Award of Contract in Columbia, SC

The General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service Office of Leasing has awarded a lease contract in Columbia, South Carolina, under solicitation number 4SC0137, for the rental of commercial office space totaling between 21,000 and 23,100 assignable square feet of contiguous space. The lease, effective from the date of substantial completion and issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, is structured under a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable source selection methodology, where technical acceptability is evaluated on a pass/fail basis and price is the sole determining factor among qualified offerors. The contract requires the lessor to deliver a facility that meets specific design intent documents, construction standards, and compliance with key codes including NFPA 101, IBC, and ANSI/ASHRAE 62.1, as well as seismic and accessibility requirements. The tenant improvement scope is governed by a CSI Masterformat-compliant Tenant Improvement Cost Summary Table, and the lessor must provide detailed architectural plans in .DWG format with Poly-Line square footage measurements and a layering matrix to ensure data integrity. The contract incorporates a wide array of federal regulatory requirements under the FAR and GSA-specific supplements, including mandatory security protocols, identity verification for personnel with facility access, and stringent information system safeguards aligned with NIST SP 800-171. Specific clauses related to subcontracting, including Alternate III of FAR 52.219-9, require a formal small business subcontracting plan for contracts exceeding $750,000, with liquidated damages applicable for noncompliance. Socioeconomic considerations include a 10% price evaluation preference for HUBZone small businesses that affirmatively claim the benefit, alongside self-certification requirements for other small business categories through SAM. The lessor must submit verifiable documentation such as tax records, site plans, parking compliance narratives, asbestos management plans, and energy certifications, all bound to the lease execution timeline and subject to strict inspection criteria upon substantial completion. Payment processing is governed under the System for Award Management using electronic funds transfer, with no specified invoicing platform. All proposals must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. local time on April 10, 2026, with electronic submittal permitted only if explicitly authorized, and compliance with Unique Entity Identifier and CAGE code registration through SAM is mandatory for eligibility.