Z--Mescalero Adult Detention Center Design/Build Construction Office of Justice Services (OJS) Requirements Facilities Improvement & Repair (FI&R) Project

The Bureau of Indian Affairs, under the Department of the Interior, has awarded a design-build construction contract for the Mescalero Adult Detention Center in Mescalero, New Mexico, under solicitation number 140A1626R0002. The project involves comprehensive facility improvements and repairs to a 40-bed detention center on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, with an estimated construction range of $500,000 to $800,000. The contract is a competitive set-aside exclusively for Indian-Owned Small Business Economic Enterprises, requiring offerors to self-certify as an Indian Economic Enterprise under the Buy Indian Act, with compliance enforced through the Indian Economic Enterprise Representation Form. Performance is strictly limited to 120 calendar days from the Notice to Proceed, and all work must comply with detailed BIA design standards, including the Justice and Detention Facilities Design Handbook, Space Criteria Handbook, and Space Templates, which dictate spatial layouts, room types, and functional requirements for administrative, detention, court, and support spaces. The Statement of Work mandates specific construction tasks such as installation of detention-grade equipment, millwork, electrical upgrades including inmate communication systems, demolition and reconfiguration of structural walls, and full submission of schedules and as-built documentation. The contract follows a lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) evaluation methodology where price is the primary factor, and technical acceptability serves as a threshold—any proposal failing to meet the minimum criteria in technical approach, project management, or schedule is deemed unacceptable regardless of cost. All bidders must comply with stringent federal regulations, including submission of Standard Form 24 bid bond and Standard Form 25 performance bond, along with Standard Form 25A payment bond, and must adhere to the DOL Wage Determination for Otero County, NM, covering prevailing wages for construction trades. Contractors are required to implement value engineering per OMB Circular A-131, ensure sustainability in alignment with Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings, and meet all applicable safety and building codes including NFPA 13, 20, and 2001, and 40 CFR environmental handling standards. Materials must be submitted for approval using IA Form 3000v2, and final acceptance requires a Certificate of Occupancy per DSRM guidelines. The project mandates full compliance with subcontracting requirements under SF-1413 and flow-down clauses, reporting obligations via IA-C113 progress schedule and IA