Phase 2 Construct Arabian Leopard Exhibit at the National Zoological Park
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
AI Contract Overview
The Smithsonian Institution is soliciting offers for a firm-fixed-price construction contract to execute Phase 2 of the Arabian Leopard Facility at the National Zoological Park in Washington, DC. This phase focuses on the construction of the Habitats and Animal Care Building, which will include three leopard dens, a cubbing den, a quarantine stall, a visitor day room, and immersive habitats featuring an underground public viewing tunnel. The project is estimated to exceed 10 million dollars, with an initial funding increment of 4 million dollars for FY 2027. The period of performance is 578 calendar days from the Notice to Proceed. Due to the specialized nature of the work, the solicitation is limited to three prequalified firms: Grunley, Consigli, and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company. The scope of work requires high levels of technical expertise, including the installation of specialty animal containment fencing, radiant flooring, and shotcrete faux rock and trees. Contractors must operate within an active, historic campus, necessitating strict mitigation of sound and vibration to protect animals and close coordination with zoo feeding and veterinary schedules. Key requirements include compliance with LEED building criteria, the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM), and adherence to the Davis-Bacon Act for prevailing wages. Additionally, the contract mandates a minimum 40 percent subcontracting goal for small business concerns and a 12 percent self-performance requirement. Award will be determined using Best Value Tradeoff Source Selection Procedures, where non-price technical factors are significantly more important than cost. Technical proposals will be evaluated based on the contractor's ability to provide construction services, key personnel qualifications, cost control, scheduling, and quality assurance. Following several amendments to the solicitation, the final bid due date is November 20, 2026, at 3:00 PM EST. Proposals must be submitted as separate PDF files via Dropbox and are limited to 250 pages.
General Info
Agency
Place of Performance
Washington, DC, 20008, USASet-Aside
Timeline
Response Deadline
Organization & Contact Information
Full Description
Amendment 0005 to the RFP is hereby issued and attached for download. The purpose of the amendment is to make the following changes to the Solicitation:
Bid Due Date Extension
RFI Due Date
CAD & Revit File
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Amendment 0004 to the RFP is hereby issued and attached for download. The purpose of the amendment is to make the following changes to the Solicitation:
100% Bid Documents
Responses to RFI’s for Questions 225-226
Revised Bid Schedule
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Amendment 0003 to the RFP is hereby issued and attached for download. The purpose of the amendment is to make the following changes to the Solicitation:
Responses to RFI’s for Questions 53-224
Revised Bid Schedule
2nd Site Visit
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Amendment 0002 to the RFP is hereby issued and attached for download. The purpose of the amendment is to make the following changes to the Solicitation:
Responses to RFI’s for Questions 1-52
Revised Bid Schedule
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Amendment 0001 to the RFP is hereby issued and attached for download. The purpose of the amendment is to make the following change to the Solicitation:
Preproposal Meeting Sign-In sheet
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The Smithsonian Institution is seeking offers to construct Phase 2 - Habitats & Animal Care Building for the Arabian Leopard Facility (ALF) at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, located at 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008, as described herein and the Contract Documents, including, without limitation, in the Specifications and Drawings for SF Project No. 2533105 both dated June 14, 2026.
All of the requirements which the successful Offeror must meet concerning this project are set forth in detail in the solicitation Documents included with this Request for Proposal. Upon the receipt of Technical and Cost Proposals and the selection of a successful Offeror, the Smithsonian Institution will execute a Firm Fixed Price construction contract. The Smithsonian currently estimates that the fixed price for the entire project will exceed $10 Million.
The Work includes but is not limited to Construction Services for Phase 2 – Habitats and Animal Care Building. This solicitation is for Phase 2 – Habitats and Animal Care Building only. Successful offerors must be capable of performing all work described and contemplated by this solicitation.
Critical Elements of the Work: The successful Contractor shall be experienced and fully qualified with critical elements of the project, as listed, but not limited to, the items below:
- Working within an occupied, historic campus active with public, staff and animals
- Coordination of specialty trades within a small site footprint
- Coordination and installation of specialty animal doors, transfer systems and manually operated remote door controls.
- Coordination and installation of radiant flooring
- Coordination and installation of animal containment fencing, mesh and transfer chutes
- Coordination and installation of shotcrete faux rock and faux trees
- Mitigation of sound and vibration during construction so as not to harm animals in adjacent habitats
- Coordination of construction activities with Zoo operations to align with feeding schedules, DC zoning community noise regulations, Zoo hours, known and unknown animal welfare issues, veterinary care, and public events
- Procedures and documentation to ensure compliance with the established LEED building criteria
- Use of Building Information Modeling (BIM).
The following firms were prequalified in solicitation 33330226FT0010005 and are the only firms from which offers will be accepted:
Grunley
15020 Shady Grove Road, Suite 500
Rockville, MD 20850
Consigli
1825 K Street, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20006
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
4600 River Road, Suite 200
College Park, MD 20737
PRE-BID TOUR OF THE SITE
The Pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 18, 2026, at 9:00 AM Eastern Time.
REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATIONS
Itis requested that all questions be sent in no later than September 30, 2026.
THE PROPOSAL DUE DATE IS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2026, AT 3:00 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST).
The subcontracting goals for this project are: 40% with small business concerns.
Davis Bacon Building Wage Determination DC20260002 and DC20260001 shall apply.
The Period of Performance for the Base Contract is 578 calendar days from the date of Notice to Proceed.
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