Solicitation
657-26-602 Create Observation Unit JC
Department of Veterans Affairs · Sol. 36C25526R0162
Due in 7 daysSDVOSB sole source
AI summary Beta
Some details weren't available to this summary, so it may miss requirements. Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The VA (Network Contracting Office 15) wants a contractor to build a 3-bed observation unit inside the existing Emergency Department at the John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis, MO, and to renovate seven other rooms, while the department keeps running. It is an SDVOSB set-aside decided on lowest price among technically acceptable offers. Work is 550 days plus a one-year guarantee period, and proposals are due 14 Oct 2026 at 2:00 PM Central by email.
Watch out for
- Hazardous material survey and cost risk on the bidder. The bid must include a NESHAP hazardous material report, the contractor removes whatever it finds, and any additional hazardous material found later is at no added cost to the Government, which is a large unpriced risk.
MATERIAL FOUND DURING CONSTRUCTION WILL BE RESPONSIBILITY OF
- Bid bond and 100% performance and payment bonds. A bid guarantee of 20% of the bid price must come with the offer (original by mail), then full bonds after award, which can strain a small business's bonding capacity.
A bid guarantee is required in an amount not less than 20 percent of the bid price
- Missing or incomplete specifications and conflicting factors. Bidders asked whether specifications exist and pointed out that Factor 4 and the guarantee-period text refer to electronic keys that this project does not seem to involve; the Government's answers were not in the text provided.
46. Will specifications be provided for this project.
- Strict pass/fail past performance and staffing requirements. Under LPTA, failing any of the five factors (for example no qualifying 24-hour hospital project in the $500,000 to $1,000,000 range, or missing key staff) knocks you out regardless of price.
NOTE: Failure to comply with the RFP requirements may be grounds to eliminate the proposal
- Construction inside an operating Emergency Department. Four phases with infection control barriers and interim life safety measures while patients are treated make scheduling and safety harder.
- Set-aside label and due dates conflict. SAM.gov lists SDVOSB sole source while the solicitation says an SDVOSB set-aside with LPTA competition; the SF 1442 and instructions still show 8/25/2026 but Amendment 0003 sets 10/14/2026 at 2PM CST, which controls.
B: The Proposal due has changed from 9/23/2026 to 10/14/2026 by 2PM CST.
- Taxes and wage rules. State and local sales or use taxes must be priced in with no exemption, Davis-Bacon wages apply to construction and Service Contract Act wages to guarantee services.
Read from the notice and 6 attachments. 1 not read in full.
- S02 SOLICITATION 36C25526R0162_1.pdf
- 36C25526R0162 AMENDMENT 0003.pdf
- 36C25526R0162 AMENDMENT 0002.pdf
- 36C25526R0162 AMENDMENT 0001.pdf
- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION TO GOVERMENT 657-26-602 REVISED.pdf
- S02 ATTACHMENT COMBINED SPECS AND DRAWINGS 657-26-602.pdf
- SITE VISIT SIGN-IN SHEET 657-26-602JC.pdf: scanned PDF: no text to read
Full brief
What they want
- Convert three rooms into a 3-bed Observation Unit inside the Emergency Room suite footprint
- Renovate seven rooms, including relocated triage rooms and a reception desk
- Walls, finishes, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and medical gas work, phased to keep the ED operating (four phases shown on drawings)
- Infection control (ICRA) barriers and interim life safety measures during the work
- Hazardous material (NESHAP) report with the bid and removal of any hazardous materials found
- Submit pricing for each CLIN, including CLIN 0002 one-year guarantee period services
- Performance and payment bonds, plus a bid guarantee with the offer
- Contract type
- Construction contract; priced by CLIN (CLIN 0001 base construction, CLIN 0002 guarantee period services); no liquidated damages
- Period of performance
- 550 calendar days for the base work, starting within 10 calendar days of notice to proceed, plus 1 year of guarantee period services after acceptance
- Place of performance
- John Cochran VA Medical Center, 915 N Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63106 (Building 1, Floor 01)
- Estimated value
- Construction magnitude $500,000 to $1,000,000
- How they'll choose
- Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA): award goes to the lowest evaluated price among proposals that pass all five technical acceptability factors; award may be made without discussions
- Offers due
- October 14, 2026 at 2:00 PM Central (Amendment 0003; earlier dates of 8/25, 9/1 and 9/23 were superseded)
- How to submit
- Email to Gislaine Dorvil, Gislaine.Dorvil@va.gov (Part 1 Technical Proposal and Part 2 Price Proposal as attachments); original bid bond must also reach the Leavenworth, KS contracting office before closing
What they'll judge offers on
- Relevant Past Performance of Prime Contractor (2 to 4 completed projects, $500,000 to under $1,000,000, at 24-hour hospital or medical facility, within 5 years, satisfactory or better, CPARS)
- Technical Construction Experience of Prime Contractor (2 to 4 similar projects, modernization or demolition and installation of critical components in a medical facility)
- Technical Experience of Proposed Key Staffing (Project Manager, QC Manager, On-site Safety Officer, Site Superintendent)
- Technical Construction Experience of Proposed Manufacturer, Suppliers, Installer or Related Subcontractors
- Contractor Safety Plan
What to include when you submit
- Email size under 10 MB per email; use multiple emails labeled 1 of 3, 2 of 3 and so on if needed
- No physical copies of proposals accepted; original bid bond mailed or couriered to Attn: Gislaine Dorvil, NCO 15, 3450 S. 4th Street Trafficway, Leavenworth, KS 66048
- Submit the SF 1442 with Blocks 10 and 14 through 20 filled in, acknowledging all amendments (0001 to 0003)
- Include a bid guarantee (photocopy with the bid, original within two business days of request)
- Documentation for the five technical acceptability factors, with detailed resumes for each key staff member and project references with points of contact
- Price each CLIN, including monthly and 12-month totals for CLIN 0002 guarantee period services, and a price breakdown (Appendix 1)
- Return signed VAAR 852.219-75 limitations on subcontracting certificate and provide your Unique Entity ID
- Hazardous material (NESHAP) report for areas to be disturbed, submitted with the bid per the drawings
- Questions were due 8/12/2026; answers to RFIs were to be posted about 9/30/2026
You must have
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-aside (SAM.gov field says sole source but the solicitation says set-aside competition)
This project is being solicited as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-aside.
- Registered in SAM and VetBiz by the proposal due date
and joint ventures must be registered in SAM and VetBiz by the proposal due date in order to be eligible for award.
- Filed VETS-4212 report for the preceding fiscal year
contractor who has not filed a VETS-4212 report for the preceding fiscal year under Title 38 Section 4212 (d).
- Bid guarantee of at least 20 percent of the bid price (up to $3,000,000)
A bid guarantee is required in an amount not less than 20 percent of the bid price
- Performance and payment bonds of 100% of the contract price, covering the guarantee period services
Performance and Payment Bonds will be required in the amount of 100% of the contract
- Prime must have 2 to 4 qualifying completed hospital or medical facility projects, $500,000 to under $1,000,000, with CPARS
Construction work, at a hospital or medical facility operating 24 hours a
- Key staff with resumes and experience: Project Manager, QC Manager, On-site Safety Officer (OSHA 30), Site Superintendent (OSHA 30), each with at least 5 years and 3 similar projects
Qualified offerors must submit a detailed resume of each key individual.
- Limitations on subcontracting for general construction (no more than 85% to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs or VOSBs); return signed 852.219-75 certificate
85% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed
Not in the notice text
- Price proposal instructions and Appendix 1 price breakdown: about 123,000 characters of the middle of the solicitation were left out, including the price proposal section and other clauses
- The Government's answers to bidder RFIs (promised about 9/30/2026) were not included, so scope clarifications are unknown
- Whether specification sections will be issued; the drawing set provided has drawings only, and the guarantee-period services refer to specification Section 28 05 00 that was not provided
- Whether a hazardous material NESHAP report is pass/fail for technical acceptability (asked in RFI, answer not provided)
- Site visit sign-in sheet was a scanned PDF and was not read
- Part of the drawings and specifications attachment was left out
Is this a fit for your business?
Create a free accountFedReady checks notices like this against your business profile, tracks deadlines, and alerts you to new matches. Creating an account is free.
Key facts
- Response due
- Oct 14, 2026, 7:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Sep 23, 2026
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Solicitation
- 36C25526R0162
- Agency
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Office
- 255-Network Contract Office 15 (36C255)
- Set-aside
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Sole Source (FAR 19.14)
- NAICS
- 236220
- Product/service code
- Z2DA
- Business type
- Construction & renovation
- Place of performance
- Saint Louis, MO, 63125
- Contracting contact
- Gislaine DorvilGislaine.Dorvil@va.gov9139461139
- Versions
- 7 (amended since first posted)
Full notice text from SAM.gov
Amendment 0003 is issued. Please see amendment 0003 in attachment section and associated documents. The proposal due date has changed to 10-14-2026. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Amendment 0002 is issued. Please see amendment 0002 in attachment section and associated documents. The proposal due date has changed to 9-23-2026. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Amendment 0001 is issued. Please see amendment 0001 in attachment section and associated documents. The proposal due date has changed to 9-1-2026. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8/4/2026:THE SITE VISIT LOCATION HAS BEEN UPDATED TO RERFLECT: SITE VISIT: A site visit will be conducted on 08-5-2026 at 10:00 AM CST. Location: Saint Louis VAMC Building #16, Room #B201 on the 2nd Floor at 10:00AM CST. The building is located directly across from the Emergency Room. POC: WALTER STAAS PHONE:314-652-4100 JCx58723 _______________________________________________________________________________________ PLEASE RESPOND BY THE SPECIFIED DATE AND TIME TO BE CONSIDERED FOR CONTRACT AWARD.
Similar open opportunities
- Barillas Peak & Encino Vista Lookout Tower Restoration, Santa Fe NFThe U.S. Forest Service (Southwest) wants quotes to design and replace the cab (the room at the top) of the Barillas Lookout Tower on the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico,…
- Trade and Cargo AcademyThe Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District wants a contractor to build a Trade and Cargo Academy and a Cargo Security and Seized Property Training Facility at the Federal…
- FCKY UEPH Barracks CM@RiskThe Army Corps of Engineers (Louisville District) is doing market research for construction of Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing (barracks) at Fort Campbell, KY, using a…
- Lease Fit-Out Construction in Nuuk, Greenland - Sources Sought/Market ResearchThe U.S. Department of State (Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations) is doing market research for a construction contract to fit out three floors of a leased, occupied building…
- Fort Lee Vehicle Recovery RangeThe Army Corps of Engineers (Norfolk District) wants a contractor to build 24 concrete turning pads with site drainage and road alignment and repair at Fort Lee, Virginia.