Solicitation: AE MEP IDIQ

Amendment / Modification

This amendment provides:

• Responses to vendor questions (Attachment 1 - Govt Response).

• A revised solicitation document (Attachment 2 - Revised Solicitation).

• An extension of the submission deadline from May 28, 2026, to June 10, 2026, at 3:00 PM EDT.

• The solicitation document itself has been revised.

• The submission deadline has been extended.

• The proposal submission deadline is now June 10, 2026, by 3:00 PM EDT.

• Offerors must acknowledge receipt of this amendment.

• A signed copy of the SF-30 Amendment is required with the submission.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks to award multiple Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contracts for Architectural and Engineering (A/E) Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) Services. The services will support projects in Gaithersburg, MD, and Montgomery County, MD. NIST anticipates awarding up to three IDIQ contracts but reserves the right to award more or fewer.

• The scope of work includes A/E services for renovation, repair, modification, alteration, and new construction of NIST facilities. This encompasses mechanical, electrical, plumbing, communications, fire alarm, and fire protection systems.

• Services may include incidental architectural, civil, and structural work, as well as campus utility systems and underground structures.

• Design Phase Services include surveying, investigations (including hazardous materials), preparation of studies and reports, engineering analysis, and value engineering.

• Construction Phase Services include construction schedule analysis, quality management, commissioning support, and review of submittals and O&M manuals.

• Program of Requirements (POR) development for Design/Build projects is also included.

• This is a 100% set-aside for Small Business firms.

• Firms must demonstrate the capability to perform at least 50% of the work with in-house staff.

• The contract period is one base year plus four one-year ordering periods.

• The total contract ceiling for all MATOC awards combined is not to exceed $9,800,000.

• The guaranteed minimum for each awarded offeror is $5,000.00.

• Project task values range from $75,000.00 to $5,000,000.00.

• This is a solicitation requesting qualifications; pricing is not required in the initial response.

• Offerors must submit SF 330s (Architect-Engineer Qualifications), Parts I and II.

• Evaluation is a two-phase process. Phase One involves evaluating SF 330s based on specialized laboratory design experience, professional qualifications, capacity, past performance, and location.

• Firms must meet Go/No-Go criteria for Factor 1 (Specialized Laboratory Design Experience).

• At least three highly qualified firms will be shortlisted for discussions.

• Phase Two will involve issuing a request for fee proposals to the most highly qualified firms.

• Key deadlines: Questions due May 18, 2026; SF 330 submissions due June 10, 2026.

• 100% Small Business set-aside.

• Firms must meet the corresponding small business size standard for NAICS code 541330 (Engineering Services).

• Firms must be registered and licensed in Maryland.

• NIST will not accept offers from joint ventures.

• All required information is contained within this document; no separate RFP package is available.

• Registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) is required.

• Reference Attachment 2 for the Statement of Work (SOW).

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides the government's responses to questions submitted by potential offerors regarding the NIST FY2026 AE MEP IDIQ Solicitation (1333ND26QNB190164).

• Submission Deadline: The submission deadline has been extended to June 10, 2026, by 3:00 PM EDT. This addresses discrepancies regarding the original date and provides additional time for preparation.
• Project Examples: Offerors are to provide a total of five projects, and one project may address multiple requirements. Projects must have been completed within the past seven years, with examples before calendar year 2019 being considered non-responsive (clarified to mean 2019, not 2021).
• Key Personnel Resumes: Only one resume per key personnel role is required. Resumes for additional team members are not expected at this stage; they will be identified at the Task Order level.
• Subcontracting Agreements vs. Letters of Intent: The government clarified that "as applicable" applies. A Joint Venture agreement is considered an established legal entity. Subcontracting agreements are typically completed upon award, while Letters of Intent are preliminary.
• Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs): PPQs should be submitted by the reference directly to NIST no later than June 10, 2026, by 5:00 PM EDT. CPARS records do not require a PPQ, but must be submitted with the proposal. NIST is amenable to accepting alternative PPQ versions (e.g., NASA) if they correlate to the submission requirements.
• Firm Registration Licenses: Offerors must provide proof of the firm's registration licenses, specifically per Maryland State Law, requiring a permit issued by the governing Board for firms practicing architecture or engineering in Maryland.

Several sections of the solicitation were clarified or corrected, including submission deadlines, project example age requirements, resume submission rules, and the distinction between subcontracting agreements and letters of intent. The government has extended the submission deadline to accommodate these clarifications and allow bidders adequate preparation time.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

To procure Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing (MEP) Architectural & Engineering (AE) services through an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The goal is to support the maintenance, modification, and improvement of specialized facility mechanical and electrical systems at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Gaithersburg, Maryland campus and other facilities within Montgomery County, Maryland.

The contract will involve multi-disciplined AE services for design and construction phase services. Projects may include:

• Repair, replacement, modification, reconfiguration, and upgrades to NIST facilities (laboratories, offices, industrial spaces), including mechanical, controls, electrical, plumbing, communications, fire alarm, and fire protection systems.
• Incidental architectural work, including historical assessments, space planning, interior design, civil, structural, and building enclosure work.
• Repair, replacement, modification, and reconfiguration of campus utility systems and supporting underground structures.
• Program of Requirements (POR) development for Design/Build projects.

Design Phase Services include:

• Surveying and investigations (including hazardous material surveys).
• Preparation of studies, reports, basis of design documents, drawings, specifications, cost estimates, and construction schedules.
• Attending design review meetings.
• Evaluation and feasibility studies, including modeling and simulation.
• Life cycle cost analysis and value engineering analysis.
• Preparation of permit applications.

Construction Phase Services include:

• Material submittal reviews.
• Request for Information (RFI) and Change Order request response.
• Construction schedule analysis.
• Attending construction meetings.
• Construction quality assurance and on-site inspections.
• Record drawing preparation.
• Commissioning support.

Examples of potential tasks include replacing water lines, major electrical equipment, fire alarm panels, HVAC units, elevators, and renovating restrooms and laboratories. Typical construction values for projects range from $75,000 to $5,000,000.

• Contract Period: One (1) base-year contract plus four (4) one-year ordering periods.

• Place of Performance: NIST Gaithersburg campus and other facilities in Montgomery County, Maryland, as defined by the Task Order.

• Key Personnel: Project Manager, Senior Mechanical (HVAC) Engineer, Senior Electrical Engineer, Senior Plumbing/Piping Engineer are required. For individual task orders requiring Design-Build, key personnel must have DBIA Associate level certification.

• AE Services: Must be consistent with applicable policies, guidelines, and Federal Regulations.

• Project Management: Requires a designated single point of contact (POC) for communication and coordination.

• Design Services: Drawings using AUTODESK AUTOCAD 2025, specifications following CSI Guidelines and MasterFormat.

• Post-Construction-Award Services: Includes site visits, RFI and change order review, and commissioning support.

• Safety: Compliance with NIST campus safety regulations, including potential completion of a Safety Checklist and Activity Hazard Analysis (AHA). Provision of safety-related equipment and health hazard assessments.

• Security: Background investigations, identification badges, and vehicle registration required for access to NIST facilities.

• Deliverables: Specific schedule defined per task order. Acceptance within 21 days of receipt.

• Intellectual Property: NIST retains ownership of all developed data, designs, drawings, and specifications.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is Attachment 5, a Question and Answer (Q&A) Template provided by NIST for the FY2026 AE MEP IDIQ opportunity. It is designed for offerors to submit their questions regarding the solicitation.

• Offeror Name: Field to identify the submitting company.
• Q&A #: Sequential numbering for questions.
• Document Name / Attachment Number: Reference to the specific document or attachment the question pertains to.
• Section and/or Page Number: Specific location within a document for clarity.
• Offeror's Question: Space for the bidder to articulate their question.
• NIST's Answer: Field for NIST to provide their official response.

Offerors are instructed to use this template to submit all questions via email to sasha.bradford@nist.gov by 12:00 PM EDT on Monday, May 18, 2026. Questions must be submitted in Excel format using this template; PDF submissions will not be accepted. This template is crucial for ensuring all questions are formally recorded and addressed by NIST.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is Standard Form 330 (SF330), "Architect-Engineer Qualifications." It is used by federal agencies to obtain information from architect-engineer (A-E) firms regarding their professional qualifications for contracts.

• Part I - Contract-Specific Qualifications: Collects information for a specific contract, including:
  • Contract Information (Title, Location, Public Notice Date, Solicitation Number)
  • Architect-Engineer Point of Contact
  • Proposed Team (Prime contractor and key subcontractors, their roles, and addresses)
  • Organizational Chart of Proposed Team
  • Resumes of Key Personnel (including experience, education, registration, and relevant projects)
  • Example Projects illustrating the team's qualifications
  • Key Personnel Participation Matrix
• Part II - General Qualifications: Collects general firm qualifications, including:
  • Firm/Branch Office Information (Name, Address, Year Established, Unique Entity Identifier)
  • Ownership and Small Business Status
  • Employees by Discipline
  • Profile of Firm's Experience and Annual Average Revenue (last 5 years)
  • Annual Average Professional Services Revenues (last 3 years)
• Discipline and Experience Category Codes: Provides lists of codes for various professional disciplines and experience categories to be used when completing the form.

This form is essential for any A-E firm seeking to bid on federal contracts requiring architectural or engineering services. Bidders must accurately and thoroughly complete this form to demonstrate their qualifications, team capabilities, and past performance to the agency. It is the primary document used for evaluating A-E firm qualifications.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is Attachment 3, a Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) for NIST's Architectural & Engineering (AE) Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing (MEP) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract. It is designed to gather information for evaluating contractor past performance.

• The questionnaire includes definitions for performance ratings: Exceptional, Very Good, Satisfactory, Marginal, Unsatisfactory, and N/A.
• Part II requires the assessing official to provide details about the firm, project, and contract.
• Bidders must assess specific categories including Quality of Product or Service, Schedule, Cost Control, Innovation/Processes, Management Effectiveness, Key Personnel, Responsiveness/Communication, and Overall Performance.
• A section for "Other Areas" and "Additional Comments" is provided.
• A final question asks if the assessing official would recommend the A/E firm for similar requirements in the future.

This questionnaire is crucial for potential bidders as it outlines the criteria used by the government to evaluate past performance. Completing this form accurately and providing candid feedback is stated to be important to the evaluation effort and may affect the award outcome. The completed form must be submitted via email to Sasha Bradford (sasha.bradford@nist.gov).

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for Architectural & Engineering (A/E) Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing (MEP) services on an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract basis. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to award up to three (3) Multiple Award Task Order Contracts (MATOCs) for services in Gaithersburg, MD, and Montgomery County, MD. This is a 100% set-aside for Small Business firms.

• The scope of work includes A/E services for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

• Services encompass renovation, repair, modification, alteration, and new construction of NIST facilities, including laboratories, campus utility systems, and supporting underground structures.

• Specific services include design phase services (e.g., surveying, hazardous material assessment, basis of design documents, cost estimates) and construction phase services (e.g., construction schedule analysis, quality management, commissioning support).

• Firms must demonstrate proficiency in multi-disciplined and simultaneous A/E services.

• Contract Type: Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) - Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ).

• Period of Performance: One (1) base year plus four (4) one-year ordering periods.

• Total Contract Ceiling: Not to exceed $9,800,000 across all MATOC awards.

• Project Task Range: $75,000.00 to $5,000,000.00 (estimates).

• Guaranteed Minimum for each awarded offeror: $5,000.00.

• This is a two-phase solicitation. Phase One requires submission of SF 330 forms and other qualifying documentation for qualification.

• Pricing is not requested in Phase One. Firms will be evaluated based on demonstrated competence and qualifications.

• Phase Two will involve written notice to the most highly qualified firms to submit a fee proposal.

• Evaluation Factors include: Specialized Laboratory Design Experience, Professional Qualifications, Capacity to Accomplish Work, Past Performance, and Location of Firm.

• Key Personnel resumes are required for specific roles (Project Manager, Senior HVAC Engineer, Senior Electrical Engineer, Senior Plumbing/Piping Engineer).

• Questions due: May 18, 2026.

• SF 330 and supplemental information due: May 28, 2026.

• 100% set-aside for Small Business firms.

• Small Business firms must demonstrate capability to perform a minimum of 50% of the work with in-house staff.

• Joint ventures are not accepted.

• NAICS Code: 541330 Engineering Services, with a small business size standard of $25,500,000.00.

• Firms must be registered/licensed architects or engineers in Maryland.

• All information is contained within this solicitation; no separate RFP package is available.

• Registration in System for Award Management (SAM) is required prior to award.

• Referenced attachments include: Table of Contents, Statement of Work, Past Performance Questionnaire, SF330, and QA Template.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document, "NIST A/E MEP IDIQ-Table of Contents," serves as Attachment 1 and outlines the required structure and content for proposals submitted in response to the NIST A/E MEP IDIQ opportunity. It details the organization of the proposal into specific tabs, referencing the SF 330 form and other required documentation.

• Cover Page: Requires Business Name, Business Size, NAICS code(s), Unique Entity ID, Cage Code, and Offeror's Primary Point of Contact.
• Tab Structure (SF 330 and supporting documents):
  • Tab 1: Evidence of architectural/engineering practice authorization.
  • Tabs 2-4: Specific sections of SF 330 (A-D, E, G) related to proposed team, org chart, key personnel, and their project participation.
  • Tabs 5-9: SF 330 Section F (Per Project) and applicable CPARS records or Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ).
  • Tab 10: SF 330 Section H, describing workload management and staff availability.
  • Tab 11: SF 330 Part 2 (General Qualifications and Location Information) and a map showing proximity to NIST facilities.
  • Tab 12: Reserved for Government Use.
  • Tab 13: Signed subcontracting agreements (required for subcontractors).
  • Tab 14: Letters of Intent (required if applicable).
  • Tab 15: Adverse actions or relevant information from the past five years.
• Page Limits: Specific page limits are provided for certain sections (e.g., SF 330 Section D, E, G, H, and PPQ).

This attachment is critical for bidders as it dictates the exact format and content required for their proposal submission. Failure to adhere to the specified tab structure, content requirements, and page limits, particularly for subcontracting agreements and letters of intent, can result in the exclusion of the submission from consideration.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

The Government seeks to award up to three (3) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts for Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing (MEP) Architectural & Engineering (AE) services. These services are for the maintenance, modification, and improvement of specialized facility mechanical and electrical systems at the NIST Gaithersburg, Maryland campus and other facilities in Montgomery County, Maryland.

The contract will involve multi-disciplined AE services for design and construction phase services. Projects may include:

• Repair, replacement, modification, reconfiguration, and upgrades to NIST facilities (laboratories, offices, industrial).
• Incidental architectural work, including historical assessments, space planning, interior design, civil, structural, and building enclosure work.
• Repair, replacement, modification, and reconfiguration of campus utility systems and supporting underground structures.
• Program of Requirements (POR) development for Design/Build projects.

Design Phase Services include:

• Surveying and investigations (e.g., hazardous material, topographical, geotechnical).
• Preparation of studies, reports, basis of design documents, drawings, specifications, cost estimates, and construction schedules.
• Evaluation and feasibility studies, including modeling and simulation.
• Life cycle cost analysis and value engineering analysis.
• Permit application preparation.

Construction Phase Services include:

• Material submittal reviews.

• Request for Information (RFI) and Change Order request response.

• Construction schedule analysis.

• Construction quality assurance and inspections.

• Record drawing preparation.

• Commissioning support.

• Deliverables will be reviewed by the NIST POC or COR within 21 days of receipt for acceptance or revision requests.

• Monthly update reports are required, detailing accomplishments, problems, proposed solutions, and issues with contractual requirements or deliverables.

• The contract will consist of one (1) base-year plus four (4) one-year ordering periods.

• Performance will take place within the NIST Gaithersburg campus and other facilities in Montgomery County, Maryland, as defined by the Task Order.

• Key personnel requirements include a Project Manager, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Senior Electrical Engineer, and Senior Plumbing/Piping Engineer.

• For program of requirements individual task orders, key personnel must have a minimum of Design - Build Institute of America (DBIA) Associate level certification.

• NIST owns all rights to CAD files, BIM Models, engineering calculations, and Facility Data developed.

• Security requirements include background investigations and NIST identification badges for access.

• Safety requirements include compliance with NIST safety regulations, completion of a Safety Checklist and Activity Hazard Analysis (AHA), and provision of safety-related equipment and health hazard assessments.

• Typical construction values for projects range between $75,000 and $5,000,000, but are not limited to this range.