military base bidding process

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yanert

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Hello,

I have started looking at bidding some jobs on a small military base. The base has a maintenance contract with a company that does a lot of the upkeep and repairs. They are a disadvanted/minority/8A company. When they have jobs that they can?t handle, or don?t have enough time to do, they will sub it out to a contractor.

The problem that I have run into is the bidding process that they use to award the jobs. Usually the job description for the work that needs to be done is very unprofessional, and lacks any detail at all of what needs to be done. Basically, they don?t want to do any of the engineering or just don?t have the expertise to design the scope of work documents. It?s really like the wild, wild, west. In one large building the entire scope of work was, install a intercom system through out the building. On the walk through, I was given a little more information on locations of speakers and where they wanted volume controls, but that was about it. I asked what the specification for the speaker systems was going to be. I asked if it was going to be central amplified, or self amplified. They guy gave me a blank look, he obviously didn?t have a clue what I was talking about. His quote for all the different jobs I have looked at is, that is for you to decide! I then asked him if in the bids, are the contractors required to give cut sheets for the products they are providing, and he said no. Crazy. Anyway, I have not chosen to bid any work until I get a few questions answered. First off, does anybody know if there is a military specification for any work done on any United States military base?? I have heard a little about it, but can?t seem to track anything done. And number two, has anybody done any contracting work on military bases that have these minority owned/disadvantaged maintenance contract businesses that sub out work?
Thanks for any help in this matter! I want to be completely informed and have as much information as I can before I even spend any time bidding any work.
 
Re: military base bidding process

if you are bidding on communication equipment on a military base, make sure that you contact the base about what they want/need installed. Sometimes these are extremely integrated systems. Phone systems and computer lines are secure and there are often fiber optic requirements.

if you are bidding to the maintenance co as they cannot handle it, it is probably more complex than running intercoms. CYA in the bidding process, indicate no specs provided. it may however still fall on you to know gov't req's. I would talk to the x/o handling the maintenance contract for specifics, would not bid until I had clear discussion with base contract authority.

paul
 
Re: military base bidding process

in your proposal list everything you plan on providing and that this information was not available at the walk through. it really is a learning expieriance and these bases can be a very good customer but cya until you have a few jobs under your belt... we did a security system for the coast guard ---and from there they wanted all kinds of electrical work done ---even though the design of the security system locked them inside with no means to get out---hay-they designed it---we installed it!!! they wanted high security---they got it!!! the commanding officer never forgot that --- we had to install a exit code station.
 
Re: military base bidding process

I work for the Air Force and I can tell you to keep trying to get more information. There is someone there who can help you. The person you were talking to was probably the user in the facility and probably does not work with communications, or electronics. Not sure what the speaker system is for...could be many things. Keep digging. Like charlie said, government work can be very lucrative, but you have to know what you are getting into first based on the limited or even at times wrong information you are given. But if you get your foot in the door and figure out how the whole process works, you could do very well for yourself.
 
Re: military base bidding process

remember all military bases, as far as i know, are prevailing wage, f you have any employes.

I inspected a Coast Guard project and the bids were very well endowed.
 
Re: military base bidding process

thanks for the answers. I guess the whole process goes a litte farther. I have looked at numerous jobs not just low voltage work. I guess my chief concern is substandard equimpent and material getting used. All the work I have ever done on military bases has had a made in America spec, steel compression coups and connectors, ect. ect. Just wondering where they get this specification when they draw up a plan. Is it to the whim of the designer, engineer? But, on every job there seems to always been a overall theme on a specific type of material being used. So now, with this maint. contractor subing work out, it sounds like you can use just about anything as long as it meets NEC code.
 
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