$30M SB IDCs for A-E Services – Preparation of Studies, Analysis and Design Services for USACE Northwestern Division

Fed Biz Opps for AE Services

INDEFINITE DELIVERY CONTRACT FOR ARCHITECT-ENGINEER SERVICES FOR OMAHA DISTRICT, US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

Reference number: W9128F-18-R-0029 [SB set-aside; target three (3) contracts]

1. CONTRACT INFORMATION: This contract is being procured in accordance with the Brooks A-E Act as implemented in FAR Subpart 36.6. Firms will be selected for negotiation based on demonstrated competence and qualifications for the required work. The services will consist of preparation of studies, analysis, and design services for Military and Civil projects within the Northwestern Division, United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Target three (3) indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to be negotiated and awarded, with a five year ordering period and $30,000,000 in capacity. Work will be issued by negotiated firm-fixed-price task orders. When two or more indefinite delivery contracts (IDCs) available to the procuring agency contain the same or overlapping scopes of work so that a particular task order might be issued under more than one IDC, the contracting officer will have available for consideration the following factors in deciding which contractor will be selected to negotiate an order: performance and quality of deliverables under the current contract, current capacity to accomplish the order in the required time, professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services, uniquely specialized experience and technical competence in the type of work required, etc. The Government also reserves the right to ask for updated SF 330s at a later date or at a task order level basis from the firms awarded a contract under this announcement. North American Industrial Classification System code is 541330, which has a size standard of $15,000,000 in annual average gross receipts over the past three years. Competition for this procurement is restricted to Small Business concerns. Selected and successful firm(s) will be required to comply with the subcontracting limitations as set forth by the FAR Clause 52.219-14 LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING, wherein stated in pertinent part, “Services (except construction). At least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the concern.” Contract award is anticipated between August and October 2018. To be eligible for contract award, the Contractor must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). Registration is free and can be accessed at: Ensure representations and certifications in SAM are current. 

2. PROJECT INFORMATION: The AE selected would be required to have sufficient staff, flexibility, and capability to be available on an as-needed basis. Design and/or construction support services for specific facilities or projects will be assigned by Task Orders on the IDIQ contracts established as a result of this solicitation. All projects will be located within the USACE, Northwestern Division. The projects will include various types of horizontal and vertical facilities, structures, and sites, on military bases and for civil projects for the Corps of Engineers. Examples of military projects may include, but not be limited to barracks, hangars, utilities, battalion headquarters buildings, access control points, religious facilities, brigade and company operations facilities, officer quarters, and various others. Each task order to be issued will fully describe the project to be designed or the studies to be accomplished and will identify all work to be accomplished. Services to be performed include, but are not limited to, preparation of vertical and horizontal design/construction documents, preparation of design/build requests for proposals (RFPs), charrette/concept designs, schematic designs, planning, programming, site investigations, surveying and geotechnical investigations, space planning, interior design, parametric and construction cost estimating, feasibility studies, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents, plan formulation , design and construction phase commissioning services and various construction phase services for both military and civil projects. Design of utilities, airfield pavement, and airfield lighting may be required but are incidental to facility design. AE may be required to provide master planning services such as: facility master planning for various federal customers such as Army and Air Force, Public Works real property master planning, facility allowance analysis, economic and market analysis, preparation of installation design guides, MILCON DD Form 1391 development and other programming level analysis. Construction support services, when required, may include: participation in on-site partnering/pre-construction meetings; review of construction contractor’s submittals for government approval and for information only; participation in site visits and provide inspection reports at critical points of construction; participation in start-up and commissioning of the systems; attendance at  warranty inspections; participation in lessons-learned sessions; and preparation of operations and maintenance support information manuals. 

Construction cost estimating will be accomplished for all design projects using the Micro-Computer Aided Cost Estimating System 2nd Generation (MII) software. All specifications shall be developed and edited using the SpecsIntact automated specification processing system. Firms should demonstrate experience with using and writing project specifications in the SpecsIntact processing system.

The Architect-Engineer shall use advanced modeling practices in conjunction with an integrated design approach to complete the project design. Advanced modeling is a subset of geospatial technologies as defined EM-1110-1-2909 GEOSPATIAL DATA AND SYSTEMS to include Building Information Modeling (BIM), Civil Information Modeling (CIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD). Required technologies, design deliverable and bid set (electronic and hardcopy) format and requirements will be further described in each task order.

The Architect-Engineer shall document their advanced modeling approach in an Advanced Modeling Project Execution Plan (PxP), submitted to the government for approval. Each PxP shall document advanced modeling practices, roles, and responsibilities for each project, as well as reiterate the technologies, formats, modeling standards, quality control procedures, and deliverable requirements dictated by each task order.

The Architect-Engineer shall have a robust knowledge of advanced modeling strategies, standards, and practices and shall be capable of delivering designs using a variety of tools and technologies to meet each set of task order deliverable requirements.

Sustainable design shall be accomplished using an integrated design approach and emphasizing environmental stewardship; energy and water conservation and efficiency; use of alternative energy, use of recovered and recycled materials; waste reduction; reduction or elimination of toxic and harmful substances in facilities construction and operation; efficiency in resource and materials utilization; development of health, safe and productive work environments. Integration of Federal and agency energy and sustainability mandates is required on all building facilities. Design and documentation shall utilize United States Green Building Council (USBGC), Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design evaluation, Green Building Certification Institute, and Green Globes web-based certification methodology. Building envelope design will require knowledge with tested air barrier construction. The AE may also be required to perform and/or evaluate sustainability and energy audits.

Integration of current Antiterrorism and Force Protection (AT/FP) measures will be required on all military projects. 

The AE will be required to use the DR Checks design review and checking system. 

3. SELECTION CRITERIA: 

The selection criteria are listed below in descending order of importance.  Criteria “a” through “e” are primary.  Criteria “f” through “h” are secondary and will only be used as a “tie-breaker” among firms that are essentially technically equal.

a. Specialized Experience and Technical Competence

b. Professional Qualifications

c. Past Performance

d. Capacity

e. Knowledge of Locality

f. SB/SDB Participation.

g. Geographic Proximity

h. Volume of DOD Contract Awards

PRIMARY CRITERIA:

a. Specialized Experience and Technical Competence. Submittals shall demonstrate the specialized experience and technical competence to execute the types of projects and activities as indicated above in paragraph 2, PROJECT INFORMATION, and in the bullet items below. Only relatable experience on completed construction projects or completed designs from the last five years should be included in the submittal. All projects cited shall identify design start/complete dates as well as the project size (cost and scope). (SF 330, Part I, Section F)

* Experience in horizontal and vertical design of military construction or military operations and maintenance projects;

* Experience with construction phase services including participation in on-site partnering/pre-construction meetings; review of construction contractor’s submittals for government approval and for information only; participation in site visits and furnishing inspection reports at critical points of construction; participation in start-up and commissioning of systems; attending warranty inspections; participation in lessons-learned sessions; preparation of operations and maintenance support information manuals;

* Experience in adapting standard design packages;

* Experience with USACE design guidance, including Unified Facility Criteria documents, Engineering Technical Letters (ETLs), and other military design criteria documents;

* Experience with preparing specifications using SpecsIntact software and Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS);

* Experience with preparing cost estimates using Micro-Computer Aided Cost Estimating System 2nd Generation (MII) software;

* Experience with Department of Defense AT/FP design criteria and construction standards;

* Experience with life safety and fire protection design of military or civil facilities;

* Experience applying Advanced Modeling practices in conjunction with an integrated design approach to include BIM, CIM, GIS, CAD, and Facility Data;

* Experience with Sustainable Design or High Performance Sustainable Building design and construction concepts including energy efficiency, use of recovered materials, waste reduction, and pollution prevention, and using the third party sustainability evaluation and certification processes;

* Experience with Spatial Data Facilities Infrastructure (SDSFIE) and/or GEOBASE deliverables and standards; and

* Experience with historic preservation.

b. Professional Qualifications. Firms shall demonstrate professional personnel qualifications and specialized experience in the design of military and federal facilities for key design disciplines. Key disciplines that are required to be performed by registered and licensed professionals are: project management, facility planning, architecture, interior design, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, building commissioning, structural, Anti-Terrorism/ Force Protection (AT/FP), civil, communications engineering, cost estimating, geotechnical, and land surveyor. Evaluation of these disciplines will consider education, training, relevant experience in design of military and federal facilities, and longevity with the firm. Any past design and/or planning experience on USACE military projects should be identified. (SF 330, Part I, Sections E & G). 

Provide resumes for a minimum of two (2) project managers (team leaders) for task orders, both registered as a Professional Engineer or Architect.

Provide resumes for a minimum of two (2) designers in each of the following fields: architecture; civil, structural (independent of civil), mechanical, and electrical engineering with at least two in each field professionally registered in the relevant professional field as an engineer or an architect.

Provide a resume for a minimum of one (1) designer in the Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection field. Designer shall be a registered Professional Engineer and have at least five (5) years of experience and training related to compliance with Department of Defense AT/FP policy, standards and specifications. This designer is not required to be independent of other AE designers.

Provide a resume for one (1) interior designer. Designer must be certified by the National Council of Interior Design Qualifications (NCIDQ), registered interior designer, or registered architect with at least five years of experience and training in interior design.

Provide a resume for a minimum of one (1) designer in each of the following fields: life safety, water/wastewater engineering, geotechnical (soil engineering); communication distribution design (RCDD), and landscape architecture. These individuals may be qualified by a combination of education, registration, certification, and/or training. 

Provide a resume for one (1) cost engineer with at least 10 years of experience as a cost engineer. Additional consideration will be given if the individual is a certified cost engineer (CCE), certified cost consultant (CCC), or comparable certification.

Provide a resume for one (1) commissioning authority (CxA) to lead the commissioning team. The CxA may be a mechanical or an electrical engineer and shall be a registered professional with a minimum of five years of heating, ventilation, and cooling or lighting and power distribution design experience and shall have documented experience as a CxA on at least two projects. The CxA must be certified as a commissioning authority and have an active certification. The certification shall be performed by a recognized organization such as The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), or similar such organization.

Provide a resume for one (1) fire protection engineer who is a registered professional fire protection engineer with a minimum of five years dedicated to fire protection engineering, and has one of the following: (i) a degree in fire protection engineering from an accredited university or (ii) passed the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveys (NCEES) fire protection engineering examination. The fire protection engineer shall have an active license without any disciplinary actions.

Provide a resume for one (1) advanced modeling or BIM manager with a minimum of five years dedicated to managing advanced modeling projects. Additional consideration will be given to managers with degrees, training, and/or certifications relevant to the advanced modeling platforms and technologies described in this contract.

Provide a resume for one (1) sustainability manager with a minimum of five years dedicated to managing sustainability metrics, certification, and accreditation on projects. Additional consideration will be given to sustainability managers with degrees and certifications from recognized sustainability certification, assessment, and/or accreditation organizations. This includes but is not limited to US Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED APs), Green Building Initatives’ Green Globes Professionals (GGPs) and/or Federal Guiding Principles Compliance Professionals (GPCPs).

c. Past Performance. Past performance on DoD and other contracts with respect to the quality of work, cost control (maintaining the project construction cost below the programmed amount), and compliance with performance schedules, as determined by ACASS and other sources. (Note: Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ) may be used to provide or supplement a firm’s past performance with other than U.S. Governmental clients. Firms which choose to use the PPQ may obtain a PPQ standard form by submitting a request to the below referenced POC via email.) Past performance submittals should match projects submitted for Paragraph a. Specialized Experience and Technical Competence.

d. Capacity. Capacity is the ability to complete task orders within a reasonably aggressive schedule. Firms shall demonstrate the capacity to accomplish at least two (2) $400,000 simultaneous individual task orders. The evaluation will consider the availability of an adequate number of personnel in key disciplines to complete the task orders and offeror’s project execution strategy. The evaluation will consider the key persons identified in Sections D, E, and G of the SF330, as well as other available staff and information provided in Section H and Part II. Please also demonstrate how your firm will comply with the subcontracting limitations as set forth by the FAR Clause 52.219-14 LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING (SF 330, Part I, Section H, Item 1).

A proposed Management Plan shall be presented that includes an organization chart (reference SF330, Part I, Section D) and addresses team organization (reference SF330, Part I, Section C), any anticipated sub-contractors or entities to supplement the design team, quality control procedures, cost control, coordination of in-house disciplines and consultants required to meet work capacity. The SF 330 shall clearly indicate the primary office where the work will be performed and the staffing at that office. (SF 330, Part I, Section H, Item 2).

e. Knowledge of Locality. Submittals shall demonstrate knowledge of performing the type of projects and activities as described in the PROJECT INFORMATION section listed above for the multiple locations and various military installations and civil sites within NWD. The localized knowledge includes demonstration of working with multiple agencies and other stakeholders to execute projects described herein. Knowledge of geological features, climatic conditions, and local construction methods specific to NWD will also be evaluated.

SECONDARY CRITERIA:

f. SB/SDB Participation. SDVOSB Offerors will be evaluated on the extent of participation of small business community (SBC) members in the performance of the acquisition. Offerors shall propose their best efforts when projecting the level of participation of Small Businesses (as a Small Business prime and/or Small Business subcontractors) for the anticipated performance of this contract. Small Business primes may achieve Small Business participation through their own performance/participation as a prime and through subcontracting to other Small Businesses. (SF 330, Part I, Section H, Item 4).

g. Geographic Proximity. Submittals should address offerors geographic locations and their capability to address project work throughout the various NWD locations (SF 330, Part I, Section H).

h. Volume of DoD Contract Awards. Volume of DoD A-E contract awards in the last 12 months, with the objective of effecting an equitable distribution of DoD A-E contracts among qualified firms, including SB and SDB (SF 330, Part I, Section H).

4. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Interested firms having the capabilities to perform this work must submit four (4) copies of SF 330 Part I, and four (4) copies of SF 330 Part II for the prime firm and all consultants/subcontractors, to US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, ATTN: Tyler Hegge (CENWO-CT), 1616 Capitol Ave., Omaha, NE, 68102, not later than 2:00pm Central time on the response date indicated in this announcement. SUBMITTAL PACKAGES MUST ALSO BE SENT TO THROUGH THE AMRDEC SAFE SITE (See below for more instructions). INCLUDE A COMPLETE COPY OF THE SUBMITTAL (AN SF 330 PART 1 + SF 330 PART II FOR THE PRIME FIRM AND ALL CONSULTANTS/SUBCONTRACTORS), AS A SINGLE PDF FILE. Submittal must clearly identify the announcement number. Regulation requires that the Selection Board not consider any submittals received after the specified time and date. Late proposal rules in FAR 15.208 will be followed for submittals received after 2:00pm Central time on the closing date specified in this announcement. The SF 330, 08/2016 edition, must be used, and may be obtained from the following web site: Include DUNS number and CAGE code in SF330 Part I, Section B, Block 5. Additionally, the DUNS number and CAGE code should be identified in SF 330 Part I, Section C, Block 9, for EACH TEAM MEMBER. The submittal shall have a page limit of 100 pages. A page is one side of a sheet. Blank sheets/Tabs separating the sections within the SF 330 will not count against the maximum page count. All fonts shall be at least 10 pitch or larger. Pages shall be 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches. Organizational charts may be presented on a sheet up to 11 inches by 17 inches. If an 11 inch by 17 inch sheet is used it shall be neatly folded to 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches, bound in the SF 330 at the proper location, and counted as one page. A Part II is required for each branch office of the prime firm and any consultants/subcontractors that will have a key role in the proposed contract (i.e. a Part II is required for all entities identified in SF 330 Part I, Section C of the submittal). Cover letters, company literature and extraneous materials are not desired. Sections E and G of SF 330 Part I must include only individuals proposed to perform the anticipated work, including all consultants/subcontractors. In SF 330 Part I, Section G, Block 26, along with the name, include the firm with which the person is associated. A maximum of ten (10) projects including the prime and consultants/subcontractors will be reviewed for SF 330 Part I, Section F. Use no more than two pages per project. When listing projects in SF 330 Part 1, Section F, an Indefinite Delivery Contract (IDC) with multiple Task Orders as examples is not considered a project. A task order executed under an IDC contract is a project. SF 330, Part I, Section H (Additional Information) shall contain the following information. (1) Item 1 – Capacity. Reference Paragraph 3.c. above. Provide a 1-2 page narrative discussing the capacity of the design firm to meet schedules, including adequacy of qualified personnel available and past experience in meeting tight design schedules. (2) Item 2 – Management Plan – Include the information requested in Paragraph 3.c. above. (3) Item 3 – Volume of DoD Contract Awards – Reference Paragraph 3.e. above. Provide a complete listing of all DoD A-E awards within the last 12 months. For IDCs, include total value of task orders actually issued by agencies in the last 12 months, not the potential value of the IDCs. For all types of contracts, do not include for consideration options that have not been exercised. 

Joint ventures shall submit the following additional documentation of the evidence of a joint venture entity: 1) Firms shall provide a copy of a legally binding joint venture agreement, and 2) Identification of the party who can legally bind the joint venture. Joint Venture agreements will not count against the page count. Solicitation packages are not provided and no additional project information will be given to firms during the announcement period. This is not a request for proposal.

ALL QUESTIONS SHALL BE SUBMITTED VIA THE BIDDER INQUIRY PORTAL in ProjNet at Questions should be submitted no later than Close of Business 30 April 2018 to allow time for a response. On this date and time the portal will be closed. For questions, no other means of communication, e-mail, fax, or telephone will be accepted. To submit and review inquiry items, prospective vendors will need to use the Bidder Inquiry Key presented below and follow the instructions listed below. A prospective vendor who submits a comment/question will receive an acknowledgement of their comment/question via email, followed by an answer to the comment/question after it has been processed by our team. All timely questions and approved answers will be made available through ProjNet. To submit and review inquiries, firms will need to be current registered users of the ProjNet system. 

Registration for ProjNet Bidder Inquiry Access

(If you are already registered, go to Entering Bidder Inquiries in ProjNet Bidder Inquiry System below.)

1. From the ProjNet home page link above, click on Quick Add on the upper right side of the screen.

2. Identify the Agency. This should be marked as USACE.

3. Key. Enter the Bidder Inquiry Key listed below.

4. Email. Enter the email address you would like to use for communication.

5. Click Continue. A page will then open saying that a user account was not found and will ask you to create one using the provided form.

6. Enter your First Name, Last Name, Company, City, State, Phone, Email, Secret Question, Secret Answer, and Time Zone. Make sure to remember your Secret Question and Answer as they will be used from this point on to access the ProjNet system.

7. Click Add User. Once this is completed you are now registered within ProjNet and are currently logged into the system.

Entering Bidder Inquiries in ProjNet Bidder Inquiry System

1. For future access to ProjNet, you will not be emailed any type of password. You will utilize your Secret Question and Secret Answer to log in.

2. From the ProjNet home page link above, click on Quick Add on the upper right side of the screen.

3. Identify the Agency. This should be marked as USACE.

4. Key. Enter the Bidder Inquiry Key listed below.

5. Email. Enter the email address you used to register previously in ProjNet.

6. Click Continue. A page will then open asking you to enter the answer to your Secret Question.

7. Enter your Secret Answer and click Login. Once this is completed you are now logged into the system.

8. Follow online screen instructions to enter specific bidder inquiries for the project.

The Solicitation Number is: W9128F-18-R-0029

The Bidder Inquiry Key is: EAKHXS-R7V4D3

Firms are requested to review the Bidder Inquiry Portal for previous questions and responses, prior to submission of a new inquiry in the Portal. Caution: Any inquiry submitted and answered within this system will be accessible to view by all interested firms on this solicitation. The call center for the ProjNet operates weekdays from 8 AM to 5 PM U.S. Central Time Zone. The telephone number is 1-800-428-HELP.

AMRDEC. To submit proposals electronically via AMRDEC go to the following website: ; At the AMRDEC SAFE website select “Non-CAC Users” in order to register, access the site and submit your proposal(s). When completing the information for transmittal at the AMRDEC SAFE website, you will be asked to enter e-mail addresses for the recipients. When your proposal is submitted via the AMRDEC SAFE website, the website will provide notification of the submittal to the recipients. For this solicitation, the recipients will be:

1. Tyler Hegge, whose e-mail address is tyler.hegge@usace.army.mil and 

2. Andrew Anderson, whose e-mail address is andrew.r.anderson@usace.army.mil

After submitting your information, you will receive two (2) disclaimers:

1. “The files were successfully uploaded.”

2. “Your files cannot be downloaded by recipients until you verify your email address. Please check your email for further instructions.”

The Government will not receive your submission until you verify your email address via these email instructions.

Follow the instructions sent to your email to complete your submittal process. The date and time of delivery of files using the AMRDEC SAFE website is based upon the time of receipt of the e-mail notification to the Contract Specialist(s) by the AMRDEC SAFE website, not by the date and time of uploading of the proposal into the AMRDEC SAFE website. Do not assume that electronic communication is instantaneous. Please make allowances for delays in transmittal.  Electronic Proposals shall be received via AMRDEC No Later Than (NLT) the date and time indicated above or as identified in subsequent amendments.

The Government will not be responsible for proposals delivered to any location or to anyone other than those designated to receive proposals on its behalf. The Offeror is responsible for ensuring that the proposal is submitted so as to reach the designated recipient and is responsible for allowing sufficient time for the proposal to be received in accordance with the information provided.

Note: An Unrestricted set-aside (W9128F18R0028) and a SDVOSB set-aside (W9128F18R0030) for similar A-E services will be posted via a separate FBO announcement. The combined capacity of all three announcements will equal $99M.