Design-Build Services, Modernization of the Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit (FDWSRU) located at Ft. Detrick in Frederick, Maryland

Description: This Sources Sought Notice is being issued for informational purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the USDA, ARS. ARS is conducting a Market Survey to identify the availability and interest of ALL interested contractors that can meet the minimum evaluation factors below. "Interested contractors" would include qualified Large, Small, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HubZone), Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), certified 8(a) firms, and SBA approved Mentor-Prot'g firms as potential Offerors for the Design-Build Construction Solicitation for the FDWSRL, Fort Detrick located in Frederick, Maryland. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this project is 236220 (Construction) with a Size Standard of $36.5 million. Background: Th research mission of the Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit (FDWSRU) is to develop techniques for the rapid detection and identification of new and emerging crop pathogens and to provide fundamental information on the biology and epidemiology of emerging pathogens for risk assessment and disease management strategies including the development for resistant plants. The mission of the weed biological control program is to collect foreign pathogens overseas from weeds in their native habitat and to evaluate, characterize, and release pathogens in the United States for biological control of the introduced weeds thus leading to sustainable weed control practices in agricultural systems with reduced dependence on chemical herbicides. Requirement: The current Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) research facility at Fort Detrick is over 60 years old and needs to be replaced to meet current research needs and requirements. The project scope includes constructing a new Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) Plant Pathogen Containment Facility consisting of a laboratory, head house and greenhouse and will be adjacent to existing buildings 1301-1309 of the FDSWRU complex. The new facility will be approximately 68,000 GSF and will serve as the replacement for Building 374 (BSL-3 Plant Pathogen Containment) and Building 390 (Effluent Decontamination System) which has a combined total of approximately 18,500 GSF. The proposed construction at Ft Detrick will be performed on an active research campus located on a secure military installation. Bridging Documents (BD) will consist of a 35% completed design submission. As stated above, the purpose of this Sources Sought notice is to identify all prospective firms to provide Design-Build services associated with the FDSWRU Modernization effort. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. Interested firms are invited to respond to this announcement by providing the following information: 1. Firm's name, address, point of contact, phone number, and e-mail address. 2. Firm's level of interest in competing on the solicitation when it is issued. 3. Firm's Business Size - Large, Small, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HubZone), Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), certified 8(a) firms, and SBA approved Mentor-Prot'g firms 4. Firm's Bonding Capacity (construction bonding level per contract and aggregate construction bonding level, both expressed in dollars). Interested firms must meet the minimum bonding requirement of $65M single / $80M aggregate to be considered as a potential source. The surety providing the bonding must be clearly identified and listed in the Department of Treasury's Listing of Approved Sureties which can be found at https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsreports/ref/suretyBnd/c570.htm. If not currently bonded, a letter from a listed surety stating capacity for obtaining a sufficient bonding amount must be included. 5. Firm's experience in successfully completed Design-Build projects of similar size and scope. To demonstrate similar projects, at least two examples completed in the last seven (7) years should be provided. 6. Provide at least one (1) example of a new Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory building. 7. Provide at least one (1) example of a central laboratory Effluent Decontamination System (EDS). 8. Provide at least one (1) example of a BSL-2 Greenhouse. Note: The ultimate construction will be of a BSL-3 greenhouse but providing an example of BSL-2 greenhouse is acceptable for the purposes of this market research if also demonstrating experience in BSL-3 laboratories as specified in requirement #6 above. If an interested firm has BSL-3 greenhouse experience, that example(s) should be submitted. NO SOLICITATION EXISTS. THIS REQUEST IS INTENDED ONLY TO IDENTIFY SOURCES OF PROSPECTIVE DESIGN-BUILD FIRMS. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this sources sought announcement. The deadline to respond to this notice is November 19, 2018 by 3:00 p.m. No site visits to the facility are permitted. Requested information shall be limited to no more than 10 pages. Interested firms are instructed to submit written responses by e-mail to stephen.stolte@ars.usda.gov and angela.wingert@ars.usda.gov. NO HARD COPY OR FACSIMILE SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Cover letters and extraneous materials (brochures, etc) will not be considered. No reimbursement will be made for any cost associated with providing information in response to this announcement or any follow-up information provided. All interested sources must respond to future solicitation announcements separately from responses to this market survey.