618-25-200 AE Upgrade Building 222 HVAC - MPLS

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. THIS IS
A PRESOLICITATION. NOTICE FOR ARCHITECT/ENGINEERING (A/E)
DESIGN SERVICES; NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE WILL BE ISSUED
UNTIL AFTER AN EVALUATION HAS BEEN MADE ON THE PROVIDED
SF-330. ONLY THE A/E FIRMS RESPONDING TO THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT BY SUBMITTING AN SF-330 PACKAGE ON TIME
WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR INITIAL EVALUATION.
NAICS: The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
Code/Size Standard for this procurement is 541330, Engineering Services.
The Small Business Size Standard is $25.5 Million in annual receipts. The
FSC/PSC is C1AZ, ARCHITECT AND ENGINEERING- Construction: Other
Administrative Facilities and Service Buildings.
SET-ASIDE: Notice of 100% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small
Business (SDVOSB) Set-aside. This is a 100% set-aside for SDVOSB firms
only. The firms registered and visible in the SBA Veteran Small Business
Certification (VetCert) database at https://veterans.certify.sba.gov when
SF330’s are submitted. Failure of a prospective SDVOSB to be verified by
the SBA VetCert at the time the SF 330 is submitted shall result in
elimination from consideration. All Joint Ventures must be verified at the
time of submission and submit agreements that comply with 13 CFR 125.15
prior to contract award.
Prospective Contractors are cautioned that the proposal submitted in
response to this solicitation must meet the criteria identified by 38CFR, Part
74. The SDVOSB concern agrees that in the performance of the contract,
the concern will comply with the limitation on subcontracting requirements in
accordance with VAAR Clause 852-219-75, VA Notice of Total Set Aside for
Verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses.
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION:
The deadline for all Request for Information (RFI) is 4:00 PM CT on May
09, 2025. All RFIs must be submitted in writing via email to Dwayne
Brauch, Contracting Officer, at dwayne.brauch@va.gov and Marc Del Valle,
Contract Specialist, at marc.delvalle@va.gov. An amendment to the RFQ
will be issued to all prospective firms via SAM.gov and will include the RFI
and the corresponding Government response. Unless formally amended in
writing, all terms, and conditions of the RFQ will remain unchanged.
Interested firms should submit their current SF 330 electronically to both the
contracting officer and contracting Specialist. Contracting Officer: Dwayne
Brauch / Email Address: dwayne.brauch@va.gov and Contracting Specialist:
Marc Del Valle / Email Address: marc.delvalle@va.gov. The SF330s are due on
Monday, May 26, 2025, at 10:00 AM (CT).
NO FAX OR PAPER/CD RESPONSES WILL BE ACCEPTED: Personal visits
for the purpose of discussing this announcement will not be entertained or
scheduled. Selection shall be in order of preference from the firms considered
Most Highly Qualified. Questions may be directed only by e-mail to
dwayne.brauch@va.gov and/or marc.delvalle@va.gov.
In accordance with FAR 36.209 – Construction Contracts with A-E Firms and
36.606 (c), all interested contractors are hereby put on notice that no
construction contract may be awarded to the firm that ultimately designs this
requirement.
Security Issues, Late Bids, Unreadable Offers
(a) Late submission of offers is outlined at FAR Part 52.215-1(c).
Particular attention is warranted to the portion of the provision that relates
to the timing of submission.
(b) Please see FAR 15.207(c) for a description of the steps the
Government shall take with regard to unreadable offers.
(c) To avoid rejection of an offer, vendors must make every effort to
ensure their electronic submission is virus-free. Submissions or portions
thereof submitted and which the automatic system detects the presence of
a virus, or which are otherwise unreadable will be treated as “unreadable”
pursuant to FAR Part and FAR 15.207(c).
(d) Password protecting your SF 330 is not permitted. The Contracting
Officer will file the offer electronically which will allow access only by
designated Government individuals.
SF 330 DATE OF RECEIPT/DUE DATE: Interested firms having the
capabilities to perform this work must submit one (1) electronic SF 330 and
attachments (if any) no later than (NLT) 10:00 AM (CT) May 26, 2025.
FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES:
All offerors are required to have an active registration in the System for
Award Management (SAM / www.sam.gov) at the time of offer submission.
Firms will be evaluated by the A/E Evaluation Board. The most qualified
firms will be invited to interview with the selection board. The number of
firms selected to interview will be dependent on the number of firms that
submit SF-330s. The three most qualified firms will interview with the
selection board. If multiple firms are equally rated as third place, all firms
rated equally as third place and higher will be invited to an interview.
Responses should be submitted on an SF330. The SF-330 can be
downloaded through the GSA Forms Library at: https://www.gsa.gov/formslibrary/
architect-engineer-qualifications
Prospective firms shall address all selection criteria factors within their
submitted SF330 packages. Submission of information incorporated by
reference is not allowed.
Interested firms shall submit SF 330 via electronic transmission via email to
Dwayne Brauch, Contracting Officer, at dwayne.brauch@va.gov with a copy
to Marc Del Valle, Contract Specialist, at marc.delvalle@va.gov by the
designated date/time specified. Please provide the Pre-Solicitation Number,
618-25-200 AE Upgrade Building 222 HVAC, and Firm Name in the Subject
Line of the email. When submitting SF330s, if more than one email is sent,
please number emails in Subjects as “1 of n” (where “n” represents the total
number of emails to complete the submission). Submittals received after the
date and time identified on page one (1) will not be considered. Ensure the
file size is under 7 MB. No SF 330 hard copies will be accepted. Failure to
comply with this requirement may jeopardize the possibility of receiving an
award for the contract due to noncompliance with the terms of the
solicitation.
Submitted SF330s will include the following elements:
1. Standard Form 330 (Rev. 07/2021) – Architect-Engineer Qualifications
2. SF330, Section H: Additional Information
Firms that submitted SF330s will be evaluated by an A/E evaluation board.
The following evaluation criteria will be used to evaluate SF 330 technical
proposals:
GENERAL SOLICITATION AND CONTRACT INFORMATION:
Network Contracting Office (NCO) 23 has a need for design services at the
Minneapolis VAHCS to provide an AE Upgrade Building 222 HVAC.
This procurement will be procured pursuant to the Selection of Architects
and Engineers (formerly known as The Brooks Act) Public Law 92-582, and
as implemented in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 36.6 and VA
Acquisition Regulations (VAAR) and VA Acquisition Manual (VAAM) Part
836 and M836 respectively.
All offerors are advised that in accordance with VAAR 836.606-71, the
total cost of the contract for A-E services must not exceed 6 percent of
the estimated cost of the construction project plus any fees for related
services and activities. Additionally, FAR Clause 52.236-22 (c) - Design
Within Funding Limitation, will be applicable to this procurement
action. Design limitation costs will be provided to the most highly
rated A-E firm selected to complete the design.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES REQUIRED:
The scope of this design work is to replace the failed VRF system currently
installed in Building 222. Building 222 existing HVAC control system will also
need to be removed and replaced with Johnson Controls (JCI) devices for
compatibility with the facility’s monitoring systems. The replacement of these
systems will alleviate the need for Facilities Management to continuously
contract services to provide temporary cooling units for conditioned air to
Building 222.
Building 222 was originally constructed in 1904 and is listed on the
Minnesota National Register of Historic Places. The building was last
renovated in 2019, and the project included replacing electrical in the
warehouse area, renovating to create usable workspace, exterior
weatherproofing, upgrades to roads and grounds, and installation of the
VRF split system. Spaces in this building include logistics warehouses,
offices spaces and conference rooms, urgent care tele ICU, information
management, home based health care and primary care. For this project,
the selected Architectural and Engineering Firm (A-E) shall provide a
phasing study which will include schematic design for all affected areas at
Building 222 of the Minneapolis VAHA Fort Snelling Campus. Additionally,
the selected A-E shall provide construction drawings, specifications,
estimates, construction period services and commissioning services for the
HVAC cooling system and building automation replacements at Building
222.
The final deliverable will include in both PDF and CAD format:
1. The A-E shall completely survey all existing spaces affected by the
renovation. Survey shall include architectural, life safety, electrical,
mechanical, structural, and low voltage systems. The drawings supplied by
the VA are not As-Built.
2. The A-E shall use the attached schematic design as the starting point to
develop the new schematic design (35% Design) and PTRP phasing study,
as well as construction drawings (CDs). This will require meetings with staff
to review details of the plan and to gather comments from the staff on the
project. The A-E will budget, at a minimum, four (4) meetings for this
purpose. Comments approved by the VA project manager will be
incorporated into the design. These four meetings are in addition to the
required design charrette meetings, and the required meetings at the 65%,
95%, and 100% design reviews of Construction Documents.
3. The design for the renovation of Building 222 will be completed in two
phases:
a. The first phase will be an effort to collect comments from VA staff on the
new schematic design and best practice model projects, and
b. The second phase will incorporate comments that are approved by the
VA project manager and develop 65%, 95%, 100% and final construction
plans (CD issue) and specifications.
4. The plans and specifications must be detailed adequately to award a
sealed bid construction contract, see section G – Deliverables, for design
services requirements.
5. The selected A-E designer shall include construction period services
(CPS) to ensure the construction meets code, specifications, VA design
guides and manuals, quality and design intent of the construction drawings
and specifications; see section G – Deliverables, for minimum CPS
requirements. Provide option years for FY26 & FY27.
6. The A-E shall design the project to incorporate staff relocations or
temporary spaces as required to complete the project.
7. Environmental conditions shall be maintained to adjacent spaces.
8. Energy savings in a priority goal for the VA. The design should
incorporate features to minimize energy use and maximize energy efficiency
SELECTION PROCESS:
This notice is a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) of A-E firms/lead designers
interested in contracting for this work. The A-E firm as used in this RFQ
means an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, association, or other
legal entity permitted by law to practice the profession of architecture or
engineering that will have contractual responsibility for the project design.
This procurement consists of a one (1) stage evaluation process. Stage One
(1) will consist of the evaluation of the technical submission package. All
responsive submissions will be evaluated by the Technical Evaluation Board
(TEB). The firms will be ranked.
The selection of the most qualified contractor will follow the guidance provided in
FAR 36.6 – Architect-Engineer Services. Additionally, this solicitation is also
issued in accordance with Public Law 109-461, the Veterans Benefits,
Healthcare Information and Technology Act of 2006, Sections 502 and 503, as a
set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
contractors. Pursuant to 38 USC 8127(d), competition is restricted to SDVOSB
construction firms, as there is a reasonable expectation that two or more offers
from SDVOSB contractors will be received under this solicitation.
Apparent successful offerors must apply for and receive verification from the U.S
Small Business Administration Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) in
accordance with 38 CFR Part 74 by submission of documentation of Veteran
status and ownership and control sufficient to establish appropriate status.
Failure to be both VERIFIED and VISIBLE on VetCert at the time SF 330s are
submitted, when the proposal is received as a result of the solicitation issued to
the most qualified firm, and on the date of contract award will result in the                                                                                  offeror’s proposal/SF 330 being deemed not acceptable. All offerors are urged to
contact the VetCert and submit the aforementioned required documents to obtain
VetCert verification of their SDVOSB status if they have not already done so.
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. Firms will be selected based on
demonstrated competence and qualifications for the required work. The
construction magnitude of this project is $1,000,000.00 - $2,000,00.00.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR
STAGE ONE (1):
Submissions of completed Standard Form 330 (SF 330) received in
response to this notice will be evaluated by a government evaluation board
in accordance with The Selection of Architect and Engineering statute, 40
U.S.C. Ch11, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 36, to
determine the most highly qualified firms. Evaluation of past performance
and experience may include information provided by the offeror, customer
inquiries, government databases, and publicly available sources. Offerors
are responsible for collecting and submitting past performance
questionnaires with their final packages to the Veterans Affairs (VA)
Network Contracting Office (NCO) 23 Contracting Officer before the closing
date of this synopsis.
Responding firms, either multi-disciplined or collaborating with consultants, must
demonstrate capability in healthcare architecture, surveying, civil, structural,
mechanical, electrical, communications, environmental, fire protection, cost
estimating, Building Commissioning, Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design, specification writing, and construction surveillance skills as described
herein. Responses to this notice should include recent (within the past 4 years)
experience in designing projects of this nature.
THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. This is a request for SF 330 A-E
Qualification packages 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.
The three most highly rated firms based on the technical review of all the SF
330’s received will be notified. A solicitation will only be issued to the most highly
qualified firm at conclusion of the technical review. The second and third place
rated firms will be notified that they were not selected most qualified but that they
may still be contacted for solicitation if award does not proceed with the most
highly qualified firm.
Submission Requirements: Firms must provide a customer reference list with
addresses and telephone numbers, and bidding records (AE Estimate Cost of
Construction vs. Construction Awarded Amount), if applicable for all projects
listed as related experience, and a project workload schedule showing proposed
team members for the project period. All responding firms, including consultants
to the primary firm are required to submit their SF 330 Part 1 and Part 2
electronically to both the contracting officer and contracting Specialist.
Contracting Officer: Dwayne Brauch / Email Address: dwayne.brauch@va.gov
and Contracting Specialist: Marc Del Valle / Email Address:
marc.delvalle@va.gov. The SF 330, Part I must clearly indicate the office location
where the work will be performed, and the qualification of the individuals and
subcontractors proposed to work on the contract and their geographical location.
You must submit your electronical copy, and any supplemental information (such
as spreadsheets, backup data, technical information), using any of the electronic
formats and media described below. However, contractors will be notified of the
award via an electronic Notice of Award e-mail. The award document will be
attached to the Notice of Award e-mail. Acceptable Electronic Formats (Software)
for Submission of SF 330 packages:
(a) Files readable using the current Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).
When submitting construction drawings contractors are required to submit
one set in AutoCAD and one set in Adobe PDF. (Purpose: contracting can
open the PDF version and engineering can open AutoCAD files);
(b) Files in Adobe* PDF Files: When scanning documents scanner resolution
should be set to 200 dots per inch, or greater;
(c) Other electronic format. If you wish to submit an offer using another
format other than described in these instructions, e-mail the Contracting
Officer who issued the solicitation. Please submit your request at least
ten (10) calendar days before the scheduled closing date of the
solicitation. Request a decision as to the format acceptability and make
sure you receive approval of the alternate format before using it to send
your offer;
(d) SF 330s shall be provided on standard letter size 8-1/2 by 11-inch paper,
limited to a maximum of seventy-five (75), single-sided, single-spaced,
and numbered pages. If more than seventy-five (75) single-sided pages
are submitted, all pages after seventy-five (75) pages will not be
evaluated. The font for text shall be Times New Roman 12-point or larger.
(e) Please note that we can no longer accept .zip files due to increasing
security concerns.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
Each firm must demonstrate their qualifications with respect to the selection
criteria listed below. Evaluation criteria (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) are of equal
importance; criterion (F) is of lesser importance than criteria (A), (B), (C), (D) and
(E); and criterion (G) is of least importance and will be used as a tiebreaker
among technically equal firms. SF-330s will be evaluated to determine the most
highly qualified firm/team based on submitted SF-330 responses. Failure to
provide requested data or comply with the instructions in this synopsis and SF-
330 instructions could result in a firm considered being less qualified or
eliminated from consideration. Specific evaluation criteria include:
A. Professional qualifications:
SF-330, Part I, Block E. NCO 23 will consider any information, which may be
pertinent to this criterion, including the following: proposed key personnel
(reference primary discipline list below), professional registration, and
competence, related experiences to accomplish this work, education, and
years with the company. Key personnel shall be permanent employees of
the prime firm/team rather than temporary “contract hire” employee
arrangements. Failure to provide a balanced workforce in the disciplines
listed could result in the firm being considered not qualified. The combination
of criteria below will be used to determine the ability of the staff to contribute
to the successful completion of project task orders. Firms with greater
breadth of in-house expertise will be rated higher than those needing to hire
sub-consultants. The offeror’s team shall include staff members licensed in
the States covering Veteran Integrated Service Networks (VISN) 23 found in
the statement of work (SOW) in the following disciplines:
• Architectural Design
• Structural Engineer*
• Mechanical Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• Cost Estimator
• Commissioning Agent
In addition, the offeror’s team shall include staff members in the following
disciplines and shall demonstrate their qualification:
• Project/Program Manager
• Construction Management
• Quality Control Manager
B. Specialized experience and technical competence:
SF-330, Part I, Section F. Region 3 NCO 23 will consider any information
which may be pertinent to this criterion, including the following: specialized
experience and technical competence in the performance of services similar
to those anticipated under this contract in terms of recent and relevant
experience with regard to the project examples described below, as well as
demonstrated experience with VA facility design.
• Example Projects: Submit example design projects in narrative format that
highlight the experience factors listed above. Design project examples
should not exceed two pages each. All experience factors do not have to be
included in a single project. The offeror may submit multiple projects to
demonstrate experience in all relevant types of work, however, do not submit
more than five projects total
a) The narratives of example projects should show contract number, issuing
agency, project name, a current point of contact including telephone and
email information, project scope, size, location, design fees, the total number
of modifications / change orders issued during performance of project, date
of project completion, estimate of construction cost, principal design
elements and features, complexity of the job, challenges faced to include
disagreements regarding design requirements and construction estimates
disputes, and the resolution and results of any challenges faced. In addition,
and if known, list the construction contract award price, and the total number
of construction contract modifications/change orders and their total value.
b) Example projects may be from the private or public sector; however, VA
projects may be rated higher. Projects completed more recently will be
evaluated more advantageously. The design of all example projects must
have been completed within the past four (4) years (prior to the SF-330 due
date for this solicitation). The evaluation will consider the relevancy (design
and construction scope, size and location) of projects identified. For the
purposes of this evaluation the A-E may submit no more than two example
projects which were investigations or studies only. The investigation(s) or
study(ies) must have been completed within the past four (4) years (prior to
the SF-330 due date for this solicitation) as well.
c) Examples of work submitted that do not meet the requirements specified
here will not be evaluated. Failure to provide requested data, accessible
points of contact or valid phone numbers could result in a firm being
considered less qualified and eliminated from further consideration. Identify
any key personnel in SF-330, Part I, Section G that worked on the projects
and their role. Specialized experience and technical competency will be
evaluated for ability to support the range of work required for this contract, as
demonstrated by firm’s submitted projects.
C. Capacity:
SF-330, Part I, Block H. Demonstrate how the firm(s) will manage,
coordinate, and administer the work within the prime and among any
teaming partners. Teaming partners to be included by the prime firm in their
response should be clearly identified as such for evaluation purposes and
will later be agreed to during negotiations of any resultant contract. SF-330,
Part II, Block 11 will also be evaluated to assist in determining this factor.
SF-330 Part I Blocks C, D, F and SF-330, Part II will also be evaluated to
support this criterion. NCO 23 will consider any information which may be
pertinent to this criterion, including the following:
• Capacity to perform work in-house and with teaming members.
• Demonstrate active on-going Federal and Non-Federal work (Address
current dollar value of work, number of current projects, management
approach to your on-going work, and how the team will support the work
requirements outlined in this synopsis in addition to current work). Quantify
the A-E teams reserve capacity (percent of available capacity or man hours
available or number of man hours available).
• Greater weight will be given to offerors who provide quantitative data to
support an assertion of sufficient work-load capacity.
D. Construction period services:
SF-330, Part I, Block H. In a two-page narrative, provide supporting
information on the firms 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.
• Demonstrate how the firm(s) will manage, coordinate, and administer these
services.
• Provide information on technology to be used during field inspections.
• Provide any additional pertinent information relevant to these criteria.
• Greater weight will be given to offerors who provide examples of completed
projects where they’ve successfully completed these services in the past 18-
months.
E. Past performance:
SF-330, Block H. For the example projects provided under Specialized
Experience and Technical Competence, in a single page narrative form
provide past performance in terms of cost control, quality of work, and
compliance with performance schedules for each example project submitted
under Specialized Experience and Technical Competence. In addition to
past performance information provided, the evaluation will include
information available within the VA, Federal, state, private industry, or other
sources. In addition to the narrative described above, forward the Past
Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) of this synopsis, to each project point of
contact. Completed PPQ forms shall be submitted as part of the firms’
proposal package. Firms may include any ratings, letters of appreciation or
performance, awards etc., for relevant experience; however, Federal
database content and PPQs will be evaluated more advantageously.
Reponses will be evaluated to determine firms’ ability to maintain cost,
schedule, quality, and customer satisfaction.
If the offeror is unable to obtain a completed PPQ from a client for a
project(s) before the response date set forth in this notice, offerors should
complete and submit with their responses the first page of the PPQ
(Attachment), which will provide contract and client information for the
respective project(s). Offerors may submit a PPQ previously submitted under
a different Notice/RFP (legible copies are acceptable) as long as it is on the
same form as posted with this Synopsis. Offerors should follow up with
clients/references to ensure timely submittal of questionnaires. If requested
by the client, questionnaires may be submitted directly to the Government's
point of contact, Network Contracting Office 23, Attn: Dwayne Brauch via
email at dwayne.brauch@va.gov prior to the response date.
F. Geographic Proximity:
Geographic proximity to the general area of the requiring activity as well as
knowledge of Minneapolis VA Health Care Campus and surrounding Federal
Properties. SF-330, Part I, Block H. In single page narrative form
demonstrate firm’s familiarity with local conditions to include knowledge of,
and experience dealing with, the regulatory agencies, geological features,
logistics, costs, climatic conditions and local design and construction
methods. Narrative shall include team location, including main offices,
branch offices, and any subconsultant offices.
G. Subcontracting Efforts:
Commitment to VHA shall be detailed in SF-330, Part I, Block H. Offerors
shall 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.
JOINT VENTURES:
(1) All qualifications packages submitted by joint ventures must include a
copy of an executed joint venture agreement (with original signatures) which
fully discloses the legal identity of each member of the joint venture, the
relationship between the members, the form of ownership of each member,
and any limitations on liability or authority for each member.
(2) An authorized representative of each member of the joint venture
must sign the contract accompanying an offer regardless of any agency
relationship established between the members.
(3) In the case of corporations that are joint venture members, the
corporation secretary must certify that the corporation is authorized to
participate in the joint venture, either by certifying in the joint venture
agreement, or by submitting a separate certification to the Government.
The joint venture must also provide a certificate that identifies a principal
representative of the joint venture with full authority to bind the joint
venture.
(4) Representations, certifications, and financial information must be
submitted for each member of the joint venture.
VA Primary Point of Contact: Dwayne Brauch / Email Address:
dwayne.brauch@va.gov / Phone Number: 651-293-3039.
VA Alternate Point of Contact: Marc Del Valle / Email Address:
marc.delvalle@va.gov / Phone Number: 651-293-3011.
A.1 List of Attachments
See attached document: S02_Attachment Limitations of Subcontracting Cert of Compliance
{2 pages}.
See attached document: S02_Attachment Performance Questionaire {3 pages}.