Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
Upgrade Fire Detection System at FDC Honolulu, Hawaii
Department of Justice · Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons
More open Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons contracts
AI summaryOnly two invited firms, American Alarm Co., Inc. and Elite Pacific Construction, Inc., can bid on solicitation 15BBNF26B60300001; the response due date is November 4, 2026, 2:00 PM Central. This is Step-Two of a two-step sealed bid: Step-One technical proposals were due August 26, 2026 (passed), 1:00 PM CT, and only firms rated acceptable were invited to submit priced bids. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) wants a firm-fixed-price (FFP: one set price, whatever the work costs) contract to upgrade the fire detection system at Federal Detention Center (FDC) Honolulu, Hawaii. More in the summary
A newer version of this notice was posted Oct 21, 2026. It moves the due date from Aug 19, 2026 to Nov 4, 2026, which is the date shown on this page. See the latest version.
AI summary Beta
Summary of another version of this notice: check what changed on SAM.gov. This summary may miss requirements: 2 of 14 attachments weren't read (3 - Specifications Upgrade Fire Detection System.pdf, 4 - Drawings Upgrade Fire Detection System.pdf). Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
Only two invited firms, American Alarm Co., Inc. and Elite Pacific Construction, Inc., can bid on solicitation 15BBNF26B60300001; the response due date is November 4, 2026, 2:00 PM Central. This is Step-Two of a two-step sealed bid: Step-One technical proposals were due August 26, 2026 (passed), 1:00 PM CT, and only firms rated acceptable were invited to submit priced bids. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) wants a firm-fixed-price (FFP: one set price, whatever the work costs) contract to upgrade the fire detection system at Federal Detention Center (FDC) Honolulu, Hawaii.
Who can bid (6)
- Be one of the two firms invited to Step-Two: American Alarm Co., Inc. or Elite Pacific Construction, Inc. Only firms whose Step-One technical proposals were acceptable may bid.
- Be a small business under NAICS 238210, with a size standard of $19 million, and show it in your SAM registration. The set-aside is 100 percent small business.
- Be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov.
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- Bid as the prime contractor for the entire project; the FBOP does not award subcontracts.
- Submit a bid bond with the Step-Two bid: 20 percent of the bid price, not more than $3,000,000, on Standard Form 24.
- Use an installer certified by NICET (a fire alarm certification body) as a fire-alarm Level III technician, as shown in the acceptable Step-One proposal. The Step-One factors also ask for NFPA 72 certification, BICSI-certified cabling installers, and a design professional (NICET Level III minimum or licensed PE) for sealed shop drawings.
How to submit: Step-Two instructions are being emailed to the two invited firms. The documents read do not say how or where to deliver the sealed bid. Step-One used an online upload box and email to the Contracting Officer, Julie Bergami, at jbergami@bop.gov.. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (11)
From the version posted Oct 21, 2026.
- Serious: Only two invited firms can bid. Step-One was open to all small businesses; Step-Two bids are limited to American Alarm Co., Inc. and Elite Pacific Construction, Inc., whose technical proposals were acceptable, so other firms are shut out of this bid.
- Serious: Bid bond plus full performance and payment bonds. A bid bond of 20 percent of the bid price (up to $3,000,000) must come with the bid, and 100 percent performance and payment bonds are due after award; a firm that cannot get bonded cannot bid.
- Worth checking: Five references and a bank reference must be sent in directly. The references themselves must email their questionnaires to the Contracting Officer before bid opening; late or missing questionnaires can hurt the bid.
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- Worth checking: Stamped drawings from a licensed Professional Engineer. Amendment 0002 says the project needs stamped engineering drawings from a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), while the Step-One factors accepted a NICET Level III designer or a PE for sealed shop drawings; confirm with the Contracting Officer which governs.
- Worth checking: Work inside a secure correctional facility. Work hours inside the secure perimeter are limited, workers are escorted and screened daily, tools are counted in and out, and weather or institution emergencies can halt work.
- Worth checking: Daily damages for late completion. The pre-bid meeting minutes state liquidated damages (a set daily charge for finishing late) of $1,066.13 for each calendar day of delay after scheduled completion.
- Minor: Four key staff roles that one person cannot combine. The Project Manager, Superintendent, Quality Manager and Safety Manager are separate people, which adds staffing cost for a small firm.
- Minor: Response due date moved to November 4, 2026. Amendment 0005 sets the response due date at November 4, 2026, 2:00 PM CST; Amendment 0004 had set October 28, 2026, 2:00 PM CT.
- Minor: Performance period is 510 calendar days. Amendment 0001 changed the period from 161 to 510 calendar days from notice to proceed; the SF 1442 form and the pre-bid minutes in the file still show 161.
- Minor: Date passed (Oct 15, 2026): Davis-Bacon wages apply; wage determination updated. Workers must be paid the Davis-Bacon (federal construction) wage rates in Hawaii wage determination HI20260001; Amendment 0005 posted its October 15, 2026 update, which can change your labor costs.
- Minor: The site visit was Jul 21, 2026. Check the notice and its amendments for whether attendance was required, and whether another visit is offered.
Read from the notice and 12 attachments. 2 of 14 not read. Show which files.
- 1 - Instructions for Two-Step Sealed Bidding.pdf (read)
- 2 - Solicitation 15BBNF26B60300001.pdf (read)
- 6 - Step-One Technical Proposal Evaluation.pdf (read)
- Amendment 0005.pdf (read)
- Amendment 0004.pdf (read)
- Amendment 0003.pdf (read)
- Amendment 0002.pdf (read)
- Amendment 0001.pdf (read)
- 5 - Step-One Technical Proposal Factors.pdf (read)
- 8 - SF24 Bid Bond Form.pdf (read)
- 9 - Criminal History Check Form.pdf (read)
- 7 - Construction Wage Determination HI20260001 5-27-2026.pdf (read)
- 3 - Specifications Upgrade Fire Detection System.pdf: not read (access is restricted): request it on SAM.gov
- 4 - Drawings Upgrade Fire Detection System.pdf: not read (access is restricted): request it on SAM.gov
Full summary
What they want
- Furnish all equipment, materials and labor to upgrade the fire detection system at FDC Honolulu, 351 Elliott Street, following the posted specifications and construction drawings
- Provide stamped engineering drawings from a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), reviewed and approved by the Engineer of Record and the Bureau of Prisons authority having jurisdiction (AHJ, the office that approves fire code compliance)
- Do the damper work tied to the system: the schedule on the drawings shows which control dampers are replaced and which are overhauled
- Work inside an occupied, secure correctional facility, escorted by FBOP staff, with daily screening and tool inventories
- Keep the facility running during work; the housing wing or wings will be unoccupied during construction, and utility outages need advance notice and written permission
- Send shop drawings, product data and other submittals to the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR, the government's on-site technical contact) for approval before fabrication or purchase
- Attend the pre-construction conference after award, keep a progress schedule, and attend monthly progress meetings
- Complete the contract closeout, including testing, training and closeout submittals, within the 510-calendar-day performance period
- Contract type
- Firm-fixed-price (FFP): one set price, whatever the work ends up costing. One contract, awarded by two-step sealed bidding (Invitation for Bid, IFB).
- Period of performance
- 510 calendar days from notice to proceed (NTP, the written order to start work). Amendment 0001 changed this from 161 calendar days.
- Place of performance
- Federal Detention Center Honolulu, 351 Elliott Street, Honolulu, HI 96819
- Estimated value
- Between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000 (the Government's magnitude range for the project; the budget lies somewhere within the range)
- How they'll choose
- Two-step sealed bidding. Step-One technical proposals were rated acceptable or unacceptable on five factors, with no weights; all five had to be acceptable. In Step-Two, the Contracting Officer awards to the responsive and responsible bidder with an acceptable Step-One proposal, a fair and reasonable price and the lowest overall price.
- Offers due
- November 4, 2026, 2:00 PM Central
- How to submit
- Step-Two instructions are being emailed to the two invited firms. The documents read do not say how or where to deliver the sealed bid. Step-One used an online upload box and email to the Contracting Officer, Julie Bergami, at jbergami@bop.gov.
What they'll judge offers on
- Step-One (acceptable or unacceptable): Technical Approach: (a) Management and Qualification, (b) Technical Solution
- Step-One: Experience in Relevant Projects: 2 to 5 fire detection projects in occupied or secure facilities within the last five years
- Step-One: Material: a comprehensive material list with description, unit of issue and quantity, and no prices
- Step-One: Schedule: a Gantt chart or similar forecast schedule meeting the completion requirement in Block 11 of the Standard Form 1442 (SF 1442, the bid form)
- Step-One: Bonding and Insurance Capability: (a) a Letter of Bondability, (b) a Certificate of Insurance
- Step-Two: price, with the lowest overall price winning among the invited firms
What to include when you submit
- Bid only if you are one of the two invited firms, and base the bid on your own Step-One technical proposal that was rated acceptable, following the 100% complete specifications and drawings.
- Complete SF 1442 pages 1, 2, 4 and 46-48, with your UEI, tax ID number and email in Block 10 and Blocks 14-20c; the Block 14 address must match your SAM registration. The total price goes on line 17 of the SF 1442.
- On the schedule page, fill in the unit price (JB, a job) and amount; they must match the total price in Block 17.
- Include a bid bond on Standard Form 24 (SF 24) from a surety on the Treasury's approved list: 20 percent of the bid price, not more than $3,000,000. No bid bond is needed for bids of $150,000 or less.
- Acknowledge every amendment (Amendments 0001 through 0005) with the bid, as the Standard Form 30 describes.
- Have at least 5 references and one bank reference send the Past Performance Questionnaire and Banking Reference Questionnaire straight to jbergami@bop.gov before bid opening; the work must be current or completed within the last 24 months.
- Allow at least 90 calendar days for Government acceptance of your bid; shorter offers are rejected (SF 1442, item 13d).
- A joint venture must include a fully executed joint venture agreement with the bid, plus evidence that it discussed the venture with its SBA Servicing Agency if SBA approval is required.
- Stay registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and keep your representations and certifications current; the bid certifies that they are current, accurate and complete.
After award, you must have
- Provide performance and payment bonds, each 100 percent of the contract price, within 10 days after award (SF 1442 item 12b); the notice says before the notice to proceed can be issued. From the notice:
Payment and Performance Bonds will be required for the full amount (100%) at the time of contract award…
- Carry insurance for the whole performance period: workers' compensation and employer's liability of $100,000; general liability of $500,000 per accident or occurrence; automobile liability of $200,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, and $20,000 for property damage. From 2 - Solicitation 15BBNF26B60300001.pdf:
(1) WORKERS COMPENSATION & EMPLOYER'S LIABILITY $100,000…
- Contract workers must pass the Bureau of Prisons criminal history check and security investigation before entering the institution. From Amendment 0001.pdf:
Contract workers are subject to security investigative procedures.
Current contractor
No incumbent is named. A bidder answer in Amendment 0001 says the existing fire alarm is being replaced, and only two firms, American Alarm Co., Inc. and Elite Pacific Construction, Inc., were invited to Step-Two after their Step-One proposals were rated acceptable.
Not in the notice text
- The specifications and construction drawings are attached but not read (controlled documents): 3 - Specifications Upgrade Fire Detection System.pdf and 4 - Drawings Upgrade Fire Detection System.pdf. Access on SAM.gov needs an active registration and MPIN; device counts and technical requirements are in them.
- Part of the solicitation (2 - Solicitation 15BBNF26B60300001.pdf), Amendment 0005.pdf and the wage determination were read only in part; the middle pages, including some contract clauses, were left out.
- How and where to deliver the Step-Two sealed bid is not in the documents read; instructions are being emailed to the two invited firms.
- Quantities of pull stations, horn strobes, smoke and heat detectors, control panels and annunciators are not stated; the answers point to the fire alarm drawings.
- The award date and notice to proceed date are not stated.
Eligibility and how to respond
- Set aside for small businesses: only a business that counts as small under this notice's NAICS code can bid as the prime contractor. More open small business set-asides under NAICS 238210
- How to submit, from the AI summary: Step-Two instructions are being emailed to the two invited firms. The documents read do not say how or where to deliver the sealed bid. Step-One used an online upload box and email to the Contracting Officer, Julie Bergami, at jbergami@bop.gov. Check it in the notice before you send anything.
- Construction contracts over $2,000 pay at least the local Davis-Bacon wage rates, from the wage determination in the solicitation. Price your labor from it: How to price a government contract, and how Davis-Bacon differs from the Service Contract Act.
Notice details
- Posted
- Aug 3, 2026
- Notice type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- Office
- Fao, Grand Prairie, TX
- Product/service code
- Z2FF · Repair or Alteration of Penal Facilities
- Business type
- Construction & renovation (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 238210)
- Versions
7 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 21, 2026 · AmendmentDue Nov 4, 2026 (changed)
- Oct 15, 2026 · AmendmentDue Oct 28, 2026 (changed)
- Oct 15, 2026 · AmendmentDue Aug 28, 2026 (changed)
- Aug 17, 2026 · AmendmentDue Aug 26, 2026 (changed)
- Aug 5, 2026 · AmendmentDue Aug 19, 2026
- Aug 3, 2026 · Amendment 0005 (this version)Due Aug 19, 2026
- Jul 1, 2026 · Combined Synopsis/SolicitationDue Aug 19, 2026
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
- How to respond to a solicitation (8 steps)
- How to read a government solicitation
- How to price a government contract
- Set-aside contracts explained
Terms on this notice: Solicitation, Set-aside
Full notice text from SAM.gov
10/21/2026 - Amendment 0005 - Incorporate revised response to bidder's question #13, update construction wage determination, and extend bid due date to November 4, 2026, no later than 2:00 pm CST. -- 10/15/2026 - Amendment 0004 - Invite bidders who submitted acceptable technical proposals in Step-One to submit a bid in Step-Two. Step-Two Bid due date is October 28, 2026, no later than 2:00 pm CST. Only American Alarm Co., Inc. and Elite Pacific Construction, Inc. are allowed to submit bids. Further bid instructions will be e-mailed to these contractors. -- 8/17/2026 - Amendment 0003 - Extend Step-One technical proposals due date to August 26, 2026, no later than 1:00 pm CST. -- 8/5/2026 - Amendment 0002 - Incorporate bidder's question with response. -- 8/3/2026 - Amendment 0001 - Incorporate pre-bid site visit meeting minutes, sign-in sheet, photo, responses to bibbers' questions, increase period of performance. Correct soliciation number on Instructions for Two-Step Sealed Bidding document. -- THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS-SOLICITATION OF PROPOSED CONTRACT ACTION. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) is issuing a Two-Step Invitation for Bid (IFB). The solicitation will result in one (1) firm-fixed-price contract for a project titled Upgrade Fire Detection System at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) located in Honolulu, Hawaii. FDC Honolulu is a federal correctional institution located at 351 Elliott Street, Honolulu, HI 96819. The project consists of furnishing all equipment, materials, and labor for the complete construction to upgrade the fire detection system at the FDC Honolulu. The specification and construction drawings included in the attachments of this solicitation provides the requirements for the project. Site Visit: A site visit is planned for Tuesday, July 21, 2026. The details are in solicitation attachment Instructions for Two-Step Sealed Bidding, pages 3-4. Invitation For Bid (IFB) Evaluation Criteria: This solicitation and resulting contract is using the Two-Step Sealed Bidding procurement method as described in FAR Deviation 14.211. The two-step procedure is a combination of competitive procedures designed to obtain the benefits of sealed bidding while ensuring only technically acceptable firms participate in the priced sealed bid. The process allows for the Step-One technical proposal submission and evaluation to be performed to identify firms eligible for Step-Two. Contractors participating in the solicitation will submit a technical proposal in accordance with the solicitation attachments Instructions for Two-Step Sealed Bidding and Step-One Technical Proposal Factors. Submissions will be evaluated for acceptability in accordance with solicitation attachment Step-One Technical Proposal Evaluation. Under this bidding process, Step-One consists of the request for technical proposal, evaluation, and (if necessary) discussion of a technical proposal. The submission requirements of Step One, Request for Technical Proposal, shall not include any prices or pricing information. Only one (1) technical proposal may be submitted by each offeror. The technical proposals will be evaluated for technical acceptability. A notice of “acceptable” or “unacceptable” will be forwarded to each Step-One offeror upon completion of the technical proposal evaluation and final determination. The names of the offerors that submitted acceptable technical proposals will be listed on the Government’s SAM.gov solicitation posting for the benefit of prospective subcontractors. In Step-Two, an amendment to the solicitation will be issued along with any updates to the technical specifications and construction drawings to only those bidders whose technical proposals are determined to be acceptable in Step-One. The normal sealed bidding process in FAR Part 14 will be followed in Step-Two. Only bids based upon technical proposals determined to be acceptable, either initially or as a result of discussions for Step- One, will be considered for award. Bidders must comply with the 100% completed specifications and construction drawings and the bidder’s acceptable technical proposal. Bid bonds are not required to be submitted with the Step-One technical proposal. Bid bonds will be required to be submitted with the Step-Two bid submission. Payment and Performance Bonds will be required for the full amount (100%) at the time of contract award before the Notice to Proceed (NTP) can be issued. Any secured/locked documents (Specifications and Drawings) with the solicitation will require an active vendor registration at https://SAM.gov as well as your Marketing Partner Identification Number (MPIN) associated with your System for Award Management (SAM) registration. The controlled documents will not be emailed. If you encounter problems accessing these documents, please contact the Federal Service Desk at 866-606-8220. Pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Companion 36.101-3, the estimated magnitude of the project lies between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000. (NOTE: This range is not meant to imply that the project has necessarily been estimated/budgeted to the maximum of the selected range. It merely conveys that the estimate/budget lies somewhere within that range). The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code applicable to this requirement is 238210 with a corresponding small business size standard of $19 million. The solicitation will be distributed solely through the SAM database at https://SAM.gov. Hard copies of the solicitation will not be made available. The website provides download instructions. All future information about this solicitation, including any amendments, will also be distributed solely through this website. Interested parties are responsible for continuously monitoring this website to ensure that they have the most recent information about this proposed contract action. This is a 100 percent small business set-aside. In order to qualify for award, your business size metrics information entered in your SAM registration must be less than or equal to the size standard specified above (see provision 52.219-1 in the Representations & Certifications section of your registration and view the table therein listing NAICS codes and your indicated business size relative to the assigned NAICS code above). Each bidder's SAM registration will be reviewed by the Government to confirm that your business size meets the small business size standard requirement. All bidders are urged to double check their SAM registration and update as necessary, including the size metrics information. This solicitation is intended only for those who would be entering into a Prime contract with the FBOP for the entirety of this project. The FBOP does not award subcontracts. Subcontracts (if applicable/necessary) are the responsibility of the Prime contractor. The FBOP has no privity of the contract with subcontractors. IMPORTANT: Any contractor interested in obtaining a contract award with the FBOP must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://SAM.gov. If you have questions about SAM.gov, Government procurements in general, or need assistance in the preparation of your bid/proposal/offer, a local Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) may be able to help. The Procurement Technical Assistance Program was authorized by Congress in 1985 in an effort to expand the number of businesses capable of participating in the Government marketplace. To locate a PTAC near you, go to http://www.aptac-us.org.
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