Electrical Projects – Use of Progressive Design Build (PDB) with Other Transaction Authority (OTA) - Request for Information

This is a request for information (RFI) for market intelligence and for informational purposes only. This announcement does not constitute a solicitation or a request for proposal (RFP), and no solicitation is currently available. Participation in this RFI is strictly voluntary. The Government will not be obligated to award any agreement or contract because of this RFI, nor will it reimburse respondents for any costs associated with the preparation or submission of information. Submitting a response will not affect a firm’s ability to submit a proposal should a formal solicitation be issued in the future.

Please note that while Other Transaction Authority is not subject to FAR based small business regulations, this NAICS code is provided for market research to help the Government understand the size and demographics of the interested industrial base.

PROGRAM/PROJECT OVERVIEW: The U.S. Air Force 377th Contracting Division has a requirement to execute the construction and technical redesign requirements for the demolition of three substations and new construction of two upgraded substations. The services requested will include new 12.47 kV distribution systems. The primary purpose and objective of these projects are to rapidly upgrade the existing infrastructure, meet standards, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure compliance with regulatory guidelines. The Government is evaluating the feasibility of executing these requirements under one award via Progressive Design-Build (PDB) utilizing an Other Transaction (OT) Agreement under the statutory authority of 10 U.S.C. § 2808a. 

Summaries of projects for this acquisition strategy are as follows:

- MHMV200009 – Repair Substation 9 and Feeders: The primary objective of the Repair Substation 9 and Feeders project is to design and construct a fully operational, modern power distribution asset, upgrading the existing  infrastructure to meet standards, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure compliance with regulatory guidelines. This goal will be achieved by establishing the new substation facility within a defined 100ft x 150ft footprint directly south of the existing location, and installing all-new substation components, security fencing, distribution poles, switching gear, and conductors. The project also aims to complete the systematic teardown and removal of all retired infrastructure to restore the original site.

- MHMV 120009 – Remove Substation 23 & Connect Loads to Substation 24A Feeder 5: The project entails the design and construction services required to remove Substation 23 & connect loads to Substation 24A Feeder 5 located on KAFB. The primary purpose and objective of this project is to upgrade the existing infrastructure of Substation 24A Feeder 5 to meet standards, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure compliance with regulatory guidelines.

- MHMV080002 – Demo Substation 3, Rebuild Substation 10 and Distribution System: The primary goal of the Demo Substation 3, Rebuild Substation 10 and Distribution System project is to safely decommission and demolish Substations 3 and 10 and design, construct, and commission a modern, consolidated Substation 10 rated at 10,000 KVA (10/12/14 MVA). This infrastructure upgrade will replace aged, unserviceable assets with a resilient, high-capacity substation and an underground distribution backbone designed to eliminate single points of failure and modernize base electrical infrastructure.

Included in this notice are the attachments of the Scope of Services with technical documents for more detailed information on the nature of the work.

INFORMATION REQUESTED: Interested industry partners are requested to respond to the following questions to help shape the final acquisition strategy. Please limit your responses to no more than 5-pages addressing the following questions –

- Company Profile:

• Business Name
• Address
• Point of Contract (Name, Title)
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• Cage Code & UEI

- Relevant Experience:

• Please provide your relevant experience as it relates to performing multiple project in similar size, scope, and complexity to this requirement. Summarize performance clearly and factually, along with project locations and the projects customer(s). Do not submit proprietary trade secrets, protected technologies, or classified information in your response. All feed-back received will be handled as public market research to shape the Government's final acquisition approach.

- Feedback on the Acquisition Strategy & Alternatives:

• OTA Experience – Describe your firm’s previous experience, if any, executing projects utilizing OTA.
• What project characteristics make PDB OTA particularly advantageous or disadvantageous for this requirement?
• Describe your experience executing Progressive Design-Build, Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), or other highly collaborative delivery methods where designer and builder worked collaboratively with the owner before locking in a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP).
• Does the proposed PDB-OTA strategy incentivize your firm to participate? Why or why not?
• Are there alternative acquisition strategies, commercial phasing arrangements, or risk-sharing terms that the Government has not considered that would yield a higher quality facility, faster delivery, or lower cost?

The Government welcomes candid industry feedback and recommendations regarding commercial practices, agreement terms, project phasing, risk sharing, governance, pricing approaches, and other considerations that could improve successful execution of these projects under 10 U.S.C. § 2808a. Interested firms are encouraged to add themselves to the Interested Vendors List associated with this announcement on SAM.gov to receive future updates.

Please submit your responses to the Government Point of Contact listed below by the response date listed.