Switchgear Replacement and Upgrades Project for BLDG 49

This federal solicitation (No. 75N98026R00123) is issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for Design-Build Services to upgrade the emergency electrical power system during outages in Building 49. Estimated between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000, this construction project is a total small business set-aside. Offers are due by August 10, 2026, with a required performance period of 168 calendar days from August 11, 2026, to January 26, 2027. The procurement is conducted as a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selection. Proposals must be submitted electronically in three volumes: Technical, Price, and Past Performance/Certifications. The technical volume must address the construction approach, preliminary project schedule, and key personnel qualifications. The price volume must propose a firm-fixed-price, and the past performance volume must include at least three similar projects completed within the last five years. To be eligible for award, offerors must attend a mandatory site visit and sign the official attendance roster. Proposals will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis for technical acceptability, which requires demonstrating relevant experience, qualified key personnel, and a feasible technical approach. Pricing will be evaluated for reasonableness, balance, and performance risk. Unacceptable proposals, late submissions, or those from offerors who missed the mandatory site visit will be excluded from award consideration.

This National Institutes of Health (NIH) Statement of Work (SOW) outlines a Design-Build project (Work Request # C104567) to replace the emergency switchgear and upgrade the generator system in Building 49 at the Bethesda, Maryland campus. Building 49 is an eight-story, 274,500-square-foot facility housing offices, research laboratories, and a Central Animal Facility. The existing emergency electrical equipment is outdated, posing operational and safety risks to these sensitive environments. The selected Design-Build Contractor (DBC) will provide turnkey services, including architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering, alongside complete construction execution. Key scope items include decommissioning and removing the existing 1500kW diesel generator and fuel systems, and installing a new, highly reliable 1500kW diesel generator compatible with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), complete with a new day tank, fuel piping, and integrated controls. The DBC must adhere to the NIH Design Requirements Manual (DRM), National Fire Codes, and applicable federal and state environmental regulations. The contract requires a 168-calendar-day design phase with phased submittals (65%, 100%, and Issue for Construction) developed via Autodesk Revit. Post-award obligations include hosting kick-off and quality assurance meetings, implementing a Site-Specific Accident Prevention Plan, and maintaining a full-time construction superintendent and quality control manager. Final project closeout requires comprehensive operations and maintenance manuals, as-built drawings, and final testing reports.