Sources Sought Notice: Central Laboratory Vacuum System Replacement

MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY

NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL OR SOLICITATION

This is a Sources Sought Notice to determine the availability of businesses capable to perform a construction project involving the disconnection, removal, and full replacement of a central laboratory vacuum system. This notice is for planning purposes only, and does not constitute an invitation for Bids, Request for Proposal or Request for Quotation or an indication the Government will award a contract, nor does the Government intend to pay for any information submitted as a result of this notice.

Introduction

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is conducting market research to identify small business concerns with the capability to perform a construction project involving the disconnection, removal, and full replacement of a central laboratory vacuum system. The work will be performed at the Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building in College Park, MD. The new system must meet stringent performance specifications, include a redundant control system, and be compatible with existing infrastructure. Tasks include site survey, submittals, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning, and warranty service. The period of performance is approximately 213 calendar days. This Sources Sought Notice is intended to gather capability statements and industry feedback to inform the Government's acquisition strategy, including potential small business set-aside considerations under FAR Part 19.

Scope of Work

The Contractor shall provide all labor, materials, equipment, supervision, and project management necessary to perform the full replacement of the existing Central Laboratory Vacuum System. The new skid-mounted, tri-plex (three-pump), dry (oil-less) system must include a manually switchable redundant control system integrated into the cabinet for operational continuity. The Contractor shall conduct a site survey and submit all required technical documentation for FDA review and approval, including a Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID), general arrangement drawing, electrical panel dimensions, and wiring diagrams. Following delivery, the Contractor will disconnect and remove the existing system, install the new system in the mechanical penthouse, and connect it to the building's existing utilities. The project also includes testing, commissioning, and submission of installation manuals and a certificate of performance. All work must comply with applicable technical, safety, and security requirements, and the Contractor is responsible for restoring any affected areas to their original condition upon completion.

The Contractor shall furnish and install all necessary equipment required for the full replacement of the Central Laboratory Vacuum System. The new system shall be a skid-mounted, tri-plex (three-pump), dry (oil-less) vacuum unit capable of continuous operation and equivalent in capacity to the original RA0250 vacuum pumps. It shall include an integrated control cabinet housing a programmable, manually switchable A/B redundant control system to ensure uninterrupted operation in the event of primary controller failure. The system must be compatible with the existing receiver tank and be designed to operate within an inlet pressure range of 21 to 25 inches of mercury (Hg) and at an inlet temperature of 80 F. All electrical components shall operate on 460 VAC, 3-phase, 60 Hz motor supply, with a control voltage of 120 VAC and support from an 80 psi instrument air supply. The complete assembly must fit within the existing mechanical footprint of approximately 5 feet by 7 feet. All piping, fittings, and associated connection materials necessary to integrate the system with existing vacuum, electrical, and drainage lines shall be provided by the Contractor. The final installation shall include all required monitoring instrumentation, electrical panels, and diagnostic capabilities, and must be accompanied by one electronic and two hard copies of the installation and operations manuals, along with a certificate of performance verifying the system meets all specified operational requirements.

Capability Statements

Responses to this sources sought notice shall unequivocally demonstrate the respondent's capabilities to provide the services listed above. Though the target audience is small business, all interested parties may respond. At a minimum, responses shall include the following:

• Business name and bio, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and CAGE code.
• Business address, business website, business size status (i.e., SB, VOSB, SDVOSB, HUBZone SB, SDB, WOSB, LB).
• Point of contact name, mailing address (if different from business address), phone number and email address.
• Summary of relevant experience performing construction or mechanical replacement projects involving laboratory infrastructure, such as central utility systems, vacuum systems, or similar mechanical installations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage construction projects in secure, federal, or laboratory environments.
• Statement indicating whether the company can perform at least 51% of the work under a small business set-aside, in accordance with FAR 52.219-14.
• List of applicable contract vehicles (e.g., GSA MAS, OASIS, NIH NITAAC, or agency specific IDIQs)
• If applicable, identification of the firm's GSA Schedule contract(s) by Schedule number and Schedule Item Numbers (SIN)s that are applicable to this potential requirement are also requested. If a large business, clarify if subcontracting opportunities exist for small business concerns.
• Respondents are encouraged to include any recent, relevant past performance, and to highlight specialized qualifications or technical expertise that align with the scope of this requirement.
• Descriptive literature, brochures, marketing material, etc. detailing the nature of services the responding firm is regularly engaged in providing.

Response Instructions

Responses must be limited to no more than 10 pages, excluding cover page and attachments, and submitted in PDF or Word format. In addition to the capability statement requirements above, respondents are required to review Attachment One Draft Statement of Work and complete Attachment Two SSN Questions as an excel document only as a part of their submission.

All respondents should provide capability statements and provide in an excel format "Attachment Two" completed via email to Michele.Jackson@fda.hhs.gov and Freshta.Javid@fda.hhs.gov on or before August 21,2025 @ 10:00AM Eastern Standard Time. Phone calls about this sources sought notice will be accepted.

Please include in the subject line of the email the following statement Sources Sought Central Laboratory Vacuum System Replacement HFP-2025-128492 from XXXXXX (Include your business name)

Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).