657-25-301JC, Repair energy Plant Cooling Tower, JC

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE OUTLINE PROJECT 36C25524R0127, 589A5-24-105 Replace Bldg 40 Blowdown, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Topeka 17 September 2024 Introduction Good morning, thank you for taking the time to attend this pre-bid conference. Today we will first discuss contractual issues, then we will discuss technical issues, entertain questions, and finally conduct a walk through of the areas. Before we cover the issues, let me first introduce myself and the Government staff.

CO Tim Parison COR Rex Fleming Alternate COR:

Thomas Dow I. Contractual Issues 1. General:

Project Title: PROJECT 589A5-24-105 Replace Bldg 40 Blowdown,VAMC, Topeka (b) Magnitude of Project: Less Than $25,000 (c) Period of Performance: 30-days after receipt of notice to proceed. Site Visit Questions are due in writing to the Contracting Officer by 10:am central time on Thursday, 20 September 2024. The email address is listed in the solicitation and/or an amendment. Proposals are due, Tuesday 24 September 2024 at 2:00 PM at the NCO 15 office at 3450 S. 4th Street, Leavenworth, Kansas 66048-5014.

If the proposal does not reach our office in time, it cannot be accepted for any reason. If the proposal is deliverd to the Leavenworth VA Medical Center, it cannot be accepted. Fax or electronically sent proposals are NOT acceptable. The project is 100% set aside for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. The successful prime contractor will be required to perform no less than 15 percent of the construction labor.

Award will be made using the LOWEST PRICE TECHNICALLY ACCEPTABLE (LPTA) Source selection process outlined in FAR Part 15. Please pay attention to the proposal submittal instructions of the solicitation package. The Government plans to award without discussions. Offerors must provide a breakdown of labor and material costs by division for each bid item in the solicitation. Failure to provide a breakdown of labor and materials with the proposal will render the proposal technically unacceptable.

Failure to acknowledge any, and all amendments issued to this solicitation shall be cause for rejection of the offer. Failure to provide information is the most common reason for a proposal to fail technically. Offerors are encouraged to read the Factors for technical acceptability carefully. For example: Under Factor 4, with regards to the Safety Officer, the minimum standard for a Safety Officer includes:

Life Safety, Scaffold Safety, OSHA 30, Fall Protection Training, Crane/Rigging Safety and the individual must have a minimum of 5 years of experience as a Safety Officer. If Offerors fail to mention one of these standards (OSHA 30 as an example), the proposal will fail technically. Offerors are responsible for providing the information requested in the solicitation for both price and technical factors.

Failure to provide an adequate Contractor Safety Plan which addresses the minimum standards for compliance under Factor 4 can be a technical failure. The calculation of Self-Performed and/or Subcontracted Work must be provided with the Contractor proposal (bid). Failure to provide this will be a technical failure. The pre-award Contractor Safety and Environmental Record Evaluation Form must be provided with the proposal (bid). Failure to provide this information will be a technical failure.

2. Disclaimer Statements: (a) Remarks and explanations at the conference shall not qualify the terms of the solicitation. Terms of the solicitation and specifications remain unchanged unless the solicitation is amended in writing.

3. Bonds:

(a) A bid Bond in the amount of 20% must accompany your proposal.

(b) After award of the contract a Payment Bond and a Performance Bond in the amount of 100% of the contract value are due prior to a Notice to Proceed Letter being issued.

4. Buy American Act: The solicitation is subject to the Buy American Act, and it generally requires the use of American made products. Please keep this in mind when you are providing product submittal data.

5. Davis-Bacon Act/ Service Contract Act: All labor performed under this contract is subject to the Davis-Bacon Act and related labor laws, to include the payment of at least the amounts shown in the wage determination in the solicitation.

6. Other Contracting Topics:

(a) The purchase of material for this project is exempt from state sales tax. A Missouri Tax exempt certificate will be issues after contract award.

(b) The contractor is expected to maintain insurance coverage during the contract period as directed in the specifications.

(c) Progress payments will be made no later than 14 days after receipt of an acceptable invoice.

(d) There are 2 important submittals that we need at contract start-up. They are the Schedule of Values, and a Construction Schedule.

6. Questions: Are there any questions involving the general provisions of the solicitation pages? II. Technical Issues The Project Engineer will provide an overview of the project. After this, a walk through of the site will be held.