J--Sol Amendment #1 Miami HVAC Repair/Replacement

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Continuation page from block 14.
The purpose of this amendment is to respond to the questions received for Solicitation No. 1333MF26Q0109.

Combined Synopsis Solicitation: 1333MF26Q0109
Response to Questions:

Q1 - Could you please confirm whether bid, performance, and payment bonds are required for this solicitation?
A1 - The winning vendor must be licensed and bonded in the state the work is to be performed. The attached wage determination is for services not construction as we are considering this work to be repairs and maintenance not construction.

Q2 - Could you please clarify whether we may use a subcontractor that is licensed and bonded in the State of Florida to satisfy this requirement, or whether the licensing and bonding requirements must be held by the prime contractor?¿
A2 - The government has no privity with a subcontractor therefore all requirements fall upon the primary contractor. Subcontractors must also be licensed and trained to work in the state.

Q3 - The SOW states that vendor teams shall be licensed and bonded to work in Miami, Florida. May the prime contractor satisfy this requirement through its licensed and bonded HVAC subcontractor, or must the prime contractor independently hold the applicable HVAC license and bond?
A3 - Please see responses above

Q4 - For Evaluation Factors 2 – Experience and 3 – Past Performance, will NOAA consider the relevant experience, qualifications, and past-performance references of the prime contractor’s proposed HVAC subcontractor and key personnel?
A4 - Both the prime and any proposed subcontractors should have the relevant past performance and experience working on this type of requirement.

Q5 - For Tasks 4 and 5, should offerors price the quotation assuming complete replacement of both systems, or should anticipated repair and full-system replacement be priced separately?
A5 - Complete replacement of both systems

Q6 - For Task 8, should offerors assume replacement of all identified strainer/check valves for purposes of the firm-fixed-price quotation? If so, can NOAA provide the applicable valve sizes, types, and quantities?
A6 - The government does not have documentation of the valve sizes, types, or quantities for these assemblies, and no as-built or submittal data is available. The scope of Task 8 is limited to inspection at the three locations identified and replacement of only those assemblies found leaking or non-operational. For pricing purposes, offerors shall assume one strainer/check valve assembly at each of the three locations, serving fan-coil equipment. Offerors should state any pricing assumptions in their quotation. Any condition materially different from the above will be addressed by the Contracting Officer.

Q7 - Please confirm that offerors should provide one firm-fixed price for CLIN 0001 covering the complete 60-day requirement. The combined synopsis references monthly and annual pricing for base and option years, while the SOW appears to establish a single 60-day project requirement.
A7 - There is only one CLIN in this action. Verbiage in the invoicing section is standard template language.

Q8 - Is Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance or equivalent Florida Product Approval required for all replacement HVAC equipment under Tasks 1–5, or only for the Task 3 warehouse system?
A8 - Miami-Dade County Notice of Acceptance or equivalent Florida product approval is required for all exterior-mounted replacement equipment, including the Task 1 and Task 2 packaged rooftop units and the outdoor condensing units under Tasks 3, 4, and 5. Indoor air handlers are not subject to this requirement.

Q9 - Please confirm whether permits from the local municipality are required for the replacement of the HVAC equipment.
A9 - The Miami campus is a federally owned facility. County mechanical permits are not required for work performed on this site. All work shall comply with the applicable standards listed in the SOW, including the National Electrical Code, ASHRAE standards, and Miami-Dade County product approval for exterior-mounted equipment.

Q10 - Is a bid bond required with the proposal, or are performance and payment bonds required only from the successful contractor after award?
A10 - Please see responses above

Q11 - For the 4-ton and 2-ton mini-split units identified for diagnosis, repair, or replacement, based on the current condition of the equipment, we believe replacement is the most appropriate option. Please confirm whether we may submit pricing based on complete replacement of these units.
A11 - See A5. Offerors shall price complete replacement of both the Task 4 and Task 5 systems, including the outdoor condensing unit and the matching indoor unit.

Permitting
Q12 - Does this project require a Miami-Dade County mechanical permit for each unit, or does NOAA handle permitting internally for work on this campus?
A12 - See A9. A Miami-Dade County mechanical permit is not required for this work.

Q13 - If a county permit is needed, who submits the application, the contractor or NOAA?
A13 - Not applicable. See A9.

Q14 - Is the Miami-Dade product approval (NOA) documentation required before we submit our quote, or only later at the time of permit application?
A14 - Product approval documentation is not required with the quote. Offerors should identify the proposed make and model in their technical approach. Documentation of Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance or equivalent Florida product approval shall be provided to the technical point of contact prior to installation.

Q15 - Is a stamped engineer drawing required for the rooftop package unit replacements, or are manufacturer spec sheets sufficient since it is a same-capacity swap?
A15 - Manufacturer specification and cut sheets are sufficient. Signed and sealed engineering drawings are not required for like-for-like capacity replacement.

Q16 - Who schedules and conducts inspections once the work is complete, a county inspector or someone from NOAA?
A16 - Because no county permit is required for this work, there will be no county inspection. Government acceptance will be performed by the Contracting Officer or authorized representative per CAR 1352.246-70. The contractor shall contact the technical point of contact to walk the punch list and close out the project per Deliverable 5 of the SOW.

Roof Condition

Q17 - The roof stands for the rooftop units appear structurally sound, with the equipment itself showing the corrosion. If we are replacing the units, can the existing roof stands be kept as-is without resealing or replacement, or is that required regardless?
A17 - The SOW requirement stands. Tasks 1 and 2 require the existing roof stand be repaired or replaced as required to properly support the new unit. The contractor shall assess each stand and repair or replace as needed. Existing stands may be reused only where structurally sound and free of significant section loss. New ductwork must be installed and sealed to the roof in all cases.

Site Access
Q18 - Do our technicians need a badge or facility ID to access the campus for each visit?
A18 - A PIV or CAC is not required. Contractor personnel will be granted visitor access. The contractor shall provide a list of personnel names to the technical point of contact in advance of each visit. Personnel must present government-issued photo identification on arrival.

Q19 - Is there a laydown area near the roof that could be reserved for our crane when installing the RTUs on the Annex?
A19 - Yes. A staging and crane setup area near the Annex can be made available. The specific location and duration will be coordinated with the technical point of contact after award. The contractor is responsible for protecting pavement and for maintaining clear fire lanes and emergency vehicle access at all times.

Q20 - Is there power to the rooftop units, or would that require separate coordination?
A20 - All five units identified in Tasks 1 through 5 are existing installed equipment, and existing electrical conditions were available for inspection during the September 9 site visit. The contractor shall reuse or modify existing circuits as required to serve the new equipment. Any electrical work necessary to connect and support the replacement equipment is the contractor's responsibility and shall be included in the firm-fixed price. The SOW requires the contractor to supply all labor, materials, equipment and supplies required to complete the listed tasks, and the government will furnish no resources toward completion of this requirement.

Q21 - What are the allowed working hours on site, standard business hours only, or is night or weekend work permitted for the noisier tasks such as the rooftop units?
A21 - Normal working hours are 7:00 am to 4:00 pm ET, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Work outside those hours may be permitted with advance written requests submitted through the Government POC. Approval depends on government escort availability after hours and is not guaranteed.

Past Performance
Q22 - Can our past performance references include general contracting projects of similar scale and complexity, not limited to HVAC-specific work, given our broader project management and delivery record?
A22 - See A4. At least three past performance references are required. References should demonstrate experience installing and maintaining commercial HVAC systems comparable to those described in the SOW. General contracting references may be submitted in addition but will be evaluated on their relevance to this requirement.

Coral Lab Coordination
Q23 - Who should we contact directly to schedule the cooling outage for the Coral Lab, given that it supports live specimens?
A23) this information is not relevant to the proposal. The government POC’s will be distributed at time of award

Strainer/Check Valves (Task 8)
Q24 - To confirm, is the scope for this task to inspect the strainer/check valves in rooms 319, 208, and the mechanical room, and only replace the ones found leaking or non-operational?
A24 - Confirmed. Task 8 requires inspection at all three locations, with replacement of only those assemblies found leaking or non-operational. See A6 for pricing.

Q25 - Regarding Task 8, the strainer/check valves in rooms 319, 208, and the mechanical room. Are there existing isolation valves on either side of the strainer/check valves that would allow us to shut off water flow locally for replacement, or would the lines need to be frozen to isolate the work area?
A25 - Shutoff valves are available to isolate each of the three rooms. The government does not have documentation of whether local isolation exists immediately upstream and downstream of each strainer/check valve assembly. Line freezing is not anticipated. The contractor is responsible for the means of isolation and for draining and refilling any affected piping. Any planned outage shall be coordinated with the technical point of contact in advance.

POST-SITE-VISIT CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS
GENERAL / PROJECT-WIDE QUESTIONS

Q26. Manufacturer / Brand Requirements
Are replacement HVAC units required to be Rheem, or are equivalent manufacturers such as Carrier, Trane, Daikin, Goodman, or other approved manufacturers acceptable?
A26 - The government is relying on proposals to recommend the best solution to meet the requirements

Q27. Efficiency / SEER Requirements
Is there a specific minimum SEER/SEER2 or other efficiency rating required for the replacement HVAC equipment?
A27 - No specific SEER2 or efficiency rating is required beyond current federal minimum efficiency standards. Equipment shall meet applicable DOE minimum efficiency standards in effect at time of installation and, where available in the required configuration, ENERGY STAR or FEMP-designated efficiency levels consistent with NAO 217-104, Sustainable Facilities.

Q28. Coastal / Salt-Air Protection – All Outdoor Equipment
What specific manufacturer option, factory-applied coating, corrosion-protection treatment, or documentation is required for replacement equipment to be accepted as suitable for outdoor coastal/salt-air service?
A28 - No specific manufacturer, product, or coating standard is required. All outdoor-mounted equipment shall be furnished with factory-applied or manufacturer-approved corrosion protection suitable for coastal salt-air service, applied in a manner that does not void or reduce the manufacturer's warranty. Offerors shall identify the proposed coastal protection package in their technical approach.

Q29. Work Hours & Site Access
Are there any restrictions on normal work hours, after-hours/weekend work, equipment deliveries, crane setup, rooftop lifts, traffic control, escorts, security access, or planned shutdowns?
A29 - See responses to questions above

Q30. Crane & Rigging Requirements
For crane and rigging operations, are there any federal-facility approvals, staging-location restrictions, advance-notice requirements, or other site-specific requirements?
A30 - See A19 and A21. No additional federal-facility approvals are required for crane and rigging operations. Staging location and timing shall be coordinated with the technical point of contact after award.

Q31. Permits, Inspections & Submittals
Please clarify which party will be responsible for permits, inspections, Miami-Dade/Florida product approvals, equipment submittals, and project closeout documentation.
A31 - See responses to questions above

Q32. Startup, Commissioning & Closeout
What startup, commissioning, testing and balancing (TAB), refrigerant, electrical, warranty, manufacturer, or other closeout documentation will be required upon completion?
A32 - Closeout is governed by the SOW deliverable schedule. Deliverable 5 requires the contractor to contact the technical point of contact to walk the punch list and close out the project within 52 days of award. The contractor shall provide manufacturer warranty documentation and equipment cut sheets for all installed equipment at closeout. No separate testing and balancing report or commissioning report is required.

Q33. Specialty Subcontractor Requirements
Do specialty subcontractors such as crane/rigging, sheet-metal fabrication, roofing, electrical, or other specialty trades require prior approval, credential submission, badging, or additional insurance documentation before performing work onsite?
A33 - All companies performing work on this requirement shall be licensed, bonded and insured and have the relevant past performance to complete the necessary requirements. See above questions for credential and badging answers.

Q34. Temporary Cooling / Outage Limits
Other than the Coral Lab, are there any additional spaces with maximum allowable cooling-outage limits or that require temporary cooling while work is being performed?
A34 - Other than the Coral Lab identified in Task 5, no spaces have maximum allowable cooling-outage limits and no temporary cooling is required. All outages shall be coordinated with the technical point of contact in advance.

Q35. Controls / BAS Requirements
For Tasks 1–5, are there any required BAS, thermostat, sensor, control, programming, or sequence-of-operation modifications beyond normal equipment reconnection that must be included in the HVAC scope?
A35 - No building automation system integration, programming, or sequence-of-operation modification is required. The contractor shall reconnect to existing thermostats and controls, or furnish equipment-matched controls where the existing controls are not compatible with the replacement equipment.

Q36. Workmanship Warranty
Are there any specific minimum workmanship-warranty requirements for the HVAC subcontractor, separate from the manufacturer’s equipment warranties?
A36 - The government does not hold privity with subcontractors. All requirements fall on the Prime contract holder.


TASKS 1 & 2 – 5-TON AND 3-TON ROOFTOP UNITS

Q37. Roof Stands / Roofing
For replacement of the existing roof stands, should the HVAC contractor include a certified roofing contractor to open, restore, flash, and properly seal the roof? If so, is there a NOAA-approved roofer or any roof-warranty requirement we must follow?
A37 - There is no NOAA-approved roofing contractor list and no requirement to engage a certified roofing contractor. The contractor is responsible for all roof penetrations, flashing, and sealing associated with the new units and ductwork, and for leaving all penetrations watertight.

Q38. Ductwork Scope
Does the new ductwork only need to connect from the new rooftop units to the existing roof penetrations, or must the new ductwork extend through the roof and connect to the existing ductwork inside the building?
A38 - New ductwork shall extend from the new rooftop unit through the roof penetration and connect to the existing interior ductwork. The penetration shall be sealed weathertight. Replacement of existing interior ductwork is not in scope.

Q39. Roof Stand Requirements
Are there any specific structural, anchoring, engineering, material, or corrosion-protection requirements for the new roof stands?
A39 - No stamped engineering or specific structural design is required. Roof stands shall be repaired or replaced as required to properly support the new unit, anchored in accordance with the manufacturer's installation requirements, and constructed of materials suitable for coastal salt-air exposure. See A15 and A17.

Q40. Electrical Disconnects
Are the existing three-phase disconnects to remain and be reused if properly rated and in good condition? If replacement is required, is that part of the HVAC contractor’s scope, or must it be performed by a licensed electrical contractor?
A40 - Existing disconnects may be reused where properly rated for the new equipment and in serviceable condition. Replacement of any disconnect found inadequate or unserviceable is the contractor's responsibility and shall be included in the firm-fixed price. All electrical work shall be performed by qualified personnel in accordance with the National Electrical Code. See A20.

Q41. Mechanical / As-Built Drawings
Are existing mechanical or as-built drawings available for the rooftop ductwork serving Tasks 1 and 2?
A41 - The government does not have existing As Builts to provide

TASK 3 – 5-TON WAREHOUSE SPLIT SYSTEM

Q42. Existing Ductwork
Visible mold-like growth was observed on the existing rigid fiberglass ductwork. Should the existing ductwork remain in place, or should the entire duct system be replaced as part of Task 3?
A42 - Replacement of the existing warehouse ductwork is not within the scope of Task 3. Task 3 is limited to replacement of the outdoor condensing unit and the matching indoor air handler. The observed condition of the existing ductwork will be evaluated separately by the government and is not part of this requirement.

Q43. Existing Refrigerant Line Set
May the existing refrigerant line set be reused if properly sized, compatible with the new equipment/refrigerant, clean, pressure-tested, and manufacturer-approved, or is new refrigerant piping required?
A43 - The existing refrigerant line set may be reused where it is properly sized, compatible with the new equipment and refrigerant, clean, pressure-tested, and acceptable to the equipment manufacturer without voiding warranty. Where those conditions are not met, new refrigerant piping shall be installed at no additional cost to the government.


TASKS 4 & 5 – WHITE COAT LAB & CORAL LAB

Q44. Repair Pricing
Since diagnostic testing was not permitted during the site visit, how should the repair portion of Tasks 4 and 5 be priced?
A44 - See A5 and A11. Offerors shall price complete replacement of both the Task 4 and Task 5 systems. No separate repair pricing is required.

Q45. Replacement Alternate
Should we provide full system replacement pricing as an alternate and perform the diagnosis after award to determine whether repair or replacement is required?
A45 - No. See A5 and A11. Offerors shall price complete replacement as the base requirement, not as an alternate.

Q46. Coral Lab – Cooling Outage
For Task 5, what is the maximum allowable cooling outage, and is temporary cooling required during repair or replacement? If so, who is responsible for providing it?
A46 - The Coral Lab supports live specimens and any cooling outage shall be coordinated with the technical point of contact prior to beginning work. If temporary cooling is required to stay within the allowable outage, the contractor shall provide it as part of the firm-fixed price.

TASKS 6 & 7 – FAN COIL MOTORS

Q47. Fan Coil Motors
Is the scope limited to replacement of the fan coil motors, or should any additional repairs or components required for proper operation be included?
A47 - Tasks 6 and 7 are limited to replacement of the fan-coil motors identified in the SOW, including any incidental components required to install and operate the new motor, such as mounting hardware, capacitor, and wiring connections. Additional fan-coil repairs are not within scope.

TASK 8 – FAN-COIL STRAINERS / CHECK VALVES

Q48. Scope Clarification
Please confirm that Task 8 is limited to inspection and, if required, replacement of the fan-coil strainers/check valves in Rooms 319, 208, and the mechanical room, and does not include chilled-water risers, main isolation valves, piping repairs, or leaks related to insulation.
A48 - Confirmed. Task 8 is limited to inspection and, where required, replacement of the fan-coil strainer/check valve assemblies in rooms 319, 208, and the mechanical room. Chilled-water risers, main isolation valves, piping repairs, and insulation-related leaks are not within scope.

Q49. Inspection / Replacement Pricing
Since functional testing was not permitted during the site visit, should Task 8 be priced assuming replacement of all listed strainers/check valves for bidding purposes?
A49 - No. See A6 and A24. Task 8 is inspection with replacement of only those assemblies found leaking or non-operational. For pricing purposes, offerors shall assume one assembly at each of the three locations.

Q50. Pricing if Only Defective Components Are Replaced
If only defective strainers/check valves are to be replaced after award, how should this be priced in the bid—by unit price per replacement or by an allowance?
A50 - Pricing shall be firm-fixed under CLIN 0001 in accordance with A6. Unit pricing and allowances are not used in this action. There is only one CLIN.

Q51. System Isolation / Line Freezing
For replacement of the strainers/check valves, does NOAA prefer isolation and draining of the chilled-water riser/system, requiring a shutdown, or line freezing by a qualified specialty contractor so the system can remain operational?
A51 - Shutoff valves are available to isolate each of the three rooms. Line freezing is not anticipated. See A25. The contractor is responsible for determining the means of isolation.

Q52. Responsibility for Shutdown / Isolation
If draining or system isolation is required, who will be responsible for coordinating and performing the shutdown, draining, refilling, and purging of the chilled-water system? Are there specific allowable shutdown windows or maximum outage durations?
A52 - The contractor is responsible for coordinating and performing isolation, draining, refilling, and purging of any affected piping. The government will furnish no resources toward completion of this requirement. There are no fixed shutdown windows or maximum outage durations for this work. All outages shall be scheduled with the technical point of contact in advance and shall not begin until approved.

Q53. Strainer / Check Valve Specifications
During the site visit, one of the existing strainer/check valve assemblies was observed to be 1/2-inch. Are the strainers/check valves at all Task 8 locations the same size, or should replacements be field-matched to the existing size and configuration at each location? Are there any specific manufacturer, material, pressure-rating, or other specifications required for the replacement components?
A53 - The government does not have documentation of the size, type, or manufacturer of these assemblies. Replacements shall be field-matched to the existing size and configuration at each location. No specific manufacturer is required. Components shall be suitable for chilled-water service and rated for the operating pressure and temperature of the system.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWER PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS SOLICITATION

End of Questions and Answers