Boiler Preventative Maintenance and Inspection Services

The Department of Veterans Affairs, through the 244-NETWORK Contract Office 4 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has awarded a sole-source IDIQ contract for Boiler Preventative Maintenance and Inspection Services to Combustion Service & Equipment Co. (CS&E), the incumbent contractor, under FAR 13.106-1 due to urgent necessity and lack of alternative qualified sources. The contract, identified by solicitation number 36C24426P0348 and acquisition ID 36C244-26-AP-3268, is structured as a five-year indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity agreement with performance spanning from June 2, 2025, through June 1, 2030, although the prior contract term was May 14, 2020, to May 13, 2025. Services are to be performed at the University Drive and H.J. Heinz campuses of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, where the contractor must conduct comprehensive inspections, tuning of combustion control systems, deaerator tank evaluations, and calibration and testing of all boiler-related safety devices in strict compliance with VHA Directive 1810. The procurement bypasses competitive bid procedures because the previous contractor failed to perform, creating a high-risk operational situation that demands immediate, uninterrupted service to prevent life-threatening system failures. The vendor is a certified small business with a confirmed responsibility status via FedDataCheck, and the award reflects a trade-off decision prioritizing technical capability, proven past performance, and mission-critical reliability over price, explicitly excluding a lowest price technically acceptable approach. No pricing details are disclosed in the contract documentation, and while the contracting officer is named as Stephanie Luniewski, no contracting officer’s representative or technical representative is identified. All inspection and acceptance occur on-site at the designated campuses, with oversight conducted by the VA to ensure adherence to mandated safety standards. The sole-source justification, referenced as the critical supporting document, outlines the rationale for selecting CS&E based on their uninterrupted history of successful service at these facilities, and the contract does not include formal FAR clauses, packaging specifications, invoicing instructions, or payment details. The requirement for prompt summer-cycle execution underscores the time-sensitive nature of the work, and while no security clearances or key personnel clauses apply, the contractor must maintain active SAM registration and remain excluded from federal suspension or debarment lists.