Z1DZ--Building 5 & 60 Door Replacements at VAMC Central Western MA

AMENDMENT NO. 3 SOLICITATION NO. 36C24126Q0652 DATE: 8/28/2026 1. THE SOLICITATION IS HEREBY AMENDED AS FOLLOWS: a. The following Questions and Answers, submitted by prospective offerors by August 12, 2026, are incorporated into this solicitation. b. The Government s responses modify and/or clarify the solicitation. c. Extension of Responses Due Date: The due date for the submission of quotes has been extended. New Due Date: September 8, 2026 Time: 4:00 PM EST d. All other terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged. Vendors are reminded to review all other aspects of the solicitation and consider this amendment when preparing their responses. 2. RFI QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS The Amendment No. 1 header identifies Solicitation 36C24126Q0652, while page 3 identifies Solicitation 36C24126Q0601. Please confirm Amendment No. 1 applies to Solicitation 36C24126Q0652. Yes Amendment No. 1 applies to Solicitation 36C24126Q0652. The 0601 header is a clerical typo. Please confirm that the revised Performance Work Statement and Revised Line-Item Template replace the previous versions in their entirety, and that the requirement consists of the following four-line items with no option items: Building 5, Building 60 East, building 60 North, and Building 60 West. Confirmed. Amendment No. 1 explicitly states the attached Revised Performance Work Statement replaces the previous PWS in its entirety and instructs offerors to use the Revised Line-Item Template for pricing. The solicitation instructions require evidence of original equipment manufacturer training or certifications. Please identify the specific manufacturer training or certifications required and confirm whether qualifications held by the proposed installing subcontractor may satisfy this requirement. OEM training/certifications held by your proposed installing subcontractor may satisfy this requirement, so long as the certifications are relevant to the specified door systems/operators and the subcontractor will perform the associated work. The revised Performance Work Statement states that Wel-Design Alarm Systems is the only approved contractor with logical access for integration and testing. Please confirm whether the prime contractor must subcontract with and include Wel-Design s costs in its quote. If so, please provide the current Wel-Design point of contact for this project. There is existing low voltage hardware that is currently functioning, but the PWS will replace attached hardware with a selection made by the prime contractor. Sole source is not specified because the prime contractor could assume the risk and speculate their chosen hardware solution is plug- and play and not require Wel-design services. We would deem this a high risk choice but is the bidders discretion on firm fixed price risk vs reward decision making. Contact - Robert Wood rwood@encorefireprotection.com SEE also https://encorefireprotection.com/affiliated-brand/wel-design-alarm-systems/ Please confirm whether an offeror may use the recent and relevant past performance of a proposed major subcontractor or teaming partner to satisfy the requirement for at least three similar contracts. The RFQ requires at least three recent/relevant contracts of similar scope and does not limit those to the prime contractor only. In line with FAR past performance practices, you may submit past performance for a proposed major subcontractor or teaming partner when that firm will perform critical aspects of the requirement. Please confirm the applicable Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation Limitations on Subcontracting certification and the applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.219-14 performance category for this requirement. The solicitation includes Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation 852.219-76 for supplies and products, while the revised Performance Work Statement describes a turnkey commercial service involving physical door replacement. This was an error and the correct VAAR clause applicable to the solicitation is VAAR 852.219 75 VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction. Please confirm whether Service Contract Labor Standards Wage Determination No. 2015-6115 is the only wage determination applicable to this requirement or whether a Construction Wage Rate Requirements determination also applies. SCLS WD 2015 6115 Revision 5 is the confirmed applicable wage determination for this solicitation as issued. Construction Wage Rate Requirements do not apply as the solicitation is for commercial services. Please confirm when the 90-calendar-day period begins and whether that period includes product-submittal review, fabrication, procurement lead time, installation, testing, and closeout. 90-days is intended to cover award to installation and closeout. VA review occurs within 7 calendar days for commercial service. Please identify the minimum required warranty periods for doors, frames, glass, operators, hardware, electrical work, Physical Access Control System integration, and installation labor. Typical warranty expectation is 1-year, other clauses like latent defect and negligence notwithstanding. Can the VA please lay out, in a one-line diagram for each door, the access control & door operator components, both new and existing that are to re-purposed, with preferred locations that are to be installed. Not for these areas but a typical 1 line with operator and access control is now attached. (Please see the attachment labeled AccessControlStandardDetail). Please confirm that there are no hazardous materials present. All current testing and knowledge to date does not indicate any abatement required of ACM or lead. Should indications arise the contract scope for that area will be terminated and the VA shall address. Abatement is not permitted under commercial service. Please confirm if the supervisor can act as SSHO and CQC as well. Commercial services solicitations use performance based requirements and rely on general safety and QA clauses (e.g., FAR 52.212 4), not construction specific safety & quality control frameworks. Can the Government formally confirm that this Building 5 doorway is being permanently and officially decommissioned as a designated emergency exit? Specifically, we want to verify that once the signage is replaced and the door is converted to a commercial roll-up cart entrance, this doorway will be classified as a non-exit utility opening, thereby ensuring full code compliance and relieving the contractor of any life-safety liability for the roll-up door installation. (Context: Section 1.2.3.b of the Revised PWS instructs the contractor to "Replace of signage designating the new rollup as an exit. Occupants to be directed to an alternative by replacement signage." Furthermore, Section 1.2.1.6 requires an Interim Life Safety Measure (ILSM) assessment for the "closure of any egress." Under NFPA 101, installing an overhead commercial roll-up door is strictly prohibited along active emergency egress routes.) Confirmed. Not an emergency exit. Amendment 1 states that the revised PWS replaces the previous PWS in its entirety and that all other solicitation terms and conditions remain unchanged. Can the Government please confirm that the Technical Proposal submission requirements identified in the original solicitation under Instructions to Offerors remain applicable, in addition to the Bidding Requirements identified in Section 4 of the revised PWS? Yes, see question 2. Amendment 1 explicitly states that the Revised PWS replaces only the prior PWS, and that all other terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged. The revised PWS identifies Wel-Design Alarm Systems as the only approved contractor with logical access for PACS integration and testing. Can the Government please confirm whether the prime contractor is responsible for subcontracting directly with Wel-Design Alarm Systems for all required PACS integration and testing, or whether the VA will coordinate/provide Wel-Design s services, with the prime contractor responsible for coordination and physical interface with the existing PACS hardware. There is existing low voltage hardware that is currently functioning, but the PWS will replace attached hardware with a selection made by the prime contractor. Sole source is not specified because the prime contractor could assume the risk and speculate their chosen hardware solution is plug- and play and not require Wel-design services. We would deem this a high-risk choice but is the bidders discretion on firm fixed price risk vs reward decision making. Contact - Robert Wood The POC stated they want butt hinges on all the storefront door assemblies. Please confirm. Note any and all statements made during market research or site visits are not applicable to the solicitation. HOWEVER, butt hinges would be the preferred solution. The existing hardware failure issue is due to the current bottom pivots. POC stated that they want to replace the Bldg. 60 North storefront double doors with a single door leaf and a single side light panel on the left side of the assembly. Please confirm. The VA believes a single door at 48 inches wide with left mounted side light panel would be a cost effective and preferred solution, but the PWS leaves flexibility to allow double doors which maintain the opening size and meet all other egress requirements. Existing glazing in the Bldg. 60 currently has window film covering, do they want window film on the new glazing assemblies? No Is the existing door frame in Bldg. 5 intended to remain in place or be removed? Means and methods left to the prime contractor. We would expect most bidders to select new as low risk to install and integration but shall not direct the solution. Please provide us with roll up door details and make and model. There are no selected models or brands to allow flexibility and competition however if a basis of design would be helpful Heavy duty roll up door for commercial duty such as Lux Model HD5000I, Cornell Extreme 300. Preferred features: Insulated, commercial grade (min 22GA), low maintenance, and high cycle life.
Please note that there may not be enough headroom at building 5 door masonry opening to support a roll up door assembly between the top of the masonry opening lintel and the exterior wall side of the Cathedral ceiling. Noted see low profile question. Please clarify what sensor types and automatic door openers are to be provided by the contractor. No automatic sensors for opening button activated. Motion sensors inside are generally used to enable buttons to work while PIV card readers on the exterior enable the ADA push button. Is a bid bond required with this project? Are P&P bonds required with this project? This is a FAR Part 12 commercial services acquisition for door replacement, and bonding is not part of the terms and conditions. Due to the <13" headroom, will the Government authorize the use of a **low-profile commercial speed door** (which still meets all access control and security requirements)? Alternatively, would you prefer we quote **double swinging impact doors** for this cart-access entry? Low profile is authorized, double impact doors not authorized. The PWS requires the Contractor to review existing drawings and estimates and perform fieldwork necessary to determine required materials and equipment. Please provide all existing drawings, as-builts, door schedules, estimates, photographs, and other Government-furnished information referenced by this requirement. If these documents will only be available after award, please confirm what information offerors are to use as the basis for pricing. See attached available information. Again, this is turnkey commercial service, not construction, the PWS is to replace with modern long last materials and restore full functionality. The details provided in the proposal will allow bids to be evaluated as appropriate to the solution. Please clarify the intended design responsibility for this project. Is the Contractor responsible only for field verification, product selection, shop drawings, and installation in accordance with a government-established design, or is the Contractor responsible for designing the complete replacement door systems and associated electrical/control interfaces? If contractor design is required, please identify required design deliverables, design criteria, professional licensing/sealing requirements, and Government review/approval milestones. This is commercial service not a design bid build project, the contractor is responsible for meeting performance requirements. At completion there will be new doors with the access and material constraints defined within the solicitation for modern durable and functioning hardware to replace the current failing hardware and improve accessibility. Please provide a door-by-door schedule identifying each existing opening and each required replacement assembly, including building, opening/location, existing configuration, new configuration, quantity of leaves/doors, and required associated hardware. Please also reconcile the stated total quantity of six doors with the specific Building 5 and Building 60 scope items. There are 4 locations (priced as separate line items and shown in the appendix). Presently the east and west doors of 60 are single doors. The front doors of 60 and building 5 doors are double doors. This can total 4-6 depending on interpretation. Based upon RFIs there will be a total of 4 or 5 doors upon completion depending on contractor proposals but still only 4 locations as shown. Please provide the existing rough-opening dimensions and required finished dimensions for each Building 5 and Building 60 door/opening. If dimensions are to be field verified by the Contractor, please confirm whether a pre-award site visit/field-measurement opportunity will be provided and whether bidders should base proposals on field-verified dimensions. Site visit was 8/11/2026. Please provide the required specifications for the building 5 roll-up door, including opening dimensions, door type/construction, material, finish/color, wind/load requirements if applicable, fire rating if applicable, insulation requirements, motor/operator requirements, voltage/phase, duty cycle, mounting arrangement, safety devices, obstruction/reversing protection, controls, and approved manufacturers/basis of design. Commercial services do not specify specific products or basis of design but please see prior question for requirement clarification and VA expectations. Given the custom door/frame/glazing and potential automatic-door equipment requirements, please confirm whether the Government will permit schedule adjustment where documented manufacturer lead times exceed the 90-day period despite timely Contractor submittals and procurement. Extensions or alternatives can be accepted but should be included in the proposal for evaluation. There is a need to improve with the impending winter season approaching. See also question on existing frameworks if alternative work plans could eliminate customization on sizing and use more readily available products that can be proposed. Please confirm whether any existing locksets, closers, operators, sensors, cylinders, or other hardware are intended for reuse. If not, please identify all items that must be salvaged and returned to the COR rather than disposed of. VA only intends to re-use the Best IC cores. Everything else shall be disposed of by the contractor. The Instructions to Offerors require submission of evidence of OEM training/certifications, a detailed technical approach and PWS compliance, safety/LOTO/PPE/infection-control plans, and a parts sourcing plan. Please identify the technical subfactors, their relative importance, and the standards the Government will use to evaluate each required technical submission. Please also clarify whether any technical elements are evaluated on a pass/fail basis. If an offeror fails to provide OEM training/certifications, a compliant PWS based technical approach, complete Safety/LOTO/ICRA plans, or a viable sourcing plan, the proposal is unacceptable and cannot be considered for award. Please clarify the evaluation methodology applicable to this RFQ, including how the Government will evaluate Technical, Past Performance, and Price and how quotations will be compared to determine the response most advantageous to the Government. The applicable evaluation method is stated directly in the solicitation. Evaluation Framework Technical = Most Important Factor Past Performance = Second Most Important Price = Least Important Technical + Past Performance combined are more important than Price(also see question 32) Please define the recency and relevance criteria that will be applied to past performance, including the period considered recent and the characteristics used to determine similarity in scope, magnitude, and complexity. Please also clarify how an offeror with fewer than three relevant past-performance references will be evaluated. The solicitation does not specify a number of years; therefore, the VA will apply standard commercial-services practice: Recent normally means work performed within the past 3 5 years. Past performance is considered relevant when contracts demonstrate similarity in scope, magnitude, and complexity. The solicitation requires at least three recent/relevant contracts of similar scope. However: an offeror with fewer than three references is not automatically disqualified. The Government will evaluate available past performance, including prime contractor s record, major subcontractor/teaming partner record (allowed explicitly), and CPARS/FAPIIS records. Please identify the OEM(s), equipment types, and specific training/certifications required. Please clarify whether OEM certification is a minimum technical requirement, a pass/fail evaluation criterion, or an evaluated discriminator, and whether equivalent manufacturer-authorized training/certifications will be accepted. The PWS does not mandate specific OEMs. It requires compliant: Aluminum storefront doors & frames (Building 60 East/North/West) Roll-up door system (Building 5) ADA operators, sensors, buttons PACS integration hardware compatible with VA systems OEM certifications are pass/fail and are part of the mandatory technical requirements: A proposal is technically unacceptable if: OEM training/certifications are not submitted, OR they are not relevant to the products being installed. Please clarify the minimum content required for the parts sourcing plan and how it will be evaluated. Specifically, please state whether the Government will evaluate manufacturer authorization, domestic sourcing, lead times, supply-chain availability, proposed manufacturers/models, or other criteria. The parts sourcing plan is a required technical submission and part of the pass/fail threshold. Offerors must identify: Proposed manufacturers/models Supply-chain availability Lead times OEM authorization or distribution channels (as applicable), many mfg. have authorized installers for warranty etc. PACS-compatible products ADA/ABAAS-compliant hardware Where the PWS does not provide dimensions, manufacturers/models, equipment specifications, hardware schedules, electrical requirements, or other design information, please confirm whether offerors may state reasonable technical assumptions in their quotations without being evaluated as taking exception to the PWS. Assumptions can and should be stated but it is not a method to qualify a bid. Contracting can request clarification and post amendments etc. to any relevant information that arises as a result to allow fair competition. As an example, a fair assumption would be that an electrical panel can be found within 150 feet of all doors and that 208V is available if necessary, 480V is not permissible etc.
Please clarify whether award will be made using a tradeoff among Technical, Past Performance, and Price, or another comparative evaluation methodology. If a tradeoff will be used, please identify the basis on which the Government may determine that technical or past-performance superiority warrants payment of a price premium. The solicitation uses a best value tradeoff among Technical, Past Performance, and Price. Refer to question 32 and 33. The Government may justify paying more when: Technical superiority significantly reduces performance risk Superior past performance indicates higher confidence of timely, safe, compliant execution Offeror demonstrates enhanced capability in PACS integration, ADA compliance, safety, ICRA, or high risk installation tasks Proposed hardware/products materially exceed minimum PWS requirements (durability, reliability, integration support) The Instructions to Offerors require completed pricing for all base and option CLINs, while Attachment 1 appears to identify only CLIN 0001 Parts and CLIN 0002 Labor and does not identify option CLINs. Please confirm whether any options are contemplated and provide any missing option CLINs if applicable. This is a one-time firm-fixed price contract with no options included. The revised PWS made line items for each door location for a total of 4 lines and quotes must be submitted with the revised line-item structure. (See the revised template attached to amendment 1). Who is responsible for contracting the commissioning agent? Commissioning is not part of the scope; therefore, no commissioning agent is required. Please advise how much time we should carry for initial safety training of employees working on site. Also, is training good for the contract duration or will they need to be retrained annually? A robust safety program is a recommendation and general practices, and OHSA compliance are contractor responsibility. Submittals and specifics are not required. Is the use of temporary plastic wall panels (such as STARC panels) acceptable to meet ICRA requirements? Most likely acceptable depending on means and methods. This is a commercial service, and the only likely issue would be dust and issues arising from demolition. Will shutdowns be required to be done during off hours or weekends? Anticipation is normal business hours as defined in revised PWS of amendment 1. Please confirm if there are any domestic material requirements. Offerors may source materials from any manufacturer that meets the technical and performance requirements of the Revised PWS. The solicitation is issued under FAR Part 12 Commercial Services, and no Buy American Act or Trade Agreements Act clauses were incorporated. With regards to the minority participation requirements, please confirm if the value of the sole source products/vendors/contractors can be deducted from the total contract value to determine the final participation goals? a. This is solicited as an SDVOSB set-aside and associated parameters apply. See Question 15. If offerors are not authorized Encore/Wel-design distributors, the requirement may be re-solicited to small businesses. Please provide three recommended resources for vendors or contractors local to the project site. The Government does not provide recommendations or referrals for local vendors or contractors. Offerors are responsible for identifying and selecting subcontractors or resources they deem appropriate to support their quotations. Please provide a door hardware schedule? See prior answers on PWS regarding materials. During the August 11 site visit, there appeared to be an understanding that the Building 60 East and West entrances may require replacement of the existing door panels and conversion from the existing center-pivot configuration to a butt-hinge design rather than complete replacement of the entrance assemblies. Please confirm the required scope for the Building 60 East and West entrances. See prior answer that they are preferred but not listed as required in PWS. We note current failure are center pit and corrosion based. For the Building 60 North entrance, please confirm whether the required replacement includes the complete arched transom and glazing assembly or only the doors, frame, and glass below the existing transom. This is not specifically called out to permit vendor flexibility on the framing and possible sized standardization rather than customization. We did not request it be replaced but could understand modification being necessary to support hardware. The existing framework bottoms have significant corrosion and are unlikely to support new modern hardware.