HVAC SYSTEM REPLACEMENT
The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), located at 5 Community Drive, Augusta, Maine, is soliciting competitive proposals in order to facilitate the replacement of the current Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system in operation in its portion of the building.
Background
Established in 1983 by Maine statute, FAME provides commercial financing and loan insurance to Maine businesses, and is authorized to carry out various programs to provide financial and other assistance to Maine residents and families to help finance costs of higher education and attainment of other credentials of value. FAME strives to create a Maine workforce with good-paying jobs by focusing on the nexus of economic and educational development.
FAME is located on the second floor of the property located at 5 Community Drive in Augusta, and has ownership of the entire second floor, which totals approximately 17,000 sq. ft. The three-story building is operated as a condominium association, with the first and third floors owned by other individuals and entities.
Project Goal & Scope of Services
In an effort to improve the operating efficiency and comfort of employees and customers, FAME is seeking a qualified HVAC contractor to facilitate the replacement of the current HVAC system in operation. The overall goal of the project is to install an HVAC system that is responsive to year-round temperature fluctuations within the workplace. An overview of the system currently in place is provided below.
The current HVAC system consists of two Trane 15-ton split system air handlers approximately twenty years in age, located in separate mezzanines between the second and third floors, which each serve half of the FAME space. Accessible by ladder from the interior of the FAME space, each air handler distributes air to up to eight distinct zones, with separate VAV boxes located at each zone for reheat purposes as needed. The associated compressor for each air handler is located at ground level on the exterior of the FAME space.
Through a third-party review of the air handlers in operation it has been determined that replacement is required due to the units being well past the estimated useful life of fifteen-years, in addition to performance issues experienced recently.
Evaluation Criteria
FAME will be evaluating prospective proposals based upon the following criteria:
Qualifications and experience of the applicant, including appropriate licensing and suitable references. (25%)
Applicant's ability to provide the requested services by November 15, 2019. (25%)
Level of Workplace Disruption - FAME is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and employs over fifty individuals; management is very cognizant of the need to replace the units, but also to do so with as little disruption to employees and customers as possible. Given the location of the units within mezzanines between the second & third floors, management is open to varying proposals regarding the most effective way to facilitate the transition and make use of the available space. (25%)
Cost - FAME operates under a budget that is approved annually in June, with the current budget period running from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. FAME is committed to remaining within budget parameters, and is seeking competitive bids for the project. (25%)
Minimum Requirements
To be considered, the company must meet the following minimum requirements:
Proof of sufficient insurance must be provided
Suitable qualifications and experience, including appropriate licensing and suitable references
Award Process
Please email or postmark your proposal no later than 5 p.m. on July 31, 2019 to Josh Dixon at jdixon@famemaine.com or:
Josh Dixon
Finance Authority of Maine
PO Box 949
5 Community Drive
Augusta, ME 04332-0949
The RFP will be posted on our website, www.famemaine.com, and can be downloaded directly from there on July 10, 2019. Please contact Josh at (207) 620-3559 or via the email above with any questions related to this request for services or to schedule a walk-through of the facility.
FAME requires the project to be completed by November 15, 2019, and, as a result, final selection will occur no later than August 16, 2019.
Schedule of Events Timetable
July 10, 2019 RFP Posted Online & In Print
July 26, 2019 Walk-Throughs of the Facility Completed
July 31, 2019 Proposals Due
August 16, 2019 Notification of FAME Decision
November 15, 2019 Desired Project Completion Date
FAME will not be liable for any costs incurred in the preparation and production of a response to this RFP.
FAME reserves the right to adjust the timetable as necessary.
Revision of Request for Proposal: FAME alone may elect to amend this RFP prior to the proposal due date. If it is necessary to revise any part of this RFP, an amendment will be provided to all vendors of record and posted online. Acknowledgement of the receipt of all issued amendments is required in all proposals. In no case will the RFP be amended within seven (7) days of the proposal due date, unless the amendment includes an extension of time to allow seven days between the amendment and the proposal due date. FAME will not be responsible for any additional costs incurred as a result of said changes in the RFP.
Disclosure of Data: According to law, the content of all proposals, correspondence, addenda, memoranda, working papers, or any other medium which discloses any aspect of the request for proposals process will be considered public information when the award decision is announced. This includes all proposals received in response to this RFP, both the selected proposal and the proposal(s) not selected, and includes information in those proposals which a bidder may consider to be proprietary in nature. Therefore, FAME makes no representation that it can or will maintain in confidentiality such information.
FAME reserves the right to reject any and all bids.
July 11, 2019