The US Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District Contracting Office is posting this brand name notification for a Fire Alarm Panel,  HVAC Chillers and HVAC EMCS Control System for the construction of the Air Education Training Command (AETC) Formal Training Unit at Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA.  The anticipated solicitation time frame for the AETC is around the end of March 2025.

The NAICS code for this contract action is 236220. The Produce Service Code for this action is Y1AB. Responses from vendors classified in similar NAICS codes and/or PCSs are encouraged and will be accepted.

The equipment for the requirement is listed below –

DESCRIPTION

BRAND NAME or EQUAL

Fire Alarm Panel

Hochiki

HVAC Chiller

Trane

HVAC Controls System

Automated Logic

FIRE ALARM

The Air Force Installation Contracting Center (AFICC) has a Brand Name Class J&A in place for the procurement of facility fire alarm panels through 30 Sep 2026. This Class J&A will support multiple contracts (new) throughout CONUS and OCONUS locations. For Vandenberg SFB, the brand name is identified as Hochiki.

IAW FAR 5.201 a Notice of Proposed Contract Action/Special Notice, 72_Fire_Alarm_Panel_Brand_Name was posted on SAM.gov (Government Point of Entry "GPE") on 01 June 2021; the posting remained open for 15 days.

While there will not be competition among manufacturers of the assigned name brand fire alarm panel, there can still be competition between distributors. These costs will be competed, most likely among small business installers, within the pricing for the construction contract.

HVAC CHILLER

The United States Air Force (USAF) has a Brand Name Class J&A in place to procure Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning (HVAC) chillers through 30 Sep 2029. This Class J&A will support multiple contracts (new) throughout USAF both CONUS and OCONUS locations. For Vandenberg Space Force Base this brand name is Trane.

IAW FAR 5.201 a Request For Information/Sources Sought, was posted on SAM.gov on 12 December 2023 and remained open for 15 days. 

Two responses from industry were received stating that chiller standardization is an industry best practice that directly benefits the customer by reducing training costs for technicians, enabling purchases of consumables at scale and streamlining maintenance requirements. There were no industry comments received with concerns or negative feedback on the AFCEC acquisition strategy to select a single manufacturer for each installation.

HVAC CONTROL SYSTEM

The 30th Civil Engineer for Vandenberg Space Force Base has a Brand Name Class J&A in place for the procurement of only Automated Logic Controllers and related software for projects that include replacement, upgrade, or installation of an HVAC Energy Management Control System (EMCS) Direct Digital Control system (DDC) for Fiscal Year (FY) 25 through 30 September 2030.

IAW FAR 5.201, a Notice of Intent/Sources Sought, 334512, Brand Name Class J&A for HVAC EMCS Controller Replacement Standardization, was posted on SAM.gov 23 February 2024; the post remained open for 15 days. Two vendors expressed interest, but no responses, in writing, were received by them or any other vendors. The two vendors, American Building Automation, Inc. and Xtrls International, Inc. are suppliers and installers of controls systems. Neither are manufacturers which would be directly impacted by the Brand-Name Only Justification

While there will not be competition among manufacturers of the assigned name brand fire alarm panel, chiller or HVAC controls, there can still be competition between distributors. These costs will be competed, most likely among small business installers, within the pricing for the construction contract.

In accordance with DFARS PGI 206.302-1, when utilizing the authority at FAR 6.302-1, the contracting officer shall post a request for information or a sources sought notice, and shall include the results of this inquiry in the justification required by FAR 6.303.  The procurement of the Air Education Training Command Formal Training Unit at Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA will include a Brand Name Justification using the AF Brand Name Class J&A as its foundation.  

Respondents to this Sources Sought Notice are to provide a capabilities statement which addresses at minimum:
 

• Contractor name
• Contractor address
• Contractor point of contact, phone, and email address
• Contractor Business Size (i.e., other than small b