Active

Contract Opportunity

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) are an official government contracting resource for small businesses. Find your local PTAC (opens in new window) for free government expertise related to contract opportunities.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The reponse date for this notice has been changed from from 0900 / 9:00 a.m. (PDT) Wednesday, 2 November 2022 to 0900 / 9:00 a.m. (PDT) Wednesday, 9 November 2022.

Please provide responses and/or questions by e-mail to the Contract Specialist, LTC Matthew M. Webb, at matthew.m.webb@usace.army.mil by 0900 / 9:00 a.m. (PDT) Wednesday, 9 November 2022.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

This Sources Sought Notice is being issued for market research purposes to determine the availability, capability, and interest of small business firms for a potential Government requirement. NO SOLICITATION IS AVAILABLE; requests for a solicitation will go unanswered. No award will be made from this Notice. Responses will be used to determine potential acquisition strategies, understand current market capabilities, and to gain knowledge of potential sources.

GENERAL SCOPE:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Sacramento District (SPK), anticipates a potential requirement for design-bid-build construction services to construct a seepage cutoff wall adjacent to the landward side of the existing levee of the American River Common Features (ARCF), Natomas Basin Reach E Segment, located in Sutter County, California (CA).

The Natomas Basin Reach E segment is located along the southwest bank of the Pleasant Grove Creek Canal (PGCC). The PGCC is an artificial channel that trends generally south-southeast to north-northwest, collecting surface water draining from Pleasant Grove Creek and several other seasonal streams from the east. The surface water is directed north-northeast into the Natomas Cross Canal and eventually to the Sacramento River.

Reach E currently extends 3.4 miles between Sankey Road north to Howsley Road. The typical levee cross section has a crown width of twenty (20) feet, an asphalt road used by local traffic, and landside and riverside slopes of 1 vertical to 3 horizontal (1V:3H). The levee height varies between five (5) and seventeen (17) feet along the reach.

The requirement is anticipated to include construction of a seepage cutoff wall adjacent to the landward side of the existing levee, including soil bentonite (SB) open trench construction using native soil with bentonite and water. It is anticipated the project requirements will include construction of a landside patrol road along the entire length of Reach E, that includes access ramps at identified locations; excavation and replacement of five (5) culverts; excavation and replacement of five (5) existing metal gatewells; excavation and replacement of a manhole; removal and relocation of irrigation systems; borrow site excavation; performance of Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) documents and implementation; and Best Management Practices (BMPs) installation.

It is estimated that construction of the potential requirement can be completed within two (2) construction seasons, or approximately six-hundred-fifty-nine calendar days. Construction season is from May 1 to 30 September. No levee construction activities including cutoff wall and levee work, construction benching, road repairs, or construction on the levee road, drainage ditch destruction or construction, or culvert pipe work, is allowed between October 1 and April 30. Agricultural road creation, well construction or destruction, and agricultural road construction, may occur year- round, but must be timed to provide continuity of services for the adjacent agricultural fields. Any tree trimming or removal must occur between November 1 and February 15.

The potential requirement may result in a solicitation issued approximately November 2022.

If solicited, the Government intends to award the contemplated requirement as a firm-fixed-price contract by approximately February 2023.

It is estimated that design and construction of the potential requirement can be completed within six-hundred-fifty-nine (659) calendar days, or approximately December 2025.

In accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 236.204(ii), the Government currently estimates the magnitude of construction for this project to be $25,000,000 and $100,000,000.

The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for the potential requirement is anticipated to be 237990, Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction. The small business size standard for this NAICS, as established by the U.S. Small Business Administration, is $39,500,000.00 annual revenue. The Product Service Code for the potential requirement is anticipated to be Y1PC, Construction of Unimproved Real Property (Land).

If there is a reasonable expectation that at least two (2) responsible small business concerns under this NAICS can provide the anticipated services at fair market prices, the Contracting Officer is required to set the acquisition aside for small business concerns. If competition is set-aside for small businesses, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, requires that general construction small business Contractors self-perform at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the cost of the contract, not including the cost of materials. If no set aside is made, the requirement is competed with full and open competition, and the awarded Contractor is not a small business, the Contractor is required to perform the percent of work identified in the solicitation under FAR 52.236-1, Performance of Work by the Contractor.

It is anticipated this requirement will be solicited under the USACE SPK Levee Cutoff Wall Construction (Natomas) Prequalification of Sources List (PSL). The SAM Notice ID for this listing is W9123822S1000, and can be viewed by selecting the following direct link: https://sam.gov/opp/f376ab7710984d22b39437a15115b87b/view

Contractors with the skill, capabilities, workload capacity, and ability to obtain bonding to complete the project described above (either through self-performance and/or Subcontractor management) are invited to provide capability statements to the point of contact listed below. Other than small businesses are also encouraged to submit Capability Statements.

CAPABILITY STATEMENT:

Responses must be limited to twelve (12) 8.5 x 11 pages with a minimum font size of point 10.

Please provide the following information:

1) Company name, Employer Identification Number (EIN; previously DUNS), address, point of contact, phone number, and e-mail address.

2) Experience and capability to complete contracts of similar magnitude and complexity to the potential requirement, including at least three (3) examples of comparable work performed within the past six (6) years. Each example should include a brief description of the project, description of the work performed (identification of self-performance and/or Subcontractor management), customer name, customer satisfaction, timeliness of performance, dollar value of the project, whether a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) was used (see the PLA survey section below), and whether there were any challenges experienced during the project (delays, investigations, health and safety issues, labor shortages, management/organizational issues, etc.).

3) Business size and socioeconomic type for the applicable NAICS (ex: certified HUBZone, Woman-Owned Small Business, Serviced-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), 8(a) Participant, small business, or other than small business (large business)).

4) Bonding capability (in the form of a Surety letter).

5) PLA Survey. A PLA is a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with labor organization(s) that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project. Pursuant to Executive Order 13502, agencies are encouraged to consider requiring the use of PLAs for large-scale construction projects if it will be consistent with law, achieve economy and efficiency in Federal procurement, produce labor-management stability, and ensure compliance with laws and regulations governing safety and health, equal employment opportunity, labor and employment standards, and other matters. Please answer the following questions regarding PLAs, relative to the anticipated requirement:

- Have PLAs been used on similar projects undertaken by Federal, State, municipal, or private entities in the geographic area where work will be performed? If so, please provide contract number(s) and points of contact.

- Do you think requirement of a PLA will promote the agency’s long-term program interests (as described above)? If so, how? If not, why not?

- Has there been / is it anticipated there will be a shortage of skilled labor in the labor categories and/or geographic location of the anticipated project? If so, please describe the trade(s) affected and describe how/what you know of the shortage.

- Will multiple construction Contractors and/or Subcontractors employing workers in multiple crafts or trades be required to complete the anticipated work?

- Is it difficult to recruit or retain a skilled workforce in the anticipated work location?

- Do you think completion of the project will require an extended period of time?

- Do you anticipate any unique, compelling, time-sensitive issues, or other schedule requirements to complete the anticipated work (aside from those already noted) or that would affect the rate at which the anticipated project could be completed? If so, please elaborate and provide supporting documentation where possible.

- Are you aware of any other large-scale projects begin completed in the area during the anticipated period of performance?

- Do you think requiring a PLA will increase contract costs or contribute to cost savings? Why or why not? How?

- How do open shop and union wage rates influence prevailing wage rates in the local market area? How does unionization in the local market impact wages? Please provide supporting documentation.

- Do you think requiring a PLA will increase contract risk? Why or why not? How?

- If you have previously been party to a PLA, approximately how long did it take to negotiate the terms of the PLA? Did PLA negotiation delay construction start? If so, by how long?

- Any other information you think should be considered regarding the use of PLAs for the anticipated project.

Please submit all capabilities statements, information, brochures, and/or marketing material as one (1) document, limited to the page maximum above.

Responses will not be considered an offer, proposal, or bid for any solicitation that may result from this Notice. Moreover, responses will not restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach. This Notice is for information and planning purposes only. Respondents will not be notified of the results of any review conducted or the capability statements received.

Please provide responses and/or questions by e-mail to the Contract Specialist, LTC Matthew M. Webb, at matthew.m.webb@usace.army.mil by 0900 / 9:00 a.m. (PDT) Wednesday, 2 November 2022.

Please include the Sources Sought Notice number, ‘W9123823S0004’ in the subject line.

Attachments/Links