NCCCWA Fire System Upgrades, Kearneysville, WV

This solicitation, numbered 1232SA26Q0485, is a combined synopsis and request for quotation for fire system upgrades at three buildings—Main Building, Brookstock Building, and Tank Building—located at the USDA Agricultural Research Service facility in Kearneysville, West Virginia. The work involves upgrading sprinkler, fire pump, and fire alarm systems to meet current codes and standards, with performance required to be completed within 240 calendar days after notice to proceed. The acquisition is conducted under FAR Part 12 as a commercial item procurement and is structured as a total small business set-aside under NAICS code 238220, with a small business size standard of $19 million in average annual receipts. All responsible small business concerns may submit quotations, and awards will be made on a lowest priced technically acceptable (LPTA) basis, where proposals must first meet a threshold of technical acceptability across four critical sub-factors—technical approach, key personnel qualifications, construction schedule, and past performance—before price is evaluated. The solicitation has undergone four amendments, each progressively refining the process: extending deadlines to accommodate inquiries, releasing updated specifications and drawings, establishing a final question submission window, and providing final responses to all RFIs, after which no further questions are accepted. Site visits were scheduled to assist offerors, with a second site visit formally established. Proposals must be submitted as original signed hard copies in sealed envelopes to the specified address, with only an Excel-based pricing schedule permitted electronically. Technical proposals must include a transmittal letter, SF-1442, narrative addressing approach and security at active research facilities, resumes of key personnel with minimum experience managing similar projects, and compliance with all FAR clauses incorporated by reference. These include provisions for small business utilization, labor standards such as the Copeland Act, payment protections, construction wage rate adjustments, Buy American requirements, security, and safeguarding of information systems. Contract administration is managed by the USDA ARS in Beltsville, Maryland, with invoicing mandated through the Treasury’s IPP system. Final acceptance occurs at the performance site and is contingent upon successful inspection, submission of as-built drawings, certified payrolls, warranty documents, and verification of system performance per NFPA, UL, and ASTM standards. Contractor personnel must obtain USDA Linc Pass badges and comply with PIV requirements, and substitution of non-compliant workers may occur at no additional cost to the government.