Browning and Heart Butte EPSS

75H701-26-R-00025 Sources Sought:

Blackfeet Hospital & Heart Butte Health Station EPSS, MT, Glacier and Pondera Counties

The Indian Health Service (IHS) is conducting a SOURCES SOUGHT/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION as outlined in FAR 15.101(c)(3) (DEVIATION RFO Nov 2025) to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities, and qualifications of firms especially small businesses including: Native American/Indian-Owned Businesses (Indian Economic Enterprise (IEE)), 8(a) Certified Small Businesses, Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUB-Zone) Small Businesses, Women Owned Small Businesses, Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB), and Veteran Owned Small Businesses.

NO PROPOSALS ARE BEING REQUESTED OR ACCEPTED WITH THIS RFI. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS. Respondents will NOT be notified of the results of this notice. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this notice or any follow-up information requested.

Market Research is being performed pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 to identify businesses capable of performing the functions described herein.

SUMMARY OF SCOPE

The purpose of this project is to install new emergency power supply system (EPSS) at the Blackfeet Community Hospital and the Heart Butte Health Station. Work will also include demolition of 2 emergency power supply systems at the Blackfeet Community Hospital. The work will take place at 2 locations: one in Browning, MT and the other in Heart Butte, MT. 

The project will demo two existing EPSS at the Blackfeet Community Hospital and install a new singular EPSS to serve all electrical loads that code requires to have emergency power. 

The project will also install a new EPSS at the Heart Butte Health Station capable of serving all electrical loads that code requires to have emergency power.

Work at both sites will require thorough and careful coordination with local medical staff and maintenance staff to reduce and fully minimize disruptions to direct patient care.

The goal of this project is to bring both sites into compliance with life safety codes for emergency power systems and also replace aged and failing equipment that has become obsolete and difficult to service.

Magnitude of Construction Projects, the anticipated project magnitude is between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.00.

The type of work to be performed will be categorized under PSC code Y1DA, Construction of Hospitals and Infirmaries and NAICS code 236220, Commercial and Institutional Building Construction with a size standard of $45M.

RESPONSES - SUBMITTAL

Responses to this notice must be emailed to Taylor Kanthack at taylor.kanthack@ihs.gov and must be received no later than 16 April 2026 2:00PM PST. Responses must include:

1. Company Information: Company name, website, physical address, SAM UEI code
2. Point of Contact: Contact name, phone number, and E-mail address
3. If a solicitation is issued, will your firm/company be submitting a proposal? Indicate Yes or No
4. Type of Business: Native American-owned (IEE/ISBEE), SBA certified 8(a), SBA Certified HUB Zone, Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), Women Owned Small Business (WOSB), and/or Small Businesses (SB). For more information on the definitions or requirements for these small business programs, refer to http://www.sba.gov.
   1. Native American-owned (IEE/ISBEE) firms - Submit completed Attachment 1: IHS IEE Representation Form (Jan 2022) along with the controlling enterprise’s Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood documentation. Please note that there shall be no personally identifiable information (PII), such as social security numbers, included in the documentation submitted. Any PII shall be redacted prior to submission.
5. Bond Capacity: Information on the firm's bonding capability - specifically identify single and aggregate bonding capacities.
6. Experience Submission Requirements: Submit at least two (2) but no more than five (5) projects completed by your firm within the last six (6) years that are similar to the work that will be required under this project. Firms shall include the following information for each project:
   1. Indicate whether Prime Contractor or Subcontractor for each project submitted;
   2. Dates of construction for each project submitted;
   3. Contract value, location, completion date, and complexity of job for each project submitted;
   4. Indicate whether the project is a federal, state, tribal or other for each project submitted; and
   5. Project references/Agency point of contact (telephone number and email address) for each project submitted.
   6. If the entity responding to this sources sought is submitting experience information from any entity that does not match the name, CAGE code, and/or UEI exactly as stated on the submitting entity’s SAM record (e.g. affiliates, subsidiaries, parent companies, sister companies, etc.) the submission shall clearly demonstrate how that entity will have meaningful involvement in the performance of the contract and specifically address which resources would be committed to the contract. Failure to comply with this requirement or failure to adequately demonstrate meaningful involvement and commitment of resources on behalf of that entity may result in that experience information to be considered not relevant.
   7. Along with the project experience submission, the following questions shall be answered in your firms’ submission:
      1. How is your company structured to handle quality control of the various disciplines of a construction project? (i.e., what position(s) (full-time/part-time) are employed under your company to perform QC?)
      2. Does your company primarily handle the construction activities related to construction management by the prime contractor and if so, what are those activities? 
      3. Does your company self-perform any of the construction disciplines, if so, what are those disciplines?  What disciplines does your company anticipate self-performing for this specific project?

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Pursuant to 48 CFR Part 326, Subpart 326.603-3 and IHM 5.5-6, Indian Health Service must use the negotiation authority of the Buy Indian Act, 25 U.S.C. 47, to give preference to Indian Economic Enterprises (IEE) whenever the use of that authority is authorized and practicable. The Government is seeking to identify Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEEs) capable of performing the below Indian Health Services (IHS) requirement. Any firm responding to this notice should submit their capability statement as well as the Buy Indian Act Indian Economic Enterprise Representation Form (attached).

Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEEs) as well as other small business are highly encouraged to respond to this notice. However, firms should understand that generic capability statements are not sufficient for effective evaluation of their capacity and capability to perform the work required. Please note that a decision not to submit a response to this request for information will not preclude a firm from participating in any future solicitation.

All information received in response to this source sought that is marked proprietary will be handled accordingly. Documents and/or information other than what is requested will not be reviewed.  Information submitted beyond what is requested will not be considered.

QUESTIONS:

Questions regarding this sources sought may be emailed to Taylor Kanthack at taylor.kanthack@ihs.gov.