Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

GSA holding small business networking session Feb. 8th in Savannah

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The General Services Administration’s Office of Small Business Utilization and Hoar Construction LLC are holding a networking session for small businesses on Feb. 8, 2018 in Savannah, Georgia.

Background

On Sept. 28, 2017, GSA awarded a contract in the amount of $22,819,862 to Hoar Construction of Birmingham, Alabama to design and build the new Tomochichi Courthouse Annex in Savannah.  Since Hoar is not a small businesses, the firm is required to develop an acceptable small business subcontracting plan in accordance with FAR 19.7.  The event being planned on Feb. 8th is designed to facilitate small business participation in the project.

The scope of design/build contract includes: design/construction documents and construction work, consisting of all labor, equipment, and materials for a complete build-out.  The project includes space for one bankruptcy courtroom and chambers, the bankruptcy clerk, and space for the U.S. Probation Office.  The total space requirement is approximately 35,000 square feet of office space and 11,000 square feet of parking for 25 cars,  for a total of 46,000 gross square feet, available for personnel, furnishings and equipment, with occupancy planned for the year 2020.  The newly constructed Courthouse Annex will be located on GSA-owned property, on a site between Barnard Street, West Your Street, Whitaker Street, and West State Street in Savannah.

Networking Event

Prospective attendees at the small business networking event are to register their company with the GSA Contacting Officer listed below via email.  Due to space availability, the GSA asks that no more than two (2) persons per firm be represented.  Call-in reservations will not be accepted.  The networking session is intended to review the scope of the project, review the project site, and conduct a GSA Small Business Networking forum among attendees.

Contact information: Swindale Rhodes, Contracting Officer, Email: swindale.rhodes@gsa.gov

Date and Time: February 8, 2018, 1:30 pm

Location of Event: 124 Barnard Street, J.G. Lowe “B” Building, 3rd Floor, Savannah, GA 31401

Dec. 2 webinar to be held on Public Building Service’s contracting

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The General Services Administration (GSA) invites businesses to participate in a webinar on December 2, 2014 on the subject of “Doing Business with PBS.”

The landlord for the civilian federal government, GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS) acquires space on behalf of the federal government through new construction and leasing, and acts as a caretaker for federal properties across the country. BS owns or leases 9,624 assets, maintains an inventory of more than 370.2 million square feet of workspace for 1.1 million federal employees, and preserves more than 481 historic properties.

Topics to be discussed in this webinar include:

  • How PBS purchases the services necessary to build and maintain buildings.
  • What Contracting Officers look for when evaluating proposals.
  • How small business can position themselves to become partners with PBS.
  • There will also be a brief preview of some upcoming projects planned by PBS.

The informational webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, December 2, 2014, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT.

Register to reserve your webinar seat now at:
https://www4.gotomeeting .com/register/939424719

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

For additional info, please contact Janice Bracey at janice.bracey@gsa.gov

System Requirements

PC-based attendees:
Required: Windows® 8, 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Mac®-based attendees:
Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer

Mobile attendees:
Required: iPhone®, iPad®, AndroidTM phone or Android tablet

GSA to hold industry day in Atlanta for HUBZone and SDVOSB firms on May 28

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The General Services Administration (GSA) is planning an Industry Day focusing on Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) and HUBZone certified small businesses with specific NAICS codes.  The program’s planned presentations will outline contracting and potential subcontracting opportunities in GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS).  GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) also will be presenting.  This event is being facilitated by GSA’s Office of Small Business Utilization.

The top NAICS codes for Region 4 PBS:

236220   Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
337214   Furniture
53              Real Estate (includes rental & leasing)
541611    Administrative, Management & General Management Consulting Services
561720   Janitorial Services
561210   Operations and Maintenance
GSA Schedule 70

AGENDA

1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Opening Comments
Chasity Ash, Small Business Technical Advisor, GSA Office of Small Business Utilization
Mildred Quinley, Director, GSA Office of Small Business Utilization (OSBU)

1:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.  GSA, Federal Acquisition Service
1:45 p.m. –  2:15 p.m. Services Branch, GSA Public Buildings Service
2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.  Small Projects Branch, GSA Public Buildings Service
2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.  Capital and Program Support Branch, GSA Public Buildings Service
3:15 p.m. – 4 :00p.m.  Wrap Up, GSA Office of Small Business Utilization

This event is open to small business firms whose primary NAICS codes are listed above.  Pre-registration is required.  Please send attendee names, company name, address, phone numbers, and email addresses to r4smallbiz@gsa.gov.  Limit two attendees per firm.  Please include your NAICS codes, CAGE code, and HUBZone certification number or SDVOSB status in the email.  Please direct all inquiries to Region 4 OSBU at (404) 331-5103 or r4smallbiz@gsa.gov.

If you are unable to attend this even, a conference line  is being set-up.  Be advised that this will be a “Listen Only Call” and all phones will be muted.  If you have any questions during the call, please email them to r4smallbiz@gsa.gov. The Conference Call-In Number is 559-546-1000 and the Access Code is 584979.

April 30 and May 21 webinars explain how GSA does business

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The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is hosting webinars in April and May, 2014 to explain functions of the agency and its contracting processes.

On April 30, from 9:30 to 11:30 am EDT, the webinar will focus on the steps to “Doing Business with GSA” through contracting options, sustainability, and more, including:

  • GSA’s procurement policies and methods
  • Accessing government solicitations
  • Marketing your products/services
  • Pros and cons of the GSA Schedules program
  • GSA’s Mentor-Protege program
  • GSA’s sustainability objectives

On May 21, from 9:30 to 10:30 am EDT,  the webinar will focus on GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS) which acquires space on behalf of the federal government through new construction and leasing, and acts as a caretaker for federal properties across the country. PBS owns or leases 9,624 assets, maintains an inventory of more than 370.2 million square feet of workspace for 1.1 million federal employees, and preserves more than 481 historic properties. Questions that will be answered in this webinar include:

  • How does PBS purchase the services necessary to build and maintain buildings?
  • What do Contracting Officers look for when evaluating proposals?
  • How can you position your Small Business to become a PBS partner?
  • What are some upcoming projects planned by PBS?

Register for the April 30 webinar here: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/796335175

Register for the May 21 webinar here: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/809441879 

GSA allows new flexibility in federal construction standards

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The federal government’s standards for its new construction projects now simply require outcomes instead of dictating the means to achieve them.

The Public Buildings Service, part of the General Services Administration, issued the overhauled standards March 14, 2014.  As the document notes, adherence is mandatory. “It is not a guideline, textbook, handbook, training manual, nor substitute for technical competence,” it says.

An example of the increased flexibility is the HVAC system requirement, which previously had to be a type of system called variable air volume. Now, new construction must meet standards for energy efficiency, ventilation and humidity, but any system that satisfies the requirements is acceptable.

Additionally, rather than just setting minimum standards for building features, the PBS has added three tiers of performance that buildings can achieve, each more desirable than the last.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/new-flexibility-federal-construction-standards/2014-03-18 

 

GSA allots $1 billion for maintenance of federal buildings across the country

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The General Service Administration laid out a plan for fiscal 2014 public buildings spending that includes more than $1 billion in repair and maintenance for about 9,000 federal buildings across the country.

The GSA can spend $9.4 billion out of the Federal Buildings Fund to repair federal buildings, pay rent for leased buildings and consolidate offices under the compromise omnibus spending bill (H.R. 3547) signed into law Jan. 17 by President Obama. That amount increases the GSA’s buildings budget by $1.3 billion more than last year.

Due to reduced funding prior to fiscal 2014, GSA has failed to make $4 billion worth of repairs and maintenance, GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini said in a Jan. 21 statement. Now, with the added funding, GSA can make headway on those repairs, Tangherlini said.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/gsa-allots-1-billion-maintenance-federal-buildings-across-country/2014-01-21

GSA issues recommendation for ‘green’ building certification

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U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has issued a recommendation on the federal government’s use of third-party green building certification systems.  GSA is required by law to issue a recommendation to the Department of Energy (DOE) on how the federal government can best use certification systems to measure the design and performance of the federal government’s construction and major renovation projects.

“GSA has opened this review to an extensive public process, and we’ve made this recommendation using input from the public, industry stakeholders, and sustainability experts,” said Kevin Kampschroer, Director of GSA’s Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings, on Oct. 25, 2013. “We’ve found two tools that allow us to measure how federal buildings of all kinds can best save energy, improve overall performance, and cut down utility costs.”

In its recommendation to DOE, GSA recommended the Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes 2010 and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 2009 as the third-party certification systems that the federal government can use to gauge performance in its construction and renovation projects. Other certification systems were not selected because they did not align with the government’s requirements. Additionally, under today’s recommendation, GSA will conduct more regular reviews in order to keep up with the latest green building tools that the market has to offer.

Third party certification systems like LEED and Green Globes help in measuring reduction targets for water, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions against industry standards. Agencies can use one of the two certification systems that best meet their building portfolios, which range from office buildings, to laboratories, to hospitals, to airplane hangars.

Federal construction and modernization projects must adhere to the government’s own green building requirements by law and executive orders. No one certification system meets all of the federal government’s green building requirements. Green building certification systems are just one tool that GSA uses to cut costs and meet sustainability and economic performance goals.

GSA has worked to make federal buildings more efficient by reducing water and energy use, which saves taxpayer dollars and reduces the impact on the environment.  GSA’s efforts to increase sustainability are a central part of its mission to deliver the best value in real estate to the government and the American people.

GSA to host Public Buildings Service vendor conference Aug. 31st

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If you are interested doing business with the federal government’s “landlord,” you should make plans to attend a special conference scheduled to be held in Atlanta on Aug. 31, 2010.

The conference is being held by the Public Buildings Service (PBS), a unit of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).  The Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) is co-hosting the event with GSA.

The purpose of the Aug. 31st conference is to acquaint the small business community with upcoming contract opportunities in the areas of design and construction; realty services; building services/energy; and GSA Schedules as used by the Public Buildings Service (PBS).

Not all GSA and PBS purchasing will be discussed at the conference.  Instead, attendance at this event will be beneficial primarily to companies associated with NAICS codes 236220, 238160, 238210, 238220, 238290, 238990, 531110, 531120, 531210, 531320, 541191, 541310, 541320, 541330, 561710, 561720, 561730, 562111, 561210, 562910, and 562219.  (If you want to look up what procurement categories these NAICS codes represent, please consult http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics.)

One-on-one appointments with PBS buyers will be available to vendors attending the conference.

The conference will be held in the 1st floor auditorium at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), located at 250 – 14th St, NW, Atlanta. Parking is free.

Attendance is free, but pre-registration is required.  To register, please go to http://gtpac.ecenterdirect.com/ConferenceDetail.action?ID=6812 to sign-up. 

Post-conference proceedings now available at: http://gtpac.org/training/training-video.

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