J045--EMERGENCY Cooling Tower Repair Services at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System

The Minneapolis VA Medical Center is conducting market research to obtain Repair Services to Cooling Towers as described in the Preliminary Statement of Work below.
This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE only looking for businesses to provide the services listed in the Preliminary Statement of Work below for market research purposes. No proposals are being requested or accepted with this notice. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS OR PRICING AND NO CONTRACT SHALL BE AWARDED FROM THIS NOTICE. This notice shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Responses to this notice will be treated only as information for the Government to consider as part of their market research efforts. The information provided will be used by the Government in developing its acquisition strategy regarding possible set aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, Veteran-Owned, and other socio-economic categories of small business. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to pay for the information submitted in response to this notice and parties responding will not be entitled to payment for direct or indirect costs incurred in responding to this notice.
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 238220 Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors, with an SBA Small Business Size Standard of $19.0 Million.
If you are a vendor capable of providing the requested information and required services described below with competitive pricing, send your information with a description of proof of capability and answers to all questions to: contact@example.gov on or before Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 12:00 PM Central Time.
Please provide answers as appropriate to the following questions in the table below with your response to this Sources Sought. Failure to respond accurately to the following questions may affect the acquisition strategy. Failure to respond to the questions at all, or not respond to select individual questions, will result in your response being determined as non-responsive.
1.  Please provide all socio-economic categories of your firm (e.g., SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, Large Business, 8a, etc.) as well as your firm s SAM Unique Entity ID number (replaces DUNS number) and Government Contract POC. 2.  State whether the requested services may be ordered against a government contract awarded to your organization (e.g Federal Supply Schedule (FSS), General Services Administration (GSA), etc.). 3.  State if subcontracting is contemplated for this requirement, what percentage of the work will be subcontracted, and for what tasks. 4. Provide estimated lead time to deliver a fully functioning solution as described in the Preliminary Statement of Work below. Vendors responding to this notice must show they can complete every task in the Preliminary Statement of Work within the period of performance listed in the ITEM INFORMATION below. This procurement is time-sensitive. 5. Complete the yellow highlighted areas in the ITEM INFORMATION directly below this section for market research pricing for the services described in the Preliminary Statement of Work. ITEM INFORMATION ITEM NUMBER DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT 0001
1.00 JB $___________ $___________
Provide inspection, maintenance, repair, and training for cooling towers in accordance with the Statement of Work.
Contract Period: Base POP Begin: 06-01-2026 POP End: 06-30-2027 PRINCIPAL NAICS CODE: 238220 Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors PRODUCT/SERVICE CODE: J045 Maintenance, Repair, and Rebuilding of Equipment Plumbing, Heating, and Waste Disposal Equipment

Preliminary Statement of Work Introduction:
The Minneapolis VA Medical Center, at One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis MN, herein referred to as MPLS VAMC, is in need of a service contract that includes inspection, maintenance, repair, and training for MPLS VAMC staff. The Contractor shall provide services to ensure the cooling towers on building 69 are operating at optimal performance by conducting thorough cleaning, inspection, and replacement as needed of the gearbox, and water distribution systems, valves, any due and overdue maintenance, and conduct staff training for safe operation routine maintenance of the cooling tower.
Definitions:
Cooling towers: Referred to as the physical large unit. One is EvapTech, the other is Marley 1-cell sigma and will be referred to as Tower 1 and Tower 2, respectively. Cells: The units within the towers. There are a total of four (4) cells. Three (3) cells are in Tower 1, and one (1) cell is in Tower 2. A photo is supplied as attachment A. Qualified Person: means one who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training and experience, has successfully demonstrated his ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter, the work, or the project. Cleaning: Consists of power wash only, no chemicals. PPE: Personal Protective Equipment
Scope of Work:
Cooling Tower 1: EvapTech 3-cell FRP Counterflow Cooling Tower, model # _EC324-424G, Located in building 69 energy center on the ground. EvapTech 3-cell FRP structure counterflow cooling tower, each cell measuring approximately 24 long x 24 wide x 18 tall with a 6 air inlet, 4 of TechClean 312 PVC film fill, and a 15 diameter fan with a 7 stack, originally submitted as designed to cool 9,900 gpm of water from 95°F to 85°F at 78°F wet bulb with 40 horsepower. Requirements (Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair of Tower): Shutdown and isolation of the equipment Contractor shall obtain approval from the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) and coordinate a schedule to shutdown any cells of the cooling tower to ensure the shutdown not effected on the efficiency of the chillers. Perform a comprehensive detailed mechanical, visual, functional, and electrical inspection that checks of all major components of the 3-cell counterflow cooling tower. Contractor shall provide an inspection report, within 4 - 6 days of the initial inspection completion. Report shall include photos of the areas that have been marked for repair. Repairs not addressed in this SOW shall be approved by the COR or CO prior to completing any repairs. Remove the existing gearboxes from each cell of the 3-cell EvapTech tower and replace in-kind with new Amarillo 135 gearboxes. New gear boxes shall have a 7:1 ratio and 304SS ¾ ball valve. Driveshafts shall be realigned within acceptable tolerance upon installation of the new gearboxes to manufacturers tolerances. Include all necessary work to ensure proper gearbox operation, including inspect, change, or fill the oil in the gearbox to correct level. Inspect and adjust the fan blade pitch of each of the three Hudson APT-15KW-5 fan assemblies within acceptable manufacture tolerance. Contractor shall include balancing the fans to reduce the vibration to the minimum required by the cooling tower design. Replace damaged water distribution system components found during the inspection of the tower. Clean the cold-water basin of each cell. Clean the components in each cell which include: Fan assemblies, motors, drift eliminators, fill media (exterior layers only), distribution components, accessible structural members (no fill removal), and air inlet louvers. Testing Tower-To verify the operational readiness performance, and safety of the cooling towers system after maintenance, repair, a replacement, or new installation work. Testing shall ensure compliance with manufacture specifications, project requirements and applicable safety standards. Contractor shall develop a testing plan and submit with response to solicitation. Ensure that all tests are conducted using calibrated instruments and by qualified personnel. Any deficiencies shall be corrected, and then the tower shall be retested at no additional cost to the government. Report shall be submitted to the COR and CO once testing is completed. Testing Reports: Includes vibration testing, flow rate, temperature readings, and operational tests after repair or replacement, and inspection.

Cooling tower 2: Marley 1-cell Sigma FRP crossflow cooling tower, model # 126-111, building 69 energy center on the ground. Requirements (Inspection, Maintenance, and repair of tower): a. Perform a detailed mechanical inspection of the 1-cell crossflow cooling tower. An inspection report, which will follow within 4 - 6 days of the inspection completion and shall include photos of the areas that have been marked for repair. b. Adjust the fan blade pitch of the fan assembly within manufacturers tolerance and include balancing. c. Clean the cold-water basin. d. Remove the (2) existing 12 horizontal control valves and replace with new 12 HDG horizontal control valves. e. Clean the following components: Fan assembly, motor, drift eliminators, fill media (exterior layers only), distribution components, accessible structural members (no fill removal), and air inlet louvers. f. Remove the existing Marley 2700 series gearbox from the tower and replace in-kind with a new Marley 2700 series gearbox. g. Replace damaged water distribution system components found during the inspection of the tower. Testing Tower-To verify the operational readiness performance, and safety of the cooling towers system after maintenance, repair, a replacement, or new installation work. Testing shall ensure compliance with manufacture specifications, project requirements and applicable safety standards. Contractor shall develop a testing plan and submit with response to solicitation. Ensure that all tests are conducted using calibrated instruments and by qualified personnel. Any deficiencies shall be corrected, and then the tower shall be retested at no additional cost to the government. Report shall be submitted to the COR and CO once testing is completed. Testing Reports: Includes vibration testing, flow rate, temperature readings, and operational tests after repair or replacement, and inspection. Contractor furnished Training for MPLS VAMC staff Contractor shall provide a technical advisor for up to 2 days, to provide training in the operation of both the Marley and EvapTech cooling towers. Comprehensive training for the site personnel shall be focused on the proper procedure for maintaining the cooling towers, including routine checks, preventive maintenance tasked, devices required for the tests, and basic troubleshooting. All service and training shall be conducted in accordance with applicable safety, health, and environmental regulations. Training topics to include but not limited to: Tower types, heat load, CT components (structure, heat transfer, drift elimination, water distribution, and mechanical equipment), and operation and maintenance of the cooling tower (winterization/preventative maintenance). Contractor responsibilities: The contractor shall provide all necessary equipment, tools, and labor to complete the scope of work related to the cooling towers in accordance with the project specifications and safety requirements. Note- Due to the height of the towers the contractor will be required to provide scaffolding or an OSHA-approved lift to transport contracted employees, equipment, and supplies to the necessary work areas. MPLS VAMC will not be responsible for supplying this equipment. The contractor is responsible for completing the scope of work outlined in this contract. Ensure all contractor employees wear proper PPE. Shall include, but not limited to: a. Hard Hats unless written authorization is given by the COR in circumstances of work operations that have limited potential for falling object hazards such as during finishing work or minor remodeling. With authorization to relax the requirement of hard hats, if a worker becomes exposed to an overhead falling object hazard, then hard hats would be required in accordance with the OSHA regulations. b. Safety glasses - unless written authorization is given by the COR in circumstances of no eye hazards, appropriate safety glasses meeting the ANSI Z.87.1 standard must be worn by each person on site. c. Appropriate Safety Shoes based on the hazards present, safety shoes meeting the requirements of ASTM F2413-11 shall be worn by each person on site unless written authorization is given by the COR in circumstances of no foot hazards. d. Hearing protection - Use personal hearing protection at all times in designated noise hazardous areas or when performing noise hazardous tasks. Ensure contractor meets or exceeds all Federal, state, and local requirements. Such as pulling all required permits to complete the work, providing Scaffolding that meets or exceeds OSHA standards governed by OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L, which sets out the legal requirements for the design, erection, use, and dismantling of scaffolding systems in construction. Contractor is responsible for any fines and fee s that occur if requirements are not met properly. Contractors provided under this contract are employees of the Contractor and shall not be considered VA employees. Contractors working on VA property shall be subject to the same rules and regulations as all contracted employees. Parking is allowed only in areas not designated for patient use. All traffic laws and parking rules on the grounds are strictly enforced. Failure to follow these laws and regulations may result in a citation being issued that will have to be resolved through the Federal Court system. Prior to reporting to work, the Contractor will need to contact the designated point of contact for the ordering facility to arrange an escort to the on-site badging department. VA staff will issue a temporary ID badge to the contracted employee, who will properly display the badge while working onsite. Upon completion of the assignment, the employee will return the badge. The VA reserves the right to refuse any Contractor access to VA property, for any or no reason. Contractors shall comply with all security requirements imposed by the ordering facility. Contractors shall not receive personal telephone calls or texts on their cell phone while rendering services. A VA employee must accompany Contractors who are providing services. The Contractor shall remove and dispose of any waste related to providing the ordered services. Contractor Furnished reports: Before work inspection report After work inspection reports: Mechanical operational test results Electrical Testing results Hydraulic testing results Thermal Performance Test Results Vibration and noise level testing results Water Quality testing results Visual and physical inspection results Contractor shall furnish works schedule. Schedule shall describe all tasks and include timeline with key milestones. Contractor s with quicker completion date shall be found more favorable than contractors with longer completion dates. Permits to complete work: Hot work permit (welding, cutting) Confined space entry permit Lockout/Tagout permit for equipment isolation Contractor shall provide material Submittals and Technical Data Sheets (TDS): include manufacture specifications for replacement parts and materials. Contractor shall provide: MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets): for chemicals used in cleaning, disinfection, or water treatment ensures proper handling and safety. Contractor shall keep Photographic Records: Photos taken before, during, and after work for documentation and quality verification. Contractor shall keep updated Maintenance Log / Asset Register: Records of replaced parts, serial numbers, service history, and future maintenance tracking. Contractor shall supply to COR Warranty Certificates: From manufacturers or contractors for newly installed or repaired components. Contractor shall ensure that their employees wear contractor badge at all times while on VA premises. Badge shall be displayed above the waste or below the neck to be appropriately worn.
Work Schedule/Timelines
Contractor shall submit overall schedule for the project with their response to the solicitation that includes inspection, maintenance, repair, and training. Timelines shall be a part of the technical evaluation completed by the technical evaluation team. In events where a cooling tower is difficult to access requires shutdowns, or additional life safety and infection control measures; the Contractor is responsible for arranging all access, providing all required construction barriers, and coordinating shutdowns to not interfere with continuity of operations. Hours of Operation: Anticipated hours of work shall take place Monday to Friday outside normal business hours (normal business are defined as 6am to 5pm). Weekends and holiday work shall be coordinated with COR if contractor is required to work on them. Federal holidays are: New years day, Birthday of Martin Luther King jr., Washington s birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and any other day declared a federal/ national day by the president. MPLS VAMC s goal is to have all maintenance and repair completed prior to major heat waves coming to Minneapolis, as the current condition of the towers cannot support the facility s cooling needs.