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2 PRESOLICITATION NOTICE THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR STANDARD FORM (SF) 330'S ARCHITECT-ENGINEER QUALIFICATION PACKAGES ONLY. ALL INFORMATION NEEDED TO SUBMIT SF 330 DOCUMENTS IS CONTAINED HEREIN. NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE, TECHNICAL INFORMATION, OR BIDDER/PLAN HOLDER LIST WILL BE ISSUED. 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. 1. GENERAL INFORMATION: Veteran s Health Administration (VHA) Program Contracting Activity Central (PCAC) is seeking sources and intends to award a firm-fixed price design contract for Architect-Engineering (A-E) design services for Construction of New Audiology and Specialty Care Building, B83 located Tucson, Arizona. The A-E Services contract anticipated to be awarded will be procured in accordance with the Selection of Architects and Engineers Statute [formerly known as the Brooks Architect Engineer Act], Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 36.6 Architectural and Engineering Services, VA Acquisition Regulation 836.6, and VA Acquisition Manual M836.6 Architect-Engineer Services. In accordance with FAR 36.209 Construction Contracts with Architect-Engineer Firms, no contract for the construction of a project shall be awarded to the firm that designed the project or its subsidiaries or affiliates, except with the approval of the head of the agency or authorized representative. 2. PROJECT INFORMATION This project is a 100% Set-Aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns (SDVOSB). The NAICS Code for this procurement is 541330 Engineering Services and the annual small business size standard is $16.5M. This project requires a full design team to complete this project. The projected award for the anticipated A-E contract is December 2023. The anticipated period of performance for completion of design is 405 calendar days after Notice of Award (NOA). The FAR 52.236-22 Design Within Funding Limitation (APR 1984), for this project is $12,456,000 in accordance with the VAAR Magnitude of Construction. 3. SCOPE OF DESIGN General A/E Part One Services: (also known as Design Phase) for this design project includes site visits, field investigation, studies and user interviews to prepare drawings, specifications and cost estimates for all facets of work and disciplines/trades to facilitate a construction project to construct a new multi-story outpatient clinical building for Audiology and other specialty care. The new building will be 14,000 SF which is split between 5,893 SF for Audiology: 5,107 SF for other specialty care and 3,000 SF for common space. New work shall include architectural, civil, structural, plumbing, mechanical, electrical and all such systems and components as may be necessary to construct this new building. The proposed location is along our south fence line just east of the State Veterans Home (See attached SOW for further details and requirements). . General A/E Part Two Services: (also known as Construction Period Services) includes attendance at pre-bid, post-award and commissioning kick off construction project conferences, review of construction material submittals and shop drawings, approximately two (2) site visits per month during construction (both scheduled and emergent) to ensure compliance with the design drawings and specifications, preparation of site visit reports, coordination with project commissioning requirements, review of any construction project modifications for cost and technical acceptability, attendance and participation during the final acceptance inspection, preparation of the punch list and preparation of record drawings of the completed construction project based on the construction contractor s as-built drawings. 4. A-E SELECTION PROCESS: Responsive firms submitting SF-330 s in response to this announcement not later than the closing date and time specified herein and in accordance with submission requirements, will be considered for initial selection evaluation. The selection process will be made using a two-phase process. Phase I consists of the initial evaluation of the SF-330 s and determination of the highest rated firms. A minimum of three (3) of the highest rated firms will then be short listed and invited to continue with Phase II of the process. All firms not short listed will be notified at this time. Phase II consists of Interviews for the short-listed firms and selection of the top ranked firm to receive the solicitation and conduct negotiations. The firms selected for Interviews will be notified by email of selection and provided further instructions and the evaluation criteria requirements. After the Interviews have been completed, the firms will be evaluated and the top-ranked firm will be selected, sent the solicitation, and subsequent negotiations to follow. A site visit will be authorized for the highest rated firm during the negotiation process. Award selection will be made based on the results of the Interviews and successful negotiation of rates for the project, not the SF-330 qualifications from Phase I. If negotiations are not successful with the highest rated firm, they will continue with the next highest rated firm, and so on until award can be made. Please note that during the evaluation of the Phase II Interviews, the prior evaluation of the SF 330s will not be taken into consideration as they are separate evaluations. 5. PHASE I SF330 SELECTION CRITERIA: The A-E TEB will consider how each factor is addressed and how it is formatted in order to coincide with the selection criteria. The factors are listed in descending order of importance. Primary Selection Criteria: 1. Specialized experience and technical competence (sections F, G, and H) This project will construct a new outpatient clinical building for Audiology and other specialty care. The new building will be 14,000 SF which is split between 5,893 SF for Audiology: 5,107 SF for other specialty care and 3,000 SF for common space. Audiology is currently located in Building 74 and 38 which will be partially demolished for the new bed tower (678-330). Project will reduce the ambulatory care: specialty care space gap of 156,425 SF by 11,000 SF. Submissions shall include a minimum of three (3) and no more than five (5) Government and private experience projects similar in size scope and complexity, and experience with the type of projects/competence above. Each project must list the contract number associated with the project. Section G will used to evaluate the prior experience of the prime firm and any key subcontractors working together on the provided relevant projects. The evaluation will also consider narratives addressing the following topics in Section H. Simply re-stating this list in Section H will not be sufficient. The narrative of how the firm addresses each of these will be evaluated. 1. The management approach 2. The coordination of disciplines and subcontractors 3. Quality control procedures, and 4. Familiarity with VA Design Guides/Manuals, Master Specifications and other applicable standards. 2. Professional qualifications (sections C through E) necessary for satisfactory performance of required service. The A-E shall demonstrate that they are able to sign and stamp each drawing by individuals licensed in any state in the United States for the key positions listed below. The evaluation shall consider the specific experience (minimum of five (5) years) and qualifications (i.e., education, training, registration, certifications, overall relevant experience, and longevity with the firm as full-time employees) of personnel proposed for assignment to the project, and their record of working together as a team when evaluating professional qualifications. The lead designer in each discipline must be registered but does not have to be registered in the particular state where the project is located. Key positions and disciplines required for this project include, but are not limited, to: Project Manager, Architect, Structural Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Fire protection Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Plumbing Engineer, Cost Estimator, Civil Engineer, Commissioning Agent. Section G will used to evaluate the prior experience of the prime firm and any key subcontractors working together on the provided relevant projects. The evaluation will also consider narratives addressing the following topics in Section H. Simply re-stating this list in Section H will not be sufficient. The narrative of how the firm addresses each of these will be evaluated. The management approach The coordination of disciplines and subcontractors Quality control procedures, and Familiarity with VA Design Guides/Manuals, Master Specifications and other applicable standards. Offer must include the following statement of SDVOSB compliance when submitting the personnel proposed to perform the work under this requirement: I [signatory authority]___________________, [company] __________________, certify that the SDVOSB prime contractor will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to the prime for contract performance to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs in compliance of VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) 852.219-75. The information provided in Sections C through E of the SF 330 will be used to evaluate this evaluation factor. Do not include this information in Section H, unless it is pertinent to support the information listed in the other sections. 3. Capacity (section H) to accomplish work in the required time. The evaluation will consider this firm s ability to meet the design schedule of the overall project, as well as the available capacity of key disciplines to perform the work in the required time. Provide the available capacity of key disciplines by providing current project workload, inclusive of all projects awarded by the VA during the previous 12 months and the full potential value of any current indefinite delivery contracts. Offeror shall clearly state their available capacity presenting workload percentages and expected completion date for the VA projects awarded in the previous 12 months. The information for this factor shall be provided in Section H of the SF 330. Please ensure the capacity applies toward the team/personnel provided in the SF 330. 4. Past performance (section H) on contracts with Government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules. The past performance will be evaluated for all projects provided in Section F to include a review of Contractor Performance Assessment Rating System (CPARS) or Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) if there is no CPARS data available. The following information is required for each project noted in Section F: Contract/Task Order number Project title Prime firm name Start date of design Completion date of design CPARS or PPQ attached for the project Evaluations may also include additional performance related from the firm, customer inquiries, Government databases, publicly available sources, and additional projects in CPARS. Evaluations will consider superior performance ratings on recently completed projects as well as the reputation and standing of the firm and its principal officials with respect to professional performance, general management, cooperativeness. If appropriate, the record of significant claims against the firm because of improper or incomplete architectural and engineering services may be evaluated. Failure to provide requested data, accessible points of contact, or valid phone numbers could result in a firm being considered less qualified. All projects provided in the SF 330 must be completed by the office/branch/individual team member performing the work under this contract. The information for this factor shall be provided in Section H of the SF 330. For PPQs, please utilize the attached PPQ document. Completed PPQs should be incorporated into the SF 330 directly. PPQs should not be submitted to the VHA PCAC directly. The CPARS reports and PPQs will not be counted towards the page limitations for this submission. However, any narratives provided for past performance in Section H will be counted toward the page limit. 5. Knowledge of the locality (section H) to include specific knowledge of certain local conditions or project site features, such as geological features, climatic conditions, working with and local construction methods or local laws and regulations. The information for this factor shall be provided in Section H of the SF 330. Note that the intent of this factor is to showcase a firm s understanding of the site and locality, and not where the firm is located and how they would travel to the site. Information related to the firm s location, shall be provided in Section H, under Secondary Selection Criteria Factor 1. Secondary Selection Criterion*: Geographic location Location of the firm, as measured by the driving distance (miles) between the Offeror s principal business location and the: Tucson VA Medical Center (VAMC) 3601 S 6th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85723 Determination of the mileage will be based on Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/) * The secondary selection criterion is used as a tiebreaker, if necessary, in ranking the most highly qualified firms following the completion of discussions. The secondary selection criterion will not be applied when determining a firm s SF 330 submission. 6. PHASE II INTERVIEW SELECTION CRITERIA: In accordance with FAR 36.602-3(c), discussions will be conducted in the form of Interviews. The selected firms will be invited to respond to predetermined questions during a MS Teams Interview with the Technical Evaluation Board. The instructions for the Interviews will be provided to the selected firms only. Each selected firm will be evaluated based on their Interview answers and the top-rated firm will be selected based on their overall rating. The previous ratings from the SF330 evaluations are not applicable during Phase II. Below are the evaluation factors for the Phase II Interviews. The factors are listed in equal order of importance. Proposed Management and Coordination Plan: Discuss confidence and approach to completing a project of this scale. Explain quality control methods that will be used throughout each design phase, and prior to each submission, and during construction. Describe strategy for control of estimated cost, and solutions for anticipated problems. Discuss proposed design team, their specific strengths, and experience that make them the best fit for this project. Discuss how the design teams will work together, and with the VA, to keep this design on schedule, within budget, and compliant with VA design requirements. Approach to Project Challenges: Discuss approach to overcome geographical obstacles considering the number of design phase and CPS site visits needed for this specific project. Identify elements in the SOW and supporting attachments that you see as challenges and provide recommendations for addressing each of these challenges. Simply restating the requirements (i.e., copying and pasting from the SOW) is not a sufficient response for this factor. Information about this project s challenges should provide specific examples and a plan on how each challenge will be managed. Proposed approach to Design Development: Discuss how the team will coordinate specifications and drawings to ensure the design is thorough, accurate, and complete. Describe approach to evaluate existing site conditions and ensure new work will not conflict with existing work. Discuss familiarization or experience with VA design guides and directives and their application to this design. Describe plans to ensure this design complies with all current VA requirements and any future updates, and specified equipment will be TRM (Technical Reference Model) approved. Expectations for VA A/E collaboration: Discuss what expectations the A/E firm would have from the VA for this project. Describe strategy for collaboration meetings throughout each phase and their significance to the overall end-product. . 7. SUBMISSION CRITERIA/REQUIREMENTS: The below information contains the instructions and format that shall be followed for the submission of the SF-330 Statement of Qualifications: Submit ONE (1) SF-330 Statement of Qualifications via email to the Contract Specialist Mary S. (Susie) Sisson at Mary.Sisson@va.gov. This shall include Parts I and II and any applicable attachments. The SF-330 submission is due by Friday, October 13, 2023, 2:00 pm EST. The SF-330 shall be submitted in one email and have a file size that shall be no larger than 5 MB. No hard copies will be accepted. The subject line of the email shall read: SF-330 Submission; Minor Design Tucson AZ. The submission must include the SF-330, Architect/Engineer Qualifications (form is available on-line at http://www.cfm.va.gov/contract/ae.asp). The page limitation of the SF-330 shall not exceed a total of FIFTY (50) pages. This includes title page, table of contents, and any other relevant information. Contractor Performance Assessment Rating System (CPARS) and/or PPQs will not count as part of the page limitations. Each page shall be in Arial or Times New Roman, size 12 font, single spaced. A PPQ from previous projects may be submitted for this project. If significant portions of a project have been completed since the previous PPQ was filled out, a new PPQ should be submitted to accurately assess the project. *Important Note: For this procurement, all PPQs should be completed and returned to the submitting firm. The completed PPQs should be incorporated into the SF330 document. PPQs should not be submitted directly to VHA PCAC. In addition to the SF-330 submissions, firms must provide a second accompanying document that includes the following information (The accompanying document will not count towards the page limitation of the SF330): Cage Code; 2) Dun & Bradstreet Number; 3) Tax ID Number; 4) The E-mail address and Phone number of the Primary Point of Contact; 5) A copy of the firms Vet Biz Registry. All questions shall be submitted to Mary S. (Susie) Sisson at Mary.Sisson@va.gov. The cutoff date for question submission is Wednesday, September 27th, 2023.. Questions will be answered through modification to the Pre-Sol Notice posted to Contract Opportunities. NOTE: This procurement is 100% set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business concerns. Offers received from other than Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business concerns will not be considered. All Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses must be listed as verified by the VA s Center for Veterans Enterprises (CVE) (http://www.vetbiz.gov). Offerors must be verified by CVE and visible in the Vendor Information Portal (VIP) database at time of SF330 Submission, Interviews, and Award. Failure to be BOTH visible and verified at these times will result in the offeror being deemed unacceptable and ineligible for award. All Joint Ventures must be CVE verified at time of SF330 submissions (Phase I), Interviews (Phase II) and Award and must submit agreements that comply with 13CFR 125.15 prior to contract award. SF-330 submissions received after the date and time specified will not be considered. Late proposal rules per FAR 15.208 will be followed for late submittals. Firms not providing the required information may not be evaluated. All information must be included in the SF-330 submission package. It is the offeror s responsibility to check the Contract Opportunities website at: www.beta.sam.gov for any revisions to this announcement prior to submission of SF-330s. SOW attachments will be provided to the top-ranked firm selected to receive the solicitation.