Electrical Power Distribution Equipment Testing, Inspection, and Maintenance - VAMC Cleveland

VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF · VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF · 250-NETWORK CONTRACT OFFICE 10 (36C250) is soliciting J061--541 Electrical Power Distribution Equipment Testing, Inspection, and Maintenance - VAMC Cleveland. Solicitation number 36C25027Q0014. Classified under NAICS 238210 — Electrical Contractors. Product/service code J061 — MAINT-REP OF POWER DISTRIBUTION EQ. Place of performance: OH, USA. Responses are due by 30 October 2026 19:00 UTC. Posted on SAM.gov, the US federal contract opportunities system; registration is required to bid.

The purpose of this amendment is to provide answers to the questions received prior to the cutoff date. In addition to providing answer to the questions, a site visit is also set for 0900 on Tuesday 10 October 2026 at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center 10701 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-1702. We will meet at the information desk, first floor of the Atrium. This is directly across from the parking garage. Is this a new requirement or a recompete? If a recompete, please identify the incumbent contractor, the previous contract number, and the prior contract value. The final option year of the previous contract 36C25022F0010 has expired. Can prior test reports (most recent tri-annual cycle, IR survey, oil analysis) be provided to help establish equipment condition and test history? Prior test reports will not be shared outside of authorized staff. What is the estimated contract value or funding range for this requirement? This is not a construction requirement and therefore we do not have a project magnitude. The circuit breaker testing schedules for Option Year 1 (November 1, 2027 October 31, 2028) and Option Year 4 (November 1, 2030 October 31, 2031) appear to omit the quantity column shown in the other annual schedules. Could the Government provide revised schedules identifying the quantities for each listed circuit breaker in these two option years? Edited spreadsheet for breaker listing provided below. The SOW identifies working hours of 7:00 a.m. 11:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday when maintenance requires an electrical power interruption. However, we could not locate an equipment schedule distinguishing Normal (Monday Friday) equipment from Critical (Saturday Sunday) equipment. Could the Government provide this classification or confirm how contractors should determine which equipment requires weekend work for pricing purposes? Any work that requires power to be interrupted will be completed on Sunday s, during daylight hours. Work that does not require power interruption, i.e. IR scan or transformer oil samples can be completed M-F during normal working hours. The section requires electrical contracting to be the primary specialty of the contractor's business and references properly trained and licensed permanent staff. Would the VA consider a qualified small-business prime contractor that provides contract management, coordination, quality assurance, and oversight while utilizing an experienced electrical testing subcontractor with the required NETA certifications, licensed personnel, equipment, and relevant past performance? This requirement is intended for contractors whose primary business specialty is electrical testing, inspection, maintenance, and repair of electrical power distribution systems. The Government expects the prime contractor to possess the technical qualifications, experience, and personnel necessary to directly perform the primary work requirements identified in this SOW. While the use of subcontractors is not prohibited, the Government does not intend for the prime contractor's role to be limited solely to contract administration, quality assurance, and oversight while substantially all technical work is performed by a subcontractor. Offerors shall comply with all applicable subcontracting and performance requirements identified in the solicitation and applicable regulations. Technician certification equivalence: the statement of work requires technicians certified to NETA standards or an equivalent certifying organization. Would NICET-certified technicians performing testing to the latest NETA MTS standards be accepted as equivalent for this requirement? NICET-certified technicians may be accepted as meeting the "equivalent certifying organization" requirement, provided the certification is in a relevant electrical testing, maintenance, or power-distribution-related subfield and the individual possesses the knowledge, training, and experience necessary to perform the testing, inspection, maintenance, and troubleshooting activities required under this contract. Consistent with the SOW requirements, personnel performing the work shall have a minimum of five (5) years of relevant documented experience and shall perform all testing in accordance with the latest edition of the NETA Maintenance Testing Specifications (MTS). Additionally, NICET Level III or higher in an applicable electrical power testing or power distribution discipline will be considered equivalent to the NETA certification requirement. Additionally, would the VA consider the subcontractor's technical qualifications and past performance when evaluating the prime contractor's technical capability? This requirement is intended for contractors whose primary business specialty is electrical testing, inspection, maintenance, and repair of electrical power distribution systems. The Government expects the prime contractor to possess the technical qualifications, experience, and personnel necessary to directly perform the primary work requirements identified in this SOW. While subcontractors may be utilized as permitted by the solicitation, the Government does not intend for the prime contractor's role to be limited solely to contract administration, quality assurance, and oversight while substantially all technical work is performed by a subcontractor. Evaluation of technical capability and past performance will be conducted in accordance with the evaluation criteria specified in the solicitation. Finally, please confirm which limitation on subcontracting applies to this procurement under NAICS 238210. The NAICS for this requirement is 238210 Offer due date: The SAM.gov notice header lists a response date of October 19, 2026, but the solicitation text says quotes are due October 23, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET. Please confirm which date and time govern. SAM was corrected within 4 hours of the posting to reflect 10/23/2026 at 15:00 which matches the solicitation that was posted. Period of performance: The SOW lists a base year of November 1, 2026 through October 31, 2027, plus four option years. Please confirm the anticipated award date that supports a November 1 start. The current need is to start 11/1/2026. The period of performance will start as soon as possible if not on 11/1/2026. The SOW requires NETA-certified technicians "or equivalent." Please confirm whether the certification may be held by the subcontractor's technicians doing the testing, and which other certifications are acceptable as equivalent. The Government expects the prime contractor to possess the technical qualifications, experience, and personnel necessary to directly perform the primary testing, inspection, maintenance, and troubleshooting activities required under this contract. The use of qualified subcontractors is permitted; however, the prime contractor shall maintain an active onsite role and directly perform a substantial portion of the work with its own qualified personnel. The prime contractor's role shall not be limited solely to contract administration, project management, quality assurance, or oversight functions. For personnel qualification purposes, NETA-certified technicians are acceptable. As an equivalent certification, the Government will accept NICET Level III or higher certification in an applicable electrical power testing or power distribution discipline, provided the technician has a minimum of five (5) years of documented relevant experience and performs testing in accordance with the latest edition of the NETA Maintenance Testing Specifications (MTS). Limitations on subcontracting: The solicitation includes FAR 52.219-14. Please confirm that the services limit applies (no more than 50% of the amount paid may go to subcontractors that are not similarly situated). Yes the clause applies to this requirement. Payment: The solicitation includes clause 52.232-90 Fast Payment Procedure, which covers supply deliveries. Please confirm how invoicing will work for this service: after each testing event is completed and accepted, or monthly in arrears. Invoice upon completion, not more than Monthly. The evaluation weighs technical capability and requires references. Is there a prescribed format or minimum number of references quoters should submit, and should the references be healthcare or VA facility electrical testing work? The relevance of references, due to the complexity of performing electrical testing, maintenance, and outage activities within an operating healthcare environment, the Government recommends that offerors provide references demonstrating experience performing work of similar scope, complexity, and operational criticality whenever available. References involving healthcare facilities, VA medical facilities, or other mission-critical facilities are preferred but are not required. Please clarify whether the equipment quantities listed on Page 20 of 65 under Infra-Red Line Items for Inspection are also included in the testing and maintenance scope, or whether the listed equipment requires infrared inspection only. If testing and maintenance are required, please provide the equipment type and voltage level for each item. The equipment listed under "Infra-Red Line Items for Inspection" is included for infrared inspection purposes only under Section 5.4 and is not included in the testing and maintenance scope unless specifically identified elsewhere in the SOW. Accordingly, no additional equipment type or voltage information is required for these line items. Please confirm whether protective relay testing is required under this solicitation. If so, please provide the quantity, manufacturer, model, and voltage level for the protective relays to be serviced. Yes. Protective relay testing is included under this Statement of Work. Specifically, Section 5.5, "Medium Voltage Relay Testing," requires the contractor to inspect, clean, test, calibrate, and maintain adjustable protective relays. The protective relays to be serviced are associated with the facility's 11 kV switchgear and consist of approximately 37 relays. The manufacturer is Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL). Known relay models include: SEL-351 SEL-587A SEL-551

Voltage Level: 11 kV.

Offerors should base their proposals on the testing, calibration, inspection, and maintenance of these protective relays as required by the SOW. Please clarify whether the cost of replacing or refilling transformer cooling liquid is the responsibility of the contractor or the VA. If it is the contractor s responsibility, please provide a cost allowance for this work. Yes. Replacement or refilling of transformer cooling liquid shall be the contractor's responsibility when testing indicates the liquid no longer meets the manufacturer's specifications, as required by the SOW. No separate cost allowance will be provided by the Government, and offerors shall include all costs associated with this requirement in their proposal. The facility currently has four (4) oil-filled transformers with approximate oil capacities as follows:

Energy Center Transformer: 704 gallons

Research Transformer: 292 gallons

Penthouse Transformer #1: 151 gallons

Penthouse Transformer #2: 151 gallons

The most recent transformer oil sample testing did not recommend oil replacement for any of these transformers. Copies of recent oil sample reports may be provided upon request. Please confirm if the permitted working hours, including shutdown hours, for this contract will be after business hours or from Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. or Saturday and Sunday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Work requiring electrical power interruptions and planned shutdowns is anticipated to occur on assigned Sundays during daylight hours. Specific outage dates and work schedules will be coordinated by the Government based on facility operational requirements and the impact of the outage on medical center operations. Work activities that do not require interruption of electrical service may be performed during the normal operating hours identified in the SOW. Please provide the quantity of battery systems requiring inspection, testing, and maintenance under this solicitation. The solicitation includes one (1) medium-voltage switchgear battery backup system and charger requiring inspection, testing, and maintenance.

Battery system details are as follows:

Quantity: One (1) battery system

Application: Medium-voltage switchgear control power system

Manufacturer: ALCAD

Configuration: 96-cell battery bank

Nominal Voltage: 129 VDC

Battery Model: XHP130

The contractor shall perform inspection, testing, and maintenance of this battery system in accordance with the requirements of the Statement of Work. Please confirm whether Automatic Transfer Switches (ATSs) are included in the required testing and maintenance scope. If so, please provide the quantity, their rated power, and clarify whether testing is required annually or once every three years. Automatic Transfer Switches (ATSs) are included in the infrared inspection requirements of this contract. Infrared inspections, including ATS infrared inspections, shall be performed annually in accordance with Section 5.4 of the SOW. ATS testing, maintenance, and repair are not included in the scope of this SOW and are covered under a separate maintenance agreement. Therefore, ATS quantities, ratings, and testing frequencies for maintenance and testing purposes are not applicable to this solicitation. Can you provide the one-line diagram of the facility and the previous electrical study report? Facility power diagrams will not be shared outside of authorized staff. Is there a required format, page limit, or volume structure for the technical and price quotes? The solicitation states that failure to follow the document format will render a quote non-responsive. Submission must be complete and contain an appropriate level of detail to allow the evaluator to determine technical acceptability and Compliance with the RFQ. Please confirm that "tri-annual" means once every three years (triennial), with the equipment rotating per the Section 5.10 lists (Base/OY3, OY1/OY4, OY2). Correct. For the purposes of this SOW, "tri-annual" means once every three (3) years. Equipment identified in Section 5.10 is tested and maintained on a three-year rotational schedule as outlined in the Base Year/Option Year 3, Option Year 1/Option Year 4, and Option Year 2 equipment lists. Several items lack kVA ratings (Surgery transformers, Parking Garage oil transformer). Please provide kVA and voltage ratings. Please also confirm the EC1 MV switch quantity shown as "6-Jun" in the Option Year 3 list. EC1 MV switch quantity = 1 Surgery Sub 1,000 kVA Parking Garage 300 kVA What is the medium-voltage service level (e.g., 5 kV, 15 kV), and how many MV switches, relays, and battery systems are in scope? The medium-voltage distribution system covered under this solicitation operates at 11 kV. The equipment currently in scope includes:

Medium-Voltage (MV) Switches: 33

Protective Relays: 37 Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) protective relays

Battery Systems: One (1) medium-voltage switchgear battery backup system

Offerors should base their proposals on the inspection, testing, maintenance, and related services associated with the above equipment. Section 5.2 covers breakers 400A and above, but the lists include breakers below 400A (e.g., 100A 300A MCCBs). Are breakers under 400A in scope for testing? Circuit breakers rated below 400 amps are not included in the testing requirements of Section 5.2. Breakers rated below 400 amps that are listed and located within distribution equipment containing breakers rated 400 amps and above shall be manually exercised during the maintenance activity but are not required to undergo testing. The IR line item list skips items 157 163. Are these intentionally excluded or missing? Appears to be a numbering error where equipment has been added or removed during unrelated construction projects. Section 5.4 states problem connections shall be replaced or tightened. Is connector replacement included in the firm-fixed price, or handled as an out-of-scope repair? Please define "basic repair." Connector replacement required under Section 5.4 is included in the firm-fixed-price scope. "Basic repair" refers to minor corrective actions that can be completed without additional material costs beyond incidental consumables and without extending the scheduled work effort. Any repair involving replacement of equipment other than connectors, significant additional labor, or material costs not contemplated by the SOW will be considered out-of-scope work. For liquid-filled transformers, is fluid replacement and refill (and disposal of used oil) included in the fixed price or treated as additional work? Fluid replacement, refill, and disposal of used oil, when required based on testing results, are included within the firm-fixed-price scope of this contract and are the contractor's responsibility. As specified in the SOW, liquid-filled transformers shall have the cooling liquid tested and replaced when testing indicates the liquid no longer meets the manufacturer's specifications, and the transformer shall be refilled to the manufacturer's specified levels. ** Section 5.9 notes that if breaker or ATS settings are not available, the contractor may conduct a study. Is a coordination study in scope for pricing? Are current coordination and arc flash studies available? The most recent coordination study and arc flash study will not be shared outside of authorized staff. Offerors shall base their pricing on the information provided by the VA. Any additional coordination or arc flash studies performed by the contractor shall be at the contractor's expense and at no additional cost to the Government.

Section 5.8 (4-hour outage test, 2029): please identify the local utility provider and confirm the services the contractor is expected to pay for.

The planned outage is expected to occur between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on the assigned Sunday. The contractor shall include in its firm-fixed-price proposal onsite support from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to provide emergency response, troubleshooting, and technical support for power-distribution equipment covered by this SOW. A NETA-certified technician, qualified to troubleshoot and support the equipment included in this SOW, shall be onsite for the duration of the scheduled outage and restoration period. Should the outage extend beyond the planned 4-hour duration due to a malfunction of power-distribution equipment, the contractor shall continue to provide troubleshooting and technical support necessary to assist the Government in restoring electrical service. The Government will coordinate the outage with Cleveland Public Power and will be responsible for all utility-provider fees and outage-related costs. The contractor shall not be responsible for the cost of replacement parts, materials, or repairs that require work outside the scope of this contract. Any such work shall be handled in accordance with the contract provisions for additional work and shall require Government approval prior to execution. The Inspection and Acceptance section references "monthly inspection" and "response to service call." Neither appears elsewhere in the SOW. Are monthly inspections or emergency service calls required? If so, what are the response times? This requirement is not applicable to this solicitation. The references to "monthly inspection" and "response to service call" in the Inspection and Acceptance section were included in error and will be removed from the SOW. No monthly inspections or emergency service-call response requirements are included under this contract. The deliverables table lists ">30 days" and "14 days," while Section 6 requires reports within 7 days. Please clarify the required report turnaround times. The report turnaround times identified in the Deliverables table shall govern. The requirement in Section 6 stating that reports must be submitted within seven (7) days was included in error and will be corrected in the SOW. Contractors shall adhere to the report submission timelines specified in the Deliverables table. How many planned outages/shutdowns will be allowed per year, and will work requiring de-energization be limited to weekends (6 AM 6 PM)? Will VA perform switching and lockout, or is the contractor responsible? Planned outages will be scheduled as required to support the testing and maintenance activities identified in Section 5.10. Multiple pieces of equipment may be combined and tested during a single outage or testing day when determined to be beneficial to the Government. The exact outage schedule for each contract year will be determined by facility operational requirements, equipment availability, and the impact of the outage on medical center operations. When de-energization is required, outages are anticipated to occur on assigned Sundays during daylight hours. Specific dates and outage durations will be coordinated by the Government. The VA will perform all switching operations and lockout/tagout (LOTO) of facility electrical equipment. Contractors shall not perform switching operations. During the maintenance period, contractor personnel shall apply their personal locks to the group lock box or other VA-approved LOTO device in accordance with applicable safety requirements. Will VA staff be available to support switching and load transfers during testing? VA staff will perform all switching operations, load transfer, and lockout/tagout (LOTO) of facility electrical equipment. Contractors shall not perform switching operations. During the maintenance period, contractor personnel shall apply their personal locks to the group lock box or other VA-approved LOTO device in accordance with applicable safety requirements. Are there any background investigation, PIV badge, or TB/vaccination requirements for contractor personnel? Contractor will need to complete background investigation and be issued a contractor badge. Please confirm the contract type is firm-fixed-price. Yes this will be awarded as a firm fixed-price contract. Please provide the applicable Service Contract Act wage determination for Cuyahoga County, OH.

Service Contract Act WD #: 2015-4727

Please confirm whether 52.219-9 (Small Business Subcontracting Plan) applies, given the 100% small business set-aside. After further review 52.219-9 will not apply to this requirement. Section 52.212-2 references past performance, but the listed evaluation factors are Technical Capability and Price. Will past performance be evaluated as a separate factor? CPARS will be reviewed for negative past performance. Qualifications and experience: Under SOW Sections 7(C) (F) and 14(B) (C), may the electrical-contracting specialty, permanent licensed technical staff, technician certifications, and required experience and references be demonstrated through the proposed performing subcontractor? Or must the prime contractor independently satisfy those requirements? We understand that all applicable limitations on subcontracting would still need to be met. This requirement is intended for contractors whose primary business specialty is electrical testing, inspection, maintenance, and repair of electrical power distribution systems. The Government expects the prime contractor to possess the technical qualifications, experience, and personnel necessary to directly perform the primary work requirements identified in this SOW. While the use of subcontractors is not prohibited, the Government does not intend for the prime contractor's role to be limited solely to contract administration, quality assurance, and oversight while substantially all technical work is performed by a subcontractor. Offerors shall comply with all applicable subcontracting and performance requirements identified in the solicitation and applicable regulations. Evaluation of offeror qualifications and experience will be conducted in accordance with the solicitation requirements and evaluation criteria. Are you able to provide the equipment list for the hospital? The equipment included in the scope of this contract is identified in Section 5.10 and other applicable sections of the SOW. No separate equipment list will be provided. Offerors should use the information contained within the SOW for proposal preparation. Are you able to provide the most recent inspection and/or maintenance report? Prior test reports will not be shared outside of authorized staff. Can the Government clarify what constitutes minor repairs included in the fixed-price requirement versus repairs requiring a separate contract modification? Minor repairs are those corrective actions that are incidental to the testing, inspection, and preventive maintenance services specifically identified in the SOW and that can be completed as part of the scheduled maintenance effort without requiring replacement of major equipment or components. Examples include tightening electrical connections, torquing hardware, cleaning, lubrication, adjustment, calibration, minor housekeeping activities, and similar corrective actions identified during testing and inspection. The SOW expressly includes "onsite testing, inspection, minor repair, and housekeeping" as part of the required services. Repairs that exceed basic or minor repair, including major component replacement, equipment refurbishment, or other work outside the defined maintenance and testing scope, shall not be performed under the fixed-price requirement. The contractor shall submit a cost estimate and scope of work to the COR for review and routing to the Contracting Officer (CO). Such work requires CO approval and may require a separate order/contract or contract modification and funding authorization before performance. As stated in the SOW, "In the event faults or repairs identified during maintenance or inspection exceed basic repair, Contractor shall submit cost estimate and Scope of Work to COR for routing to CO for approval and contract modification. No repairs or work outside the scope of this contract shall be performed prior to CO approval and fund allocation."