall be reimbursable. All other reproduction for in-house reviews, consultants, etc. shall not be reimbursed. At the completion of design, the A/E shall be required to print up to fifty (50) construction document bid sets on a reimbursable basis (to be supported by invoice). Note that all bid administration activities will be performed by the VA Contracting Office. Submission Due Dates: Part I - Feasibility Study 30 Days from NTP VA Review 51 Days from NTP Part II - 30% Submission Due: 81 Days from NTP VA Review 102 Days from NTP Part III - 60% Submission Due: 132 Days from NTP VA Review 153 Days from NTP Part IV - 90% Submission Due: 183 Days from NTP VA Review 204 Days from NTP Part V - 100% Submission Due: 219 Days from NTP Note: The VA will have 21 business days to review each submission. (Feasibility Study, 30%, 60%, 90%, and 100%). The VA review period begins when the VA receives ALL required documents that are to be submitted for each design submission. A delayed in submissions on the A/E s part does not constitute a reduction in the VA s review period but will be a delay on the part of the A/E. The A/E shall attend a design review meeting following each VA review of each submission. The A/E is responsible for note taking during the meeting and issuing meeting minutes within 3 business days of the meeting to the COR. Provide construction period services which shall include the following: Bidder Site Visit: Participate and facilitate this site visit in conjunction with the Contracting Officer and COR, contractors, and representatives of the Building Committee as needed. At this meeting, potential contractors will walk the site limits to discuss the scope of work. Pre-Construction Meeting: Participate and facilitate this meeting in conjunction with the Contracting Officer and COR, contractor, and representatives of the Building Committee as needed. At this meeting the staging area and work site rules shall be discussed again with the contractor (these should already be included in the specifications). Contract specifications should require a CPM construction schedule submitted within 10 business days from the Notice to Proceed. Submittal Review and Logs: Designer shall prepare and maintain a log of key submittals and of RFIs and provide the same to the Contracting Officer and COR. Reviewed submittals are to be returned within 10 business days to the COR. Designer is fully responsible for review of all submittals, retaining a record copy of submittals for turn over to the owner upon project completion, and communication with the contractor regarding any deficiencies or changes required to the submittals. Response to RFI s: The A/E shall be responsible for evaluating RFI s to determine if a change will be required. The A/E shall then provide recommendations to the Contracting Officer. Within 2 business days, the A/E shall provide in writing the information, clarification or revision material needed to properly answer the RFI and to resolve the issue. The A/E shall include a cost/credit estimate for RFI s which result in a change to contract cost. Construction Change Orders: Designer shall prepare the Statement of Work and Cost estimates (returned within 10 business days) as needed. Monthly Site Inspections: Designer shall meet monthly with the contractor, COR and others needed to inspect the progress of the construction and report any deficiencies to the same. Monthly Progress Meetings: In conjunction with the monthly site inspection, the designer shall hold formal progress meetings with contractor, contracting officer, and COR. At these meetings the agenda shall contain a narrative of work completed the previous month, work upcoming, submittals or RFIs outstanding, schedule update, any special coordination items requiring actions, and discussion of change orders or time extension requests. Minutes of this meeting shall be issued within 3 business days of the meeting. Project Close Out: Designer shall receive notice of intent for final inspection from the contractor, and contractor shall propose a time and place for this to occur in conjunction with the Contracting Officer and the COR. Following the final inspection, the designer shall issue a punch list. Contract documents shall specify that the contractor has 15 working days to complete the punch list and notify the designer for re-inspection. Following re-inspection and project acceptance the closeout phase will occur. Record Drawing Submission: Provide 2 updated set of drawings (30 x42 ) on bond marked as As-built Drawings that include the contractor s mark-ups and an electronic copy of these updated drawings (pdf and AutoCAD) on CD-ROM. Period of Performance (breakdown) Design completion: 219 calendar days; includes VA design reviews. Procurement timeframe: 180 days from the time Engineering submits package to contracting. Designer shall answer pre-bid RFIs and provide updated construction documents to capture any changes made through the procurement process. Construction period services: 730 calendar days from construction award date. Total contract period: 1,129 calendar days. SMALL BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS For market research purposes, all responses to this notice will be reviewed, regardless of small business/socioeconomic category, including those firms that are identified as large businesses. Review of responses to this notice will support later determination of set-aside requirements, if a solicitation becomes available, where the rule of two is met regarding a set-aside, including set-asides under 38 U.S.C. 8127 and 8128 SDVOSB and/or VOSB firms registered in the SBA VetCert database, in accordance with priorities set by regulation. NAICS CODE: 541310, Architectural Services (SBA Size Standard: $12.5 million annual revenue) PRODUCT OR SERVICE CODE (PSC): C1DA, Architect and Engineering- Construction: Hospitals and Infirmaries INSTRUCTIONS FOR RESPONDING: Interested companies can respond, via email, to the following Team: Branch Chief: Vangie.Miller@va.gov Contract Specialist: Erica.Manglona@va.gov Contracting Officer: Alice.Custis@va.gov Please include on your cover sheet or content of your email ~ Company name Address Point of contact with email and phone number SAM Unique Entry ID number and evidence of current SAM registration (see https://www.sam.gov for more information) Company Socio-Economic SIZE (example large, small, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB etc.) Proposed NAICS code (if different from above) Proposed PSC code (if different from above) Capabilities statement, to include experience with contracts of similar scope and magnitude. Is the anticipated period of performance appropriate for this project? Is there anything that would deter you from responding to this requirement? Additional information may be requested by the Contracting Officer at a later time. PRIMARY POINT OF CONTACT: Vangie Miller Branch Chief Construction Team 1 Network Contracting Office 6 (NCO 6) 100 Emancipation Dr. Hampton, Virginia 23667 Vangie.Miller@va.gov DUE DATE FOR RESPONSES: This notice will close on Thursday, 10 April 2025, at 10:00AM EST.
