H344--Boiler Plant Safety Device Testing

Active

Contract Opportunity

This is a Sources Sought notice only. This is not a request for quotes and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. The Government will not provide any reimbursement for responses submitted in response to this Source Sought notice. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.
The purpose of this announcement is to perform market research to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS 238220, H344) with a size standard $16.5 Million. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office 1 (NCO 1) is seeking to identify any vendor capable of providing Boiler Plant Safety Device Testing at Northampton VAMC. per the requirements below. Refer to the Performance Work Statement below for the requested requirement description. The standard shall be of quality; meeting or exceeding those outlined in the Performance Work Statement.
This Sources Sought notice provides an opportunity for respondents to submit their capability and availability to provide the requirement described below. Vendors are being invited to submit information relative to their potential to fulfill this requirement, in the form of a capability response that addresses the specific requirement identified in this Sources Sought. Information received from this Sources Sought shall be utilized to facilitate the Contracting Officer s review of the market base, for acquisition planning, size determination, and procurement strategy.
Submission Instructions: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by 10 am EST, July 28, 2025. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to Tnauri.woodbridge@va.gov. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.
Interested parties should complete the attached Sources Sought Worksheet. Parties may submit additional information related to their capabilities, provided it contains all the requirements contained in the Sources Sought Worksheet. Responses to this Sources Sought shall not exceed 8 pages. In addition, all submissions should be provided electronically in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.
SAM: Interested parties shall be register in the System for Award Management (SAM) as prescribed in FAR Clause 52.232-33. SAM information can be obtained by accessing the internet at www.sam.gov or by calling 1-866-606-8220. Interested parties not registered in SAM will be ineligible to receive a government contract, should a solicitation be issued resulting from this Sources Sought.
VISTA: The VA utilizes VISTA to issue a purchase order and liquidate invoices. Failure to register in VISTA may result in exclusion from the issuance of a VA contract, should a solicitation be issued resulting from this Sources Sought.



Attachment 1
Sources Sought Worksheet
QUALIFICATION INFORMATION:
Company / Institute Name: _______________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________________
Phone Number: ________________________________________________________________
Point of Contact: _______________________________________________________________
E-mail Address: ________________________________________________________________
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) #:Â ___________________________________________________
CAGE Code: __________________________________________________________________
Other available contract vehicles (GSA/FSS/NASA SEWP/ETC): ________________________
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SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS:
VIP Verified SDVOSB: (Y / N)
VIP Verified VOSB: (Y / N)
8(a): (Y / N)
HUBZone: (Y / N)
Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N)
Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N)
Small Business: (Y / N)
NOTE: Respondent claiming SDVOSB and VOSB status shall be registered and Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) verified in VetBiz Registry www.vetbiz.gov.
BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SDVOSB, VOSB, SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION.
CAPABILITY STATEMENT:
Provide a brief capability and interest in providing the service as listed in Attachment 2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT with enough information to determine if your company can meet the requirement. The capabilities statement for this Sources Sought is not a Request for Quotation, Request for Proposal or Invitation for Bid, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach, but rather the Government is requesting a short statement regarding the company s ability to provide the services outlined in the PWS. Any commercial brochures or currently existing marketing material may also be submitted with the capabilities statement. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government will not pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.
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Attachment 2
Performance Work Statement

Location(s)
Overview
General Intent
The Contractor shall provide professional services to include all labor, transportation, materials, apparatus, tools, equipment and permits necessary to perform the work in accordance with the contractual requirements.
All work must adhere to VHA, OSHA, EPA, Local laws, and Mass DEP standards.
Contract Specific Requirements [Enter Project Name]
After award, but prior to the start of any field work, the contractor shall contact the contract point of contact (POC) (e.g. Contracting Officer s Representative, COR) to review proposed methods and plans for the completion of the work. All on site work is to be coordinated with the boiler plant supervisor at least seven (7) days prior to performance of services.
Please note the bidding requirements related to this solicitation to ensure the following requirements are met.
All services shall be provided turnkey including any necessary 3rd party pricing and coordination (e.g. licensed inspector), VA personnel shall only be responsible for confirmation of contractor LOTO and testing plans. VA shall perform boiler startup, cooldown, and normal operation only; contractor is responsible for opening, closing, and consumables associated with this scope as generalized in the general intent section.
Reports, Certifications, and all documentation shall be supplied digitally PRIOR to any invoicing
The following shall be performed:
Safety Device testing shall be performed every 6 Months in according with the latest released edition of VHA Boiler and Associated Plant Safety Device Testing Manual. This contract shall meet the needs of VHA directive 1810. This shall also include boiler tuning and gas detection calibration.
At the time of this PWS, the latest is release is the 8th Edition dated Apr 9, 2025. Any additional costs due to later editions shall require contractor justification for increased cost and formal contract modification prior to work.
Reports shall include full details including before and after tuning configurations.
Required burner performance (natural gas and fuel oil):
Turndown (ratio of maximum and minimum firing rates): 10/1 8/1 5/1 4/1 See OEM
Achieve, but do not exceed, boiler maximum steam flow output rating. Measure fuel input at minimum and maximum firing rates.
Maximum carbon monoxide: 200 parts per million (ppm)
Maximum NOx: See OEM

Flue gas oxygen: 2.5 4.2% (Up to 5.2% at loads below 40% of maximum steam output; no upper limit at minimum firing rate; oxygen can be one percentage point higher on oil firing on single-point positioning systems).
Flue gas oxygen (low excess air burners): 1.0 2.0% (Up to 2.5% at loads below 40% of maximum steam output; no upper limit at minimum firing rate; oxygen can be one percentage point higher on oil firing on single point positioning systems).
No visible smoke, except on heavy oil fuel maximum opacity is 20%. Comply with local emissions regulations.
Flames shall be stable with no pulsations, shall be retained near burner, no blowoff or flashbacks, no constant flame impingement on refractory or waterwalls.
List of instrumentation and controls to be inspected and calibrated as applicable:
Steam flow transmitters (all).
Steam flow recorders/computer readout.
Flue gas oxygen sampling, analyzing and recorder/computer readout.
Boiler and economizer stack temperature transmitters and recorder/computer readout.
Master steam pressure and combustion controllers.
Boiler outlet draft controllers.
Boiler water level controllers.
Feedwater deaerator and condensate storage tank water level controllers including overflow.
All pressure and temperature sensors and transmitters.
All signal processing and readout devices.
Safety Gas analyzers

Annual Inspection and Certification (as-applicable) of:
Qty 3 Johnston Boilers
Qty 1 Air Compressor
Qty 1 Industrial Steam Deaerator
Qty 1 Cain Industries ESG heat recovery steam generator
Condensate/Surge tank
Any necessary Repairs for certification or deficiencies associate with the testing and maintaining of the boiler plant systems under this contract. Approved by contracting officer on a case-by-case basis.
Technician Qualifications
Technicians shall have completed at least a one-year trade school and have five years successful experience in this field. The experience shall be largely with institutional and industrial boiler plants similar in design to the VAMC plant. The VAMC facility manager/engineer may define and accept equivalent qualifications.
Technician shall be demonstration qualification and proficiency with OEM controls Preferred Utilities.
Technicians shall demonstrate familiarity with and ready access to the current versions of the following references:
NFPA 85, Boiler and Combustion Systems Hazards Code.
VHA Boiler Plant Safety Device Testing Manual
Technicians shall be equipped with portable electronic flue gas analyzers and other test instruments necessary for the required tests and calibrations, all calibrated within one month of the site visits. Technicians must be capable of programming the controls and have the appropriate hardware and software for this.

General Scope Items
The following is a list of general scope considerations:
All field work shall be scheduled at least 7 business days in advance with POC/COR.
The site shall be left clean of all debris and hazardous materials daily.
Coordinate with VA CWM HCS GEMS coordinator for the signing of the waste manifests or management regulation.
Submit, to the COR product data and work plan for all materials prior to utilization.Â
Site Access and Management Requirements
The contractor shall be solely responsible for the management, including all associated labor, equipment, materials, shipping, and inspection, to meet the requirements of the project.
The contractor must have the following additional requirements before working on site:
Contractor badge, if issued, must be obtained and visibly worn by contractor or representative at all times while on campus.
These requirements are applicable to all contractor employees and subcontractors working in and around campus building unless stated otherwise by COR. The contractor is ultimately responsible for the behavior of employees and subcontractors.
Any waste generated shall be properly disposed of and documented by the contractor.
Questions or concerns shall be addressed with the COR.
Proposed Schedule
All on-site work (including cleanup) shall take place during the following times, unless otherwise approved by the COR:
08:00-16:00h Monday through Friday
Off-hour work for activities impacting normal operations or scheduling conflicts are generally 17:00-06:00 Monday- Friday and anytime Saturday and Sunday.
Holidays excepted unless other times are arranged in advance and approved in writing by the COR.
Bidding Requirements
Contract line items shall be bid as follows for base contract plus 4 options years:
One time repair quote to repair known deficiencies as outlined in Appendix B. Base year only.
Non-recurring maintenance and repairs not to exceed $15,000 for option years. This shall be a $0 funded if repair proposals are accepted by a contracting officer.
Qty 2 each year, unit price for safety device testing and report(s), currently June and December
To include manual control for high fire safety lifts.
To include boiler tuning, flow meter, and gas detector calibration
Annual turnkey inspection and certification
The bidder shall include a detail plan to meet solicitation requirements including but not limited to:
One water treatment specialist who has a bachelor s degree in chemical engineering or the physical sciences from an accredited college or university shall be assigned to this contract. The water treatment specialist must have at least five years successful experience with boiler water treatment programs and shall furnish references from at least three customers who utilize boiler water treatment programs. Credentials to be included in bid
The water treatment specialist assigned must be located within 100 miles of the site to enable reasonable response times to request for site visits. Name and location to be included in bid.
Bid to include state (MA or abutting) lab meeting PWS requirements.
Evaluation of bids shall be based on:
Completeness and specificity of contractors plan to adhere to all requirements outlined herein and outlined bid documents required. Submitted in writing
Evaluation of the unit price of line items 1 and 2.
Parking
Parking is rigidly controlled throughout the Medical Center. Contractor parking is only allowed in designated areas (subject to change). Parking in designated patient parking areas is strictly prohibited. Parking on grass is also prohibited. Parking for equipment necessary to perform the work will be authorized in advance of starting the project. Parking passes will be issued by the COR when necessary.
Storage of Equipment and Materials
The contractor shall arrange with the COR for allocation of required workspace and for the storage of equipment and material to be used for this project. Storage space is very limited. There are no exclusive areas within the campus that can be given to the contractor for their storage needs. The warehouse CANNOT accept, or store, deliveries associated with a contract and not purchased directly by the VA (i.e. no drop-shipping contract supplies).
Debris Removal
The Contractor/Installer shall be required to remove waste materials and debris daily (unless otherwise authorized by COR) from the campus. All waste material and debris shall be removed off the site by the contractor and shall be disposed of in accordance with applicable State and Federal regulations.
Site Utilities
In the event a shutdown, restriction, or interruption of any utility services is required, a written request must be submitted (at least 14 calendar days in advance) and approved by the VA COR. All utility shutdowns must be reviewed and approved by the VA.
Material and Workmanship Quality
All materials and workmanship shall comply with all codes, standards, and requirements of all Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). All work shall be done in accordance with contract terms and conditions and in a professional manner according to the best trade practices and to the satisfaction of the COR. This includes work performed by subcontractors.
-Existing Equipment and Infrastructure
There are 3 high pressure boilers delivering 67-70psig distribution for heating and hot water. There is a single surge/condensate tank and DA with a heat recovery steam generator feeding the DA.
QTY3 250 BHP Johnston Firetube Boilers, Model PFTA250-4LG200S. built 2011, max capacity 8,368 LBS/IIR, 4,000 sq. ft. heating surface, max gas firing rate 9,800 MBTU/HR, operating at 70 psig.
19 BHP Cain Heat Recovery Steam Generator, max capacity 647 LBS/HR, 478 sq. ft, heating surface, operating at 13psig.
840 Gallon Feedwater Deaerator Industrial steam model 6JS5(M)

Surge Tank Industrial Steam Model 6ST
Gas detection 8 stations
Flame Scanner and Flow Meters
DA Tank
Typical, 2 per boiler, 1 for HRSG, DA, and Surge tank

Opacity meters
Oil controls
-Known Deficiencies Needing Repair
The following repairs need to be made with sufficient staff and planning to minimize full plant outage to 12 hours on holiday or weekend time:
Replace boiler feed water piping
Replace section of piping with pinhole indications and re-insulate

Replace/fabricate feed water pump discharge manifold utilizing Combination Wye elbow shape instead of T to reduce jet impingement wear. Stainless steel fabrication preferred. Assembly shall allow isolation and pump removal of any individual unit

Replace and tune with OEM all water level control sensors and cutouts on all 3 boilers. Ensure all wiring is permanently labeled and documented including labels to resist moisture and heat.
Correct following:

Equipment
Test #
Test Name
Issue
Suggested Action
Boiler 1
12
Flame Scanner For Main Flame Out
Device did not shut the boiler off within 4 sec. Timed at 5.5 sec
Clean scanner or replace
Boiler 2
19
Combustion Air Pressure Switch Variable Speed
Set point is not within range, boiler does not run when set in range. Recommend replacement switch.
Replace switch
Boiler 3
3
High Boiler Steam Pressure Limit and High-High Boiler Steam Pressure Limit Switches (HP)
First steam switch did not cut the boiler offline, adjusted second switch down to be closer to operating pressure. Recommend replacing with new Honeywell switch
Replace switch
Plant
1
High Water Alarm on Condensate Tank
No alarm during test
Replace valves
Plant
16
High Fuel Gas Pressure Alarm on Propane Line
No switch on propane line
Install switch with test port and
LOOP valve

Replace 6 boiler safety valves IAW VA design alert for material. New valves shall be cast or forged steel.

Remove and replace #3 boiler feed water pump with GFE (pump only, consumables shall be contractor provided). Contractor to supply new replacement pump for on-hand spare.

Replace DA tank vacuum Breaker with OEM or equivalent

Replace Chemical injection valve with stainless steel components on the DA tank including insulation repair

Replace Anode on condensation tank with GFE

Attachments/Links