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A-E FedBizOpps notice


alexreb

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Guest Vern Edwards

I don't know of any governmentwide detailed guidance. Perhaps the most experienced organization within the government when it comes to A-E is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Why don't you check out the guidance in their pamphlet EP-715-1-7, 22 May 2007, Architect-Engineer Contracting, Ch. 3, Announcement and Selection, Paragraph 3-4, Public Announcement. You can find EP-715-1-7 at this link:

http://140.194.76.129/publications/eng-pam...-1-7/entire.pdf.

Joel Hoffman may be able to give you additional guidance if he's around.

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What is correct "Notice Type" or "Type of Notice" to use for posting an A-E request for SF330's to FBO (combined synopsis/solicitation, presolicitation, special notice)?

Sorry - I was babysitting grandchildren for my daughter yesterday, then got wrapped up with the 2012 BCS Title game for the rest of the day and night. ROLLLLLLLLLL TIDE!

In addition to what Vern provided, please see FAR 5.205(d) and applicable supplements thereto:

"(d) Architect-engineering services. Contracting officers must publish notices of intent to contract for architect-engineering services as follows:

(1) Except when exempted by 5.202, contracting officers must transmit to the GPE a synopsis of each proposed contract action for which the total fee (including phases and options) is expected to exceed $25,000.

(2) When the total fee is expected to exceed $15,000 but not exceed $25,000, the contracting officer must comply with 5.101(a)(2). When the proposed contract action is not required to be synopsized under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, the contracting officer must display a notice of the solicitation or a copy of the solicitation in a public place at the contracting office. Other optional publicizing methods are authorized in accordance with 5.101(B)."

For Army Corps of Engineers' A-E Contracting, there is also a publication (Engineering Pamphlet 715-1-4) entitled "Competing for Architect-Engineer Contracts Awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineeers". See page 4 for more discussion of the announcements, although some information may perhaps out of date (2004).

http://140.194.76.129/publications/eng-pam...-1-4/entire.pdf

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In researching the FAR, some Dept/agency regs and policies plus FBO itself there does not appear to be specifics on the notice to use. By elimination I would suggest the "combined".

Presolicitation - Considering the numbered notes to be used for an A-E it would seem a "notice" for a A-E is not presolicitation but solicitation for the 330's. I could imagine where one could use both where the agency alerts folks to be aware that a solicitation (invitation for submission of 330's) will be forthcoming to help A-E firms get their 330's in order for submission.

Special Notice - Does not fit the Q&A definition posted on the FBO website. "What is a "special notice"? And how can I find them?

The Special Notice is used for the announcement of procurement matters such as business fairs, long-range procurement estimates, pre-bid/pre-proposal conferences, meetings, and the availability of draft solicitations or draft specifications for review. You can use the following search technique to find Special Notices."

While I suggest combined the real intent is to foster competition and considering how vibrant the "advanced search" is for FBO that either a presolicitation or combined would be found by an interested party.

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Appendix O of Corps Pamphlet EP-715-1-7 provided by Vern includes a sample "presolicitation notice", which is the type of notice I use. I've always been hesitant to use a combined synopsis/solicitation type notice, but it seems when I use the presolicitation notice I always get a few firms asking if something else will be forthcoming. I've looked over several notices on FBO (mostly Corps and Navy offices) and it appears there is no standard type of notice to use, as some use combined synopsis/solicitation, others use presolicitation and still others a sources sought type notice.

I've always been curious about that, so I posed the question to the FBO help desk (Federal Service Desk). It's been elevated it to tier 2 support. I'll post their response when I recieve.

Thanks all.

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Guest Vern Edwards
What is correct "Notice Type" or "Type of Notice" to use for posting an A-E request for SF330's to FBO (combined synopsis/solicitation, presolicitation, special notice)?

It's a single presolicitation notice that contains all of the information that A-E firms will need to prepare their SF 330s. To see one, go to FedBizOps and look up Corps of Engineers Solicitation No. W912DW-12-R-0017, which was issued on December 23. It is not a FAR Part 12 combined synopsis/solicitation or a special notice.

Why go to the FBO help desk? Just read the regulation, go to FBO to see what other people are doing, and pick the approach you like best.

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  • 2 years later...

I am going to piggy-back on this thread as it was the closest one I could find on the forum that speaks to the question I have.

I work for the Corps of Engineers and am preparing to advertize/solicit/award a new IDIQ for survey and mapping. I have done many task orders off of existing AE IDIQs awarded via the Brooks Act However, this will be the first time I have been the Contract Specialist in awarding an new AE IDIQ pursuant to the Brooks Act.

I have read and re-read both FAR 36.6 and EP 715-1-7. I have researched previous pre-solicitation notices issued by USACE on FBO and I still can't seem to answer my question: am I not required to provide a 15-day pre-solicitation notice IAW FAR 5.204 and 5.203(a) before I issue the synopsis?

Reading the example provided in Appendix Q of EP 715-1-7, the heading states "Standard Synopis Format for A-E Services" and two lines down, under General Information, Document Type, it clearly says "Presolicitation Notice". When I see pre-solicitation notice, I am expecting the information to be the 15 day notification of the contract action, but it is not. The example provides the synopsis data, making me think that a separate pre-solicitation notice is not required. But FAR 5.204 clearly says "The contracting officer must synopsize a proposed contract action before issuing any resulting solicitation." I understand that for A-E, we don't issue a solicitation per se, rather we issue a synopsis requesting submission of SF330s. But is that not a form of a solicitation...which would require a pre-solicitation notice?

When I search FBO, I see other Districts in USACE using various notice types (special notice, combined synopsis/solicitation, pre-solicitation) but all of them include the synopsis data. I have yet to find a pre-solicitation notice in advance of the synopsis.

Can anyone clarify?

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Yes you are required to issue the pre-solicitation notice if you read the USACE regulation literally but it is my belief that the USACE requirement is poorly worded. Why?

If you did not work for the USACE and did for an agency that has not supplemented the FAR regarding Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions then there is no requirement to do a pre-solicitation notice for an A-E procurement. Here is my reasoning…..

FAR 36.601-1 states that an A-E procurement be “publically announced”.

FAR 5.204, along with FAR 15.201 and 36.213-2 wording provides an imperative to do a pre-solicitation notice for a negotiated procurement and a construction procurement.

FAR 5.204 also provides the imperative for synopsis prior to the issuance of any solicitation. (Exceptions of 5.202 considered)

Conclusion – A combined synopsis/solicitation is the way to go unless you work for USACE and then you do a pre-solicitation too and use your own devises on what that is (hmmm a combined pre-solicitation/synopsis/solicitation). In the end I would not worry about what you call it, put it in FBO for the required period of time and get on with it.

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