Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
EROS Removal and replacement of chilled and conden
Department of the Interior · U.S. Geological Survey
AI summaryThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) wants a small business to replace chilled and condenser water piping at its Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, SD. This is a total small business set-aside, and the response due date is November 4, 2026, 5:00 PM Central. Award goes to the lowest-priced offer that meets minimum technical needs and has acceptable past performance (lowest price technically acceptable, LPTA), and a bid guarantee and bonds are required. More in the summary
AI summary Beta
This summary may miss requirements: 9 of 21 attachments weren't read (B08_Attachment_5_Bid_Schedule.xlsx, B08_Attachment_10_Payroll_WH-347.pdf and 7 more). Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) wants a small business to replace chilled and condenser water piping at its Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center in Sioux Falls, SD. This is a total small business set-aside, and the response due date is November 4, 2026, 5:00 PM Central. Award goes to the lowest-priced offer that meets minimum technical needs and has acceptable past performance (lowest price technically acceptable, LPTA), and a bid guarantee and bonds are required.
Who can bid
- Total small business set-aside: only small businesses can bid. The offeror must represent in SAM that it qualifies as a small business under the size standard for its North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, 238220.
- Active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) by the closing date, with annual representations and certifications completed in SAM.
- Bid guarantee of 20% of the bid price or $3 million, whichever is less.
Things to watch (11)
From the version posted Oct 15, 2026.
- Serious: Total small business set-aside. Only small businesses can send offers, and the offeror must claim size eligibility in SAM.gov.
- Serious: Bid guarantee and bonds required. A bid guarantee of 20% of the bid price or $3 million, whichever is less, goes with the offer, and the winner must furnish performance and payment bonds.
- Worth checking: Anticipated award date looks inconsistent. The notice gives an anticipated award date of November 4, 2027, but the performance period on the continuation sheet ends July 31, 2027. Ask the contracting officer which is right.
Show all 11Show fewer
- Worth checking: Performance period is negotiable and unclear. A vendor question cites 180 calendar days after notice to proceed, against the continuation sheet's November 4, 2026 to July 31, 2027. The Government answered that neither governs and the period is negotiable.
- Worth checking: Past performance questionnaires come from your clients. Three past performance questionnaires (PPQs) must reach the Government from your clients by the response due date; questionnaires sent by the offeror are not considered.
- Worth checking: Design work and a licensed engineer. Bidders must develop a design for the heating water piping and controls; the drawings are for reference only and only the statement of work is binding.
- Worth checking: Drawing counts differ and bidders must verify. A vendor noted 10 chilled water coils and 11 preheat coils on one drawing against 9 and 10 valves on another. The Government says bidders verify during the site visit and design.
- Worth checking: Occupied office building and data center. The building must stay fully functional, shutdowns need Government approval, work is Monday through Friday only, and weekend work is not permitted.
- Minor: Response due date extended to November 4, 2026. Amendment 0002 sets the response due date at November 4, 2026, 5:00 PM Central, so use that date and acknowledge all three amendments.
- Minor: The site visit was Oct 21, 2026. Check the notice and its amendments for whether attendance was required, and whether another visit is offered.
- Minor: Date passed (May 18, 2026): Wage determination corrected. Construction wage rate requirements (Davis-Bacon) apply, and Amendment 0002 corrects the wage determination to SD20260028 dated May 18, 2026; the wage file itself was not read.
Read from the notice and 12 attachments. 9 of 21 not read. Show which files.
- Sol_140G0126Q0288_Amd_0003.pdf (read)
- Sol_140G0126Q0288_Amd_0002.pdf (read)
- Sol_140G0126Q0288_Amd_0001.pdf (read)
- Sol_140G0126Q0288.pdf (read)
- B08_Attachment_2_2020-06-12_USGS_EROS_Specifications_Bid_Documents_Rev_1.pdf (read)
- B09_Attachment_1_SOW_EROS_Chilled_and_Condenser_Water_Piping_Rev_1_0002.docx (read)
- B08_Attachment_1_SOW_EROS_Chilled_and_Condenser_Water_Piping.pdf (read)
- B09_Attachment_15_Valve_Schedule_Damper_Schedule_0003.pdf (read)
- B09_Attachment_14_140G0126Q0288_Vendor_Questions_Amd_002_0002.docx (read)
- B08_Attachment_4_2020-06-12_USGS_EROS_Mech_Narrative_Bid_Documents.pdf (read)
- B08_Attachment_8_Performance_Bond_SF25-23a_upon_award.pdf (read)
- B08_Attachment_9_Subcontractor_Ack_SF1413-23a_upon_award.pdf (read)
- B08_Attachment_5_Bid_Schedule.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
- B08_Attachment_10_Payroll_WH-347.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- B08_Attachment_12_SF24-23a_Bid_Bond.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- B09_Attachment_6_Wage_Determination_SD20260028_dtd_18_May_2026_Amd_001_0002.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- B08_Attachment_6_Wage_Determination_SD20260026_dtd_18_May_2026.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- B08_Attachment_7_Payment_Bond_SF25A-23a_upon_award.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- B08_Attachment_11_Form_DI-137_Release_of_Claims.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- B08_Attachment_13_Past_Performance_Questionnaire_PPQ.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- B08_Attachment_3_20260317_USGS_EROS_Drawings_Bid_Documents_JLB.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
Full summary
What they want
- Remove the old chilled and condenser water piping serving the 1996 building addition, and install new piping from the mechanical room. Size it for the two 1996 York chillers at maximum capacity at once, approximately 600-ton (field verify).
- Develop a design and replace the heating water piping branches to the air handling units; the Government says a licensed professional engineer is required.
- Remove the pneumatic (air-powered) valves and actuators in the penthouse, including those on air handlers and cooling towers. Install electric actuators; the Honeywell controllers may be reused, and Amendment 0003 adds a valve and damper schedule.
- Update the control sequence to work with the existing Honeywell BACnet front end.
- Build the new pipe chase through office 1414 and rearrange the office; clean, flush and chemically treat the new piping; do testing, adjusting and balancing.
- Keep the offices and computer rooms running during the work, in phases, with every shutdown coordinated and approved by the Government.
- Submit a Gantt-chart-type construction schedule within 10 days of the notice to proceed (NTP, the Government's order to start). Also submit a submittal log, a punch list (list of incomplete items) and closeout submittals.
- Not included: the third chiller, and the taps for a future pond heat rejection system, which the Government's answers removed from scope.
- Contract type
- Firm-fixed-price (FFP): one set price, whatever the work ends up costing
- Period of performance
- The continuation sheet shows November 4, 2026 to July 31, 2027 (delivery July 31, 2027). A vendor question cites 180 calendar days after the notice to proceed in Block 11 of Standard Form 1442 (SF 1442, the construction offer form). The Government answered that neither governs and the period is negotiable.
- Place of performance
- USGS/EROS Science Center, 47914 252nd Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57198
- Estimated value
- Not stated
- How they'll choose
- Lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA): offers are ranked by price, the lowest-priced offer is checked for technical acceptability and then past performance, and the first to pass both wins. No tradeoffs.
- Offers due
- November 4, 2026, 5:00 PM Central
What they'll judge offers on
- Price (Factor 3): completed Bid Schedule, firm-fixed-price, checked for completeness and reasonableness; reviewed first to find the lowest-priced offer
- Technical acceptability: the lowest-priced offer must meet all minimum requirements in the technical evaluation factors; if not, the next lowest is checked
- Past Performance: rated acceptable or unacceptable only, with no ranking. Firms with no relevant record get a neutral rating. Based on recent, relevant work, questionnaires and Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) reports
What to include when you submit
- Fill in the Attachment 5 Bid Schedule (a spreadsheet) and enter 140G0126Q0288 in its project number field.
- Include general conditions and supervision in each line item's labor cost.
- Price must be firm-fixed-price, and prices stay firm for 60 calendar days after the date set for receipt of offers.
- Send a bid guarantee with the offer: a bid bond or other firm commitment for 20% of the bid price or $3 million, whichever is less.
- Past performance: send a list of the three projects for which past performance questionnaires (PPQs) were requested. Give contract number, client, dollar value and scope; add CPARS reports if available.
- Give each of the three clients a PPQ to finish and send to kimberly_schneider@ios.doi.gov by the response due date; PPQs sent directly by the offeror are not considered.
- Identify subcontractor past performance if it applies to major portions of the work.
- Keep an active SAM.gov registration through the response due date and finish annual representations and certifications in SAM.gov; nothing separate to submit if they are complete.
- Questions go by email to Kimberly_schneider@ios.doi.gov; questions are due October 28, 2026, 5:00 PM Central.
After award, you must have
- Performance and payment bonds (SF 25 and SF 25A forms are attached for use upon award). From Sol_140G0126Q0288.pdf:
*Bonds Required*…
- A licensed professional engineer for the design work on the heating water piping and controls. From B09_Attachment_14_140G0126Q0288_Vendor_Questions_Amd_002_0002.docx:
Yes, a licensed professional engineer will be required…
- Security clearance and building passes for all contractor personnel before work starts on site. From B09_Attachment_1_SOW_EROS_Chilled_and_Condenser_Water_Piping_Rev_1_0002.docx:
Prior to commencement, the contractor shall comply with the security clearance requirements in this contract…
Not in the notice text
- Part of the main solicitation (Section L proposal instructions and technical evaluation details) wasn't in the text read.
- Attached but not read: B08_Attachment_5_Bid_Schedule.xlsx, the two wage determination files, and the bid bond and payment bond forms.
- Also attached but not read: the payroll form WH-347, Form DI-137, the PPQ form and the drawings (B08_Attachment_3); the 2020 specifications (B08_Attachment_2) were only partly read.
- How to submit the offer (email or another way) is not stated in the text read; contact Kimberly Schneider at Kimberly_Schneider@ios.doi.gov.
- Quantities, bid schedule line items and the contract value.
- The amount of the performance and payment bonds.
- The detailed technical acceptability criteria and any limits on proposal length.
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 238220
- How and where to submit is in the notice text and its attachments on SAM.gov.
- 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
- Oct 15, 2026
- Notice type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- Office
- Ofc of Acqusition Grants-National, Reston, VA
- Product/service code
- Z2DB · Repair or Alteration of Laboratories and Clinics
- Business type
- Construction & renovation (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 238220)
- Versions
4 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 15, 2026 · Amendment 0003 (this version)Due Nov 4, 2026
- Oct 14, 2026 · Amendment 0002Due Nov 4, 2026 (changed)
- Sep 23, 2026 · Amendment 0001Due Oct 20, 2026
- Sep 21, 2026 · Combined Synopsis/SolicitationDue Oct 20, 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
*Amendment 003 provides CAD print with a schedule of valves and dampers* *Amendment 0002 updates SOW, posts Q&A, corrects WD, additional site visit October 21, 2026, sets question deadline and extends response date to November 4, 2026* *Amendment 0001 corrects Section L Site Visit date to October 6, 2026* Request for Quote (RFQ) 140G0126Q0288 *Site Visit October 6, 2026 at 9 AM local time at USGS/EROS Science Center, 47914 252nd Street, Sioux Falls SD 57198* (1)Point of contact. Kimberly Schneider, Department of Interior, Reston Science Acquisition Branch, Kimberly_Schneider@ios.doi.gov (2) Set-asides. Total small business set-aside (3) Codes for services or supplies. NAICS 238220; PSC Z2DB (4) Description. (i) The Department of Interior, USGS/Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota is seeking professional firms to provide construction to remove and replace chilled water piping and condenser water piping which serves the 1996 building addition at EROS. Location is the USGS/EROS Science Center, 47914 252nd Street, Sioux Falls SD 57198. A design to upgrade the system was completed as a result on 6/12/2020 titled Earth Resources Observation and Science Center Phase 1: EROS Fluid Coolers Design Services (Attachment 2). The 6/12/2020 as built drawings are included in Attachment 3 along with the mechanical system design criteria (Attachment 4). Due to cost constraints, the design, drawings and mechanical design attachments are provided for reference and basis of design only. Removal and replacement of cooling towers have been completed. The third chiller will not be completed under this contract. Design reference documents to illustrate prior design intent and existing conditions. Only the requirements specifically identified in the Statement of Work constitute the contractually binding scope. (ii) Procedures in accordance with FAR 12.201-1 Simplified procedures. The anticipated award date is November 4, 2027. (iii) N/A (iv) Technical data will be furnished as attachments to this solicitation. (v)Award of a construction contract to a small business is anticipated. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 36.101-4 requires agencies to provide a description of policies and procedures that apply to definitization of equitable adjustments for change orders under construction contracts and data on the time required to definitize equitable adjustments for change orders under construction contracts. This information can be found at: https://www.doi.gov/pam/acquisition/policy/constructioncontract. (vi) All responsible sources may submit a quotation, bid, or proposal, as appropriate, which will be considered by the agency. (vii) N/A (viii) The offeror must represent, within SAM, that it qualifies as a small business under the applicable NAICS-based size standards. This shall be done through the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), where the offeror must self-certify their small business status by claiming the appropriate NAICS code and affirming size eligibility.