Solicitation
Fort Bliss National Cemetery, Gravesite Expansion and FCA Deficiencies
Department of Veterans Affairs · Sol. 36C78626B0028
Due in 33 daysSDVOSB
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The VA National Cemetery Administration wants a contractor to expand burial space at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso, Texas, and to fix facility condition (FCA) deficiencies at cemetery buildings and grounds. It is a sealed-bid construction job reserved for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSB), with a stated size of roughly $10 million to $20 million and an 18-month work period. Bids are due by email on October 27, 2026 at 1:00 pm MDT.
Watch out for
- Large bid guarantee and 100% bonds. You need a bid bond of 20% of your price (up to $3 million) in the email at bid time, then full performance and payment bonds within 5 days, which many small firms cannot get.
Failure to provide electronic bid guarantee by the date and time set for receipt of
- Big, multi-trade project. Estimated at $10 to $20 million, covering site work, crypts, historic building renovations and electrical, mechanical, fire alarm and security systems, so you need strong subcontractors and capacity.
The magnitude of construction for this project is estimated to be between $10,000,000 and $20,000,000.
- Site visit and question deadline already passed. The site visit was September 22, 2026 and written questions closed October 2, 2026, so you cannot ask new questions before bidding.
October 2, 2026, at 15:00 (MDT) No late questions will be accepted or answered after this
- Single email, 5 MB limit. All bid documents and the bond must fit in one email under 5 MB, and the bid can be rejected if it is not received on time.
Only one email is permitted. This email should contain at least the following:
- Limitations on subcontracting. As an SDVOSB set-aside you must self-perform a required share of the work and sign a certificate, which limits how much you can subcontract.
Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting - Certificate of Compliance for Services
- Historic landmark with strict standards. The cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places, so work must follow Secretary of the Interior standards and be documented.
Work on historic resources must meet the Secretary of the Interiors Standards
- Restricted work hours and interruptions. Work is only allowed during normal operating hours and must stop for ceremonies and burials, which can slow progress and add cost.
All work must take place during normal operating hours.
- Damage repaired at your cost. Any damage to existing gravesites, pavement, utilities or plants must be fixed in kind at no cost to the Government.
DAMAGE TO BE REPAIRED IN KIND AT NO COST
- Possible hazardous materials work. The spec list includes asbestos abatement and lead-based paint removal sections, which may need specialized subcontractors and add cost.
Lead-Based Paint Removal and Disposal
- Unbalanced bid risk. A bid can be thrown out if line-item prices are materially unbalanced, so spread costs carefully across the base and option items.
The Government may reject a bid as nonresponsive if the prices bid are materially
- Offsite parking at your expense. Parking on site is limited and the Government will not pay for the offsite parking your crew will need.
Offsite parking will be required, VA NCA will not reimburse
- Possible mismatch on price format. The SOW talks about a proposal with a detailed cost breakdown matching the project schedule, while the solicitation is a sealed bid with a Price Schedule form; confirm which format is required.
Read from the notice and 12 attachments. 9 not read in full.
- S02_36C78626B0028 Solicitation.pdf
- Fort Bliss Gravesite Expansion - Specifications Full Book.pdf
- S02_Attachment - 886CM3026 Fort Bliss NC SOW.pdf
- Fort Bliss Gravesite Expansion BD Part 1.pdf
- Fort Bliss Gravesite Expansion BD Part 2.pdf
- Fort Bliss Gravesite Expansion BD Part 10.pdf
- Fort Bliss Gravesite Expansion BD Part 11.pdf
- Fort Bliss Gravesite Expansion BD Part 5.pdf
- Fort Bliss Gravesite Expansion BD Part 7.pdf
- Fort Bliss Gravesite Expansion BD Part 8.pdf
- Fort Bliss Gravesite Expansion BD Part 6.pdf
- Fort Bliss Gravesite Expansion BD Part 4.pdf
- Fort Bliss Gravesite Expansion BD Part 9.pdf: too large
- Fort Bliss Gravesite Expansion BD Part 3.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02_Attachment - Price Schedule Sheet.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02_Attachment - Limitations on Subcontracting Cert.docx: over the file limit for one brief
- S02_Attachment - Standard Form 1413.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02_Attachment - DOL Payroll Form.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02_Attachment - Wage Determination Building.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02_Attachment - Wage Determination Heavy.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
- S02_Attachment - Davis-Bacon Act Poster.pdf: over the file limit for one brief
Full brief
What they want
- Base bid (CLIN 01): burial expansion and sitework plus the FCA deficiency repairs, built as shown on the plans and specifications
- Bid Option 1 (CLIN 02): additional burial expansion and sitework as shown on the plans and specifications
- Renovate cemetery buildings (administration, maintenance, restroom/PIC, honor guard shelter, irrigation pump house, rostrum) per the drawing list, including demolition, roofing, finishes, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, low-voltage, fire alarm and security work
- Site work: demolition, grading and erosion control, storm drainage, utilities, a new street, planting and irrigation, signage and furnishings
- Build precast concrete burial crypts and gravesite layouts (the cover sheet summary lists about 11,517 gravesites in total: 8,853 base and 2,664 option)
- Work around an active cemetery: normal operating hours only, stop for ceremonies and interments, keep visitor access open
- Meet historic-preservation standards because the cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places
- Provide a price breakdown that matches the project schedule line items
- Contract type
- Sealed bid (Invitation for Bids) construction contract; one base line item (CLIN 01) plus one priced option line item (CLIN 02). Pricing type (such as firm-fixed-price) is not spelled out in the visible text.
- Period of performance
- 18 calendar months from notice to proceed (per the scope of work). Timing for exercising the option is not stated in the visible text.
- Place of performance
- Fort Bliss National Cemetery, 5200 Fred Wilson Avenue, El Paso, TX 79906
- Estimated value
- Magnitude of construction estimated between $10,000,000 and $20,000,000
- How they'll choose
- Sealed bidding: award to the responsible bidder with the most advantageous conforming bid considering price and price-related factors only. Base price plus all option prices are added together for evaluation. No discussions. Bids can be rejected as nonresponsive if prices are materially unbalanced between line items.
- Offers due
- October 27, 2026 at 1:00 pm MDT (13:00 MDT), per the SF 1442 and the notice deadline
- How to submit
- One email only to Contracting Officer Daniel Kinney, daniel.kinney@va.gov, with the subject line 'Bid 36C78626B0028 Fort Bliss NC Gravesite Expansion and FCA Deficiencies'. Bids are opened and read by public teleconference (1-872-701-0185, conference ID 463558141).
- Page limits
- No page limit stated. The email must not exceed 5 megabytes and files must be Adobe PDF.
What they'll judge offers on
- Total price (base bid plus option)
- Responsiveness to the solicitation (complete, signed bid package with bid guarantee)
- Responsibility of the bidder
What to include when you submit
- Completed and signed SF 1442 offer section, with your SAM.gov Unique Entity Identifier in Block 14
- Acknowledge every amendment (Block 19 of the SF 1442 or return the signed amendment forms)
- Completed Price Schedule covering all CLINs and the grand total of all CLINs
- Bid guarantee on Standard Form 24 with power of attorney documents, sent electronically with the bid
- Signed VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting - Certificate of Compliance (VAAR 852.219-75)
- Responses to FAR provisions 52.209-7(b), 52.209-12(b)(1), (2) and (3), 52.209-13(b) and 52.229-11(d)
- Questions were due October 2, 2026 at 15:00 MDT by email only, and answers come by amendment on SAM.gov
- Performance bond (SF 25) and payment bond (SF 25A) for 100% of the contract amount are due within 5 calendar days after award
- Register on SAM.gov as an Interested Vendor and watch for amendments; the SOW also asks for a detailed price breakdown matching the project schedule line items
You must have
- Must be a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB); this is a set-aside
NOTICE OF SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS (SDVOSB) SET ASIDE IN ACCORDANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 109-461.
- Small business under NAICS 237990 (size standard $45 million)
NAICS code 237990 is applicable for this procurement with the small business size standard of $45 million.
- Active SAM.gov registration with a Unique Entity Identifier shown on the offer form
Unique Entity Identifier associated with SAM.gov in Block 14.
- Bid guarantee (SF 24) of at least 20 percent of the bid price, capped at $3,000,000, submitted with the bid
A bid guarantee (SF24) is required in an amount not less than 20 percent of the bid
- Ability to furnish performance and payment bonds at 100% of the contract amount within 5 days of award
in the penal sum of 100% of the awarded contract amount shall be submitted within five (5)
- Sign the VA limitations-on-subcontracting certificate (you must keep a minimum share of the work in-house; the percentage is in the clause text, which was not fully visible)
Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting - Certificate of Compliance for Services
- VETS-4212 federal contractor veterans report must be on file before award
unless the awardee has filed their VETS-4212 report.
- Davis-Bacon wage determinations and certified payroll forms apply (listed in Section G)
G.4 CERTIFIED PAYROLL FORMS:
- Contractor must obtain all permits before starting construction
CONTRACTOR SHALL OBTAIN ALL PERMITS
Not in the notice text
- The Price Schedule (CLIN prices and quantities) was not provided, so the pay items and units are unknown
- The middle of the solicitation (most FAR clauses, liquidated damages rate, insurance, limitations on subcontracting percentage, instructions L.1 to L.11) was left out, so those details are unknown
- Wage determinations, SF 1413, the limitations on subcontracting certificate and two sets of drawings (BD Parts 3 and 9) were not read
- Most of the 1,000,000-character specification book and the middle of each drawing set were left out
- Whether and when the Government will exercise Bid Option 1 is not stated in the visible text
- Whether any amendments exist beyond the original solicitation is unknown; check SAM.gov
- Bid acceptance period and any required start date: the SF 1442 text is partly garbled in the extract
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Key facts
- Response due
- Nov 12, 2026, 5:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Oct 8, 2026
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Solicitation
- 36C78626B0028
- Agency
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Office
- National Cemetery Admin (36C786)
- Set-aside
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Set-Aside (FAR 19.14)
- NAICS
- 237990
- Product/service code
- Y1PZ
- Business type
- Construction & renovation
- Place of performance
- El Paso, TX, 79906
- Contracting contact
- Daniel Kinneydaniel.kinney@va.gov4028304683
- Versions
- 2 (amended since first posted)
Before you respond
Full notice text from SAM.gov
10/08/2026: Amendment 0001 published. See attached amendment and supporting documents. See attached solicitation and supporting documents
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