C--Replace Boiler Controls - Design

The Stratton VA Medical Center, located at 113 Holland Ave., Albany, NY, is soliciting for a contract for Architect/Engineer (A/E) services. This procurement will be conducted following the procedures outlined in FAR 36.6, and specifically 36.602-5 for shortened selection procedures. This means that interested firms are to submit a standard form 330 (available via the GSA forms library at http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/formslibrary.do?formType=SF) in hard or electronic copy for shortlist evaluation based on the standard VA Construction and Facilities Management scoresheet (blank copies are available upon request for reference purposes). Selection will be made by the chairperson of the selection board based entirely on these initial submissions and oral presentations will NOT be conducted. The intent of the contract design shall be to perform investigative analysis and design and produce working drawings and specifications necessary for the award of a contract to replace the burners and controls on the three main boilers in Building 4, the Boiler Plant, and replace various boiler control systems in the main steam generation plant in the hospital. Boilers are nominal 800 hp water tube style with dual fuel burners. Included in the scope of the architect/engineer services are the study and design for variable frequency drive and inverter duty motor installations on the combustion blowers, complete system and modifications necessary for installation of mud drum steam heaters and incorporation of blow down heat recovery including equipment, piping and controls. Boiler combustion burner and combustion control system to be based on current best practices incorporating automatic Oxygen trim, linkless controls with electric actuation, PLC based controls, combustion flame and fuel safety systems, automatic change-over between fuel sources (Natural Gas, No.2 Fuel Oil and No. 4 Fuel Oil) and automated emissions monitoring. Modification of the boiler mud drums for incorporation of steam drum heaters requires compliance with ASME guidelines and requirements for the modification of a fired pressure vessel and associated piping systems. Work is primarily mechanical engineering with other engineering disciplines, including but not limited to electrical engineering. In evaluating offers received for past performance and technical capability, specific weight will be given to work of a similar scope and proposed team members with specific background experience in this type of boiler engineering work. There will be an enforced geographic restriction on eligible offerors of 30 miles from the Stratton VA due to the necessity for frequent site visits during both design and construction. The VA has not specified a socio-economic set-aside for this project, but is willing to consider one based on a cascading system of preference. Per the Brooks Act, three firms deemed technically acceptable must be evaluated in order to proceed towards award, and as such three acceptable offers from one socio-economic category MUST be received to consider a set-aside. Technically acceptable shall be defined as a rating of 60 or higher out of 146 possible points. The order of preference for socio-economic set-asides as is follows: 1. Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business 2. Veteran-Owned Small Business 3. HUBZONE Business 4. 8a/Woman-Owned 5. Large Business (unrestricted/no set-aside). As this procurement falls under the small business competitiveness demonstration program, a set-aside for general small business will not be considered. The cost of construction for the resulting construction project is estimated to be valued between $500,000 and $750,000