C1DA--A/E Design - Infusion/Specialty Care Clinic Renovation Project 626-26-501 Nashville TVHS

THIS IS AN A/E PRESOLICITATION NOTICE – The Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 9 Central Region, 1639 Medical Center Parkway, Suite 204, Murfreesboro, TN, 37129, will be soliciting a Request for Proposal (RFP) in accordance with Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulations Overhaul (RFO) 36 to Request for Architectural and Engineering Firm’s SF330’s for the following project:

Project 626-26-501 for Architectural and Engineering Design Services to AE Infusion and Specialty Care Clinic Renovation (Nashville Campus) located at the Nashville VA Medical Center, 1310 24th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. Only the A/E firms responding to this announcement by submitting timely SF330 packages will be considered for initial evaluation. Following initial evaluation of the A/E firms and their SF330s, a request/solicitation for a price proposal will be sent to the highest technically rated A/E firm to provide the type of service(s) required. No Solicitation Package will be issued via SAM.gov.

The A/E Services contract that is anticipated to be awarded will be procured in accordance with the Brooks Act (Public Law 92- 582), Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) Part 36.102 and VA Acquisition Regulation 836.6.  Note: No contract for the construction of a project shall be awarded to the firm that designed the project or its subsidiaries or affiliates, except with the approval of the head of the agency or authorized representative.

Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price

Period of Performance: 206 calendar days from notice to proceed (NTP)

CONSTRUCTION BUDGET DESIGN LIMITATIONS: $13,135,188.00

NAICS: 541310 – Architectural Services

SMALL BUSINESS SIZE STANDARD: $12.5 million

PRODUCT/SERVICE CODE: C1DA – Architect and Engineering – Construction: Hospitals and Infirmaries

SET-ASIDE: This requirement is a 100% set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) concerns under the authority of 38 U.S.C §8127 (d). Only those SDVOSB’s listed and viewable in the SAM.gov database located at https://sam.gov/. The database will be checked at the time of offer submission as well as prior to award. All offers must also have an active listing in the System for Award Management (SAM) database https://sam.gov/.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: All necessary architectural and engineering (A/E) services required to prepare complete contract drawings, specifications, technical reports, and cost estimates as well as cost control services, including construction period services (CPS) throughout the construction process, These services will support the renovation of the Infusion and Specialty Care Clinic Renovation located on the ground floor of the Nashville Campus of the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS), at 1310 24th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212.

This project encompasses approximately 26,300 square feet and aims to improve design standardization, operation efficiency, and programs that will support VA objectives. The scope of design includes, but is not limited to mechanical systems, electrical power and systems, fire alarm, controls, sprinkler, plumbing, architectural, interior design, structural components, industrial hygiene, ingress/egress, and fire protection.

VA PLANNING CONCEPT

This project will renovate approximately 26,300 square feet of space shared by the Infusion and Specialty Care Clinic Renovation project, and adjacent supporting clinic areas.

The renovation will expand the infusion clinic to facilitate a decrease in patient time while at the VA. Outpatient clinic spaces which are 35-year-old clinics (at the oldest) will be renovated to provide a welcoming and cohesive patient experience. A new registration area inside the PODs will assist with patient flow and help manage waiting room congestion. All elements of the design will need to be designed to current VA and Joint Commission Guidelines.

This project will partially correct FCA deficiencies by replacing worn, damaged and beyond-cycle flooring, finishes and ceiling tiles and replace old and energy inefficient terminal boxes and provide DDC controls (Architectural 289261, 289263, 283004 and Mechanical 60679).

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The Department of Veterans Affairs intends to have the A/E thoroughly survey, investigate, and document the existing spaces and utility systems, to gain the knowledge and insight necessary to prepare accurate Construction Bid Documents in a professional and competent manner. The project objectives are as follows:

A. Ensure adequate space and systems to provide an efficient, fully functional infusion center and specialty care clinic, and adjacent clinics while also meeting the needs of staff and patients.

B. Design modern, patient lifts, compliant spaces, meeting Veteran Administration needs, space criteria, directives, standards, and VA Technical Information Library (TIL)/Design Guides and Standards (PG-18 series).

C. Ensure that all adjacent areas and systems impacted by construction are appropriately addressed within the project scope. This includes any necessary upgrades, expansions, or additions to mechanical rooms, electrical closets, and spaces the renovated spaces.

D. The design shall allow for equipment serviceability/maintainability and future replacement without reworking systems/feeds.

E. Modernize systems, controls, and provide improved energy conservation and efficiency.

F. Correct Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) deficiencies (noted above).

END OF PROJECT DESCRIPTION

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR AN AE FEE PROPOSAL. NO FEE PROPOSAL SHALL BE NEEDED UNTIL AFTER EVALUATIONS HAS BEEN MADE ON THE PROVIDED SF330 AND THE TOP-RATED FIRM SELECTED. ONLY THE AE FIRMS RESPONDING TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BY SUBMITTING AN SF330 PACKAGE ON TIME WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR INITIAL EVALUATION. FOLLOWING INITIAL EVALUATION OF THE AE FIRMS AND THEIR SF330S, A SOLICITATION FOR A PRICE PROPOSAL WILL BE SENT TO THE HIGHEST TECHNICALLY RATED AE FIRM TO PROVIDE THE TYPE OF SERVICE(S) REQUIRED.

Interested firms should submit their current SF330 to lara.hampton@va.gov and Jeannette.Morphew@va.gov . The SF330s are due on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 1:00 PM Central Time via email. See Electronic Submission Requirements for instructions on submitting your SF330.

The selection of the most qualified contractor will follow the guidance provided in RFO Part 36.102 – Architect-Engineer Services. The Government will not pay, nor reimburse, any costs associated with responding to this request. The Government is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this announcement. Firms will be selected based on demonstrated competence and qualifications for the required work.

Bid Deduct Alternates of at least 20% of the approved construction budget shall be developed, planned and estimated as necessary to ensure award of contract within available funds. Bid Deduct Alternates shall be clearly identified on contract drawings.

All offerors are advised that in accordance with VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) 836.606-71 the total cost of the architect or engineer services contracted for must not exceed six (6%) percent of the estimated cost of the construction project plus any fees for related services and activities. Additionally, RFO Clause 52.236-22 (c) - Design Within Funding Limitations, will be applicable to this procurement action. Design limitation costs will be provided to the most highly rated AE firm selected to complete the design.

SBA Certification & SAM: in accordance with VAAR 819.7003, at the time of SF330 submission and prior to award of any contract, the offeror must represent to the contracting officer that it is a:

1. SDVOSB eligible firm;
2. Small business concern under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to the acquisition; and
3. SDVOSB listed as verified in SBA Certifications formally known as VETCERT at: https://search.certifications.sba.gov/  .
4. The awarded contractor must also submit evidence of enrollment with VETS4212.

Important Notice: Apparent successful offerors must be registered in the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) site at the time of submission of proposal. Failure to be both VERIFIED by the SBA and VISIBLE at the time of proposal submission, time of interview, and at time of award will result in the offeror’s proposal being deemed non-responsive. All offerors are urged to contact the SBA DSBS (https://dsbs.sba.gov/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm) and submit the required documents to obtain verification of their SDVOSB status if they have not already done so.

Additionally, all eligible firms must be registered and current in the System for Award Management (SAM) database in order to be evaluated and eligible for contract award. If the firm is not registered in SAM, you may register online at https://www.sam.gov.

VENDORIZING PROCESS: 

VA Webform 10091 through CEP platform: For all vendors (SAM; System for Award Management or Non-SAM) that are ID.Me (https://www.id.me/) registered at https://www.cep.fsc.va.gov/. Make sure to setup your profile on the portal to be fully vendorized to include banking information. This process replaces the paper vendor forms. 

1. Existing users of CEP will need to add their tax ID number back into the portal. 

1. New users will need to register with System for Award Management; SAM.gov before gaining access to CEP. 

1. Once new users receive the registration approval notice from SAM, wait 72 hours before registering digital VA Form 10091. 

1. This will update records with your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). 

1. These steps will help expedite your access to CEP.

The awarded contractor must also submit evidence of registration.

LIMITS ON SUBCONTRACTING: in accordance with RFO 52.219-14(e)(1) Limitations on Subcontracting, states: Services (except construction), it will not pay more than 50 percent of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities. Any work that a similarly situated entity further subcontracts will count towards the prime contractor's 50 percent subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. When a contract includes both services and supplies, the 50 percent limitation shall apply only to the service portion of the contract;

SELECTION PROCESS: in accordance with RFO 36.102 and VAAM M836.6, SF330s will be evaluated by the evaluation board using the evaluation factors identified in this announcement. After SF330s have been evaluated, discussions/interviews will be held with at least three of the most highly qualified firms. After discussions conclude, the evaluation board will evaluate the qualifications of the firms using the same evaluation factors, taking into consideration both the SF330 submission and subsequent discussions, to select the most preferred firm from the firms considered to be the most highly qualified. Please note that the assigned values for the above factors may be adjusted after discussions. Negotiations will then begin with the most preferred firm.

The Government will not pay, nor reimburse, any costs associated with responding to this request. The Government is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this announcement.  Firms will be selected based on demonstrated competence and qualifications for the required work.

EVALUATION FACTORS: selection criteria will be based on the following factors, in descending order of importance:

1. Professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services;
2. Specialized experience and technical competence in the type of work required, including, where appropriate, experience in energy conservation, pollution prevention, waste reduction, and the use of recovered materials;
3. Specific experience and qualifications of personnel proposed for assignment to the project and their record of working together as a team;
4. Capacity to accomplish the work in the required time;
5. Past performance on contracts with Government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules;
6. Record of significant claims against the firm because of improper or incomplete architectural and engineering services;
7. Reputation and standing of the firm and its principal officials with respect to professional performance, general management, and cooperativeness; and
8. Location in the general geographical area of the project and knowledge of the locality of the project; provided, that application of this criterion leaves an appropriate number of qualified firms, given the nature and size of the project.

PLEASE NOTE: The AE Evaluation Board must be provided with complete and accurate information for ALL evaluation factors above in order to rank interested and eligible firms.  Therefore, the AE firm must expand upon, as it deems necessary, on any evaluation factor not well demonstrated or addressed with Part 1A to Part IG and Part II of the SF330. The AE firm shall use Part IH and/or use additional sheets to supplement/address all evaluation factors to clearly demonstrate its qualifications. 

1. Digital copies of the as-builts are limited. The consultant will be expected to fully investigate and confirm the validity of hard copy as-builts and other drawings. This will include independent investigation of the VAMC’s flat files by the consultant to determine and procure the information required for the complete design.

1. All offerors are advised that in accordance with VAAR 836.606-73 the total cost of the architect or engineer services contracted for must not exceed 6 percent of the estimated cost of the construction project plus any fees for related services and activities. Additionally, RFO Clause 52.236-2 (c) - Design Within Funding Limitation, will be applicable to this procurement action.  Design limitation costs will be provided to the most highly rated AE firm selected to complete the design.

1. The Government will not pay, nor reimburse, any costs associated with responding to this request. The Government is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this announcement.  Firms will be selected based on demonstrated competence and qualifications for the required work.

1. Contract Award Procedure: Before a small business is proposed as a potential contractor, they must be certified by SBA DSBS and registered in the System For Award Management (SAM) database. Register via the SAM internet site at https://sam.gov/content/home Failure of a proposed SDVOSB to be certified by the SBA DSBS at the time the SF 330 is submitted shall result in elimination from consideration as a proposed contractor. The proposed services will be obtained by a Negotiated Firm-Fixed Price Contract.
2. The review/design of architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, civil, or other engineering features of the work shall be accomplished by architects or engineers registered in a State or possession of the United States, or in Puerto Rico or in the District of Columbia.
3. The project drawings/design shall be in compliance with applicable standards and codes described in VA Program Guides and design materials. Master Construction Specifications Index, VA Construction Standards Index, VA Standards Index, and Criteria are available in the Technical Information Library (TIL) on VA Website address: http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/.

1. The awarded A/E firm will prepare drawings and specifications in sufficient detail such that qualified outside General Contracting companies can prepare accurate and timely proposals for the desired work. The awarded A/E firm is responsible for ensuring that the specifications and drawings supplied fully represent all of the work described in the Request for Proposal (RFP).   The Medical Center must remain operational throughout the construction period and a detailed sequence of work will be provided by the A/E to minimize impact of the construction.  The SF-330 template can be downloaded through the GSA Forms Library at: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/TOP, type in SF-330 in the “Find a Form” block and click on search.
    

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Unless paper offers are specifically authorized in an individual solicitation, all responses to solicitations must be submitted electronically as described below. Responses submitted in a paper form are unacceptable and will be returned. Failure to comply with this requirement may jeopardize the possibility of receiving an award for the contract due to noncompliance with the terms of the solicitation. You must submit your electronic offer, and any supplemental information (such as spreadsheets, backup data, technical information), using any of the electronic formats and media described below.

In addition, contractors are notified of the award via an electronic Notice of Award e-mail. The award document will be attached to the Notice of Award e-mail.

Acceptable Electronic Formats (Software) for Submission of Offers: Files readable using the current Microsoft* Office version Products: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Please see security note below for caution regarding use of macros. When submitting construction drawings contractors are required to submit one set in AutoCAD and one set in Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) (purpose: contracting can open the PDF version and engineering can open AutoCAD files).

Files in Adobe PDF Files: When scanning documents scanner resolution should be set to 200 dots per inch, or greater.

Other Electronic Format: If you wish to submit an offer using another format other than described in these instructions, e-mail the Contracting Officer who issued the solicitation. Please submit your request at least ten (10) calendar days before the scheduled closing date of the solicitation. Request a decision as to the format acceptability and make sure you receive approval of the alternate format before using it to send your offer; and please note that we can no longer accept .zip files due to increasing security concerns.

E-mail Submission Procedures: For simplicity in this guidance, all submissions in response to a solicitation will be referred to as offers.

Subject Line: Include the solicitation number, name of company, and closing date of solicitation.

Size: Maximum size of the e-mail message shall not exceed five (5) megabytes. Only one email is permitted unless otherwise stated in this paragraph or in writing by a Contracting Officer. Submitted SF330’s are not to exceed a total of fifty (50) pages INCLUDING cover page and any other submitted documents.

The offer will be date and time stamped by the Microsoft Email system and will be the official record of receipt for the submission.

SECURITY ISSUES, LATE BIDS, UNREADABLE OFFERS:

Late submission of offers is outlined at RFO Parts 52.212-1(c), 52.214-7, and 52.215-1(c). Particular attention is warranted to the portion of the provision that relates to the timing of submission.

Please see RFO Part 15.108(c) for a description of the steps the Government shall take regarding unreadable offers.

To avoid rejection of an offer, vendors must make every effort to ensure their electronic submission is virus-free. Submissions or portions thereof submitted and which the automatic system detects the presence of a virus, or which are otherwise unreadable will be treated as “unreadable” pursuant to RFO Parts 14.302 and 15.108(c).

The virus scanning software used by our e-mail systems cannot always distinguish a macro from a virus. Therefore, sending a macro embedded in an e-mail message or an e-mail attachment may cause the e-mail offer to be quarantined. You may send both the spreadsheet and the spreadsheet saved in PDF format to ensure that your proposal is readable.

Password protecting your offer is not permitted. The Contracting Officer will file the offer electronically which will allow access only by designated individuals.

END OF PRESOLICITATION NOTICE