Little Mountain Testing Facility (LMTF) Progress-Design-Build OT

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), District Sacramento, is preparing to solicit proposals for the design and construction of the Little Mountain Testing Facility (LMTF) at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. This project involves constructing a 50,000 square foot highly specialized facility to support expanded testing capabilities for the Sentinel program’s Nuclear Hardness mission. The facility will include laboratories equipped with advanced radiation testing systems such as the Advanced Radiation Environment Simulator (ARES) and a 14 MeV neutron generator, as well as support areas like material storage, dosimetry testing rooms, a classified conference room, and a receiving dock capable of accommodating forklifts and delivery trucks. Due to the nature of the testing, the construction will feature complex radiation shielding using reinforced concrete, structural steel, earth barriers, and standoff distances to ensure containment and safety. The acquisition will follow a Progressive Design-Build (PDB) methodology under Other Transaction Authority (OTA) as authorized by 10 USC §2808a. The procurement process includes a streamlined, two-step competitive selection: an initial white paper submission limited to 10 pages to establish qualifications, followed by pitch meetings for down-selected offerors, with one entity awarded the contract. The award will be a Firm-Fixed-Price agreement that covers two phases—design and preconstruction services first, then final design and construction via a contract modification. Security requirements mandate that offerors possess a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 1 self-assessment attestation, necessary due to handling Federal Contract Information (FCI) during performance. While no formal Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses or detailed evaluation criteria are provided at this stage, selection will be based on the best-qualified offeror through a trade-off process emphasizing technical and managerial qualifications. The total program funding is approximately $111.5 million, and the process includes an upcoming Industry Day for additional clarification prior to formal solicitation release.