Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a $75 million multiple award design-bid-build construction (MACC) contract to six small businesses Sept. 28.

The contract is for construction projects located in the NAVFAC Southeast area of responsibility throughout the southeastern U.S. and the Caribbean.

VetFed-Pacific Tech JV 1 was awarded the first task order for nearly $1 million for a conversion project of Building 792 at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida. The other five entities were awarded a minimum guarantee in the amount of $1,000.

"This project is a critical step in growing our non-destructive inspection (NDI) program," said FRCSE Commanding Officer Capt. Chuck Stuart. "NDI techniques can detect miniscule flaws in aircraft parts that are undetectable by other methods. Ensuring the safety and performance of naval aircraft is our top priority, and this new space will allow us to increase the amount of parts we're able to test by more than 50 percent."

The first task order is a project which includes conversion of space that will demolish the interior; completing a new interior build-out consisting of extending the mechanical duct system; installing a new, uninterruptible power supply; constructing a toilet room; replacing portions of the roof, gutters, and downspouts; replacing insulation; extending sprinkler systems; adding new lights and connections to existing utilities; and incidental related work.

Building 792 was previously used for decontamination of Navy aircraft engines that flew in and around Japan after the tsunami in 2011.

"Planes were brought to the FRCSE, where the engine container and engine were checked for contamination before it went anywhere else in the command," explained FRCSE Facilities Branch Supervisor James M. White Jr. "It was necessary to determine if there was any contamination so that we could deal with that first. It ended up being that all of the engines that went through this process were determined to be free of contaminants; none were found during the process."

When the Building 792 project is complete, it will have a new purpose and process. It will be used for low-cycle fatigue (LCF) testing.

White explained LCF testing is where engine parts are inspected using advanced, non-destructive testing methods to see if there are any problems or deficiencies with the parts. After the testing is completed, the parts will move through the command for further processing as needed.

The work for the Building 792 task order is scheduled to be completed by December 2017.

MACC contracts are used to pre-qualify a group of contractors, usually 4-7, with respect to performance, experience, capability and safety and then issue task orders to them for projects that meet the parameters of the MACC. MACCs save the command and the government time and resources.

The work to be performed under the MACC includes new construction, renovation, alteration, demolition, roofing, and repair work for general building types including industrial, infrastructure, administrative, training, dormitory, and community support facilities.

The small businesses awarded under this contract include B3 Enterprises, LLC, Woodbridge, Virginia; Birmingham Industrial Construction, LLC, Alabaster, Alabama; Blue Cord Design and Construction, LLC, Orlando, Florida; KMK Construction, Inc., New Bern, North Carolina; Polu Kai Services, LLC, Falls Church, Virginia; and VetFed-Pacific Tech JV 1, Kennewick, Washington.

The six vendors will compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract for the 60 months term of the contract, which includes a base year and four option years, and is expected to be completed by September 2021.

Each year NAVFAC establishes target goals for the program. This year NAVFAC has obligated $480 million for Small Business; $318 million to Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), $87 million Historically Underutilized Business Zone Small Business (HUBZone), $76 million Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), and $121 million Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) categories. The maximum practicable utilization of small business concerns is a matter of national interest with both social and economic benefits.

"That is a big chunk of change going to our small businesses; adding another $75 million of possible awards is a great news story," said NAVFAC Southeast Small Business Deputy Program Manager Mark Brock. "NAVFAC Southeast strives to meet its goals building on its success by providing contract opportunities to these businesses."

NAVFAC works diligently to train its acquisition team to be small business advocates responsible for identifying opportunities within their program for small business participation.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Facilities Engineering Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.