Firm Description: Bureau Veritas North America, Inc.

Bureau Veritas (Contractor): Bureau Veritas North America, Inc. is a global leader in Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) services. Founded in 1828, the firm provides technical expertise to help clients meet the growing challenges of quality, safety, environmental protection, and social responsibility. Under contract VTS-2144-2024, Bureau Veritas serves as a primary engineering consultant for Virginia Tech, offering a multi-discipline approach to infrastructure management.
LEED & Green Building Leadership: Bureau Veritas is at the forefront of the green building movement. By implementing green building solutions, the firm helps reduce energy consumption, maintenance and capital costs, and environmental impact while increasing occupant comfort. BV’s expertise extends to assisting municipal clients in green building ordinance implementation, having provided approximately 1,000 LEED reviews for the USGBC.
Active Backlog and Contracts: Bureau Veritas maintains a significant backlog of active contracts within the public sector, including federal agencies, state governments, and higher education institutions. Their current engagement with Virginia Tech is part of a broader portfolio of general engineering and building code services across the Commonwealth. The firm's ability to maintain high staffing levels ensures that the $10M annual aggregate ceiling of the VT contract is supported by a robust pipeline of engineers, lab technicians, and inspectors.
Prior Work with the Commonwealth: The firm has a documented history of providing professional services under the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA). Their experience includes specialized building code reviews for the Bureau of Capital Outlay Management (BCOM) and large-scale structural inspections for state-funded infrastructure. This prior work underscores their familiarity with the HECO manual and Virginia's specific regulatory requirements.
Laboratory and Testing Capabilities: Bureau Veritas operates ISO-certified laboratories capable of handling a wide array of material testing, from concrete and soil analysis to advanced chemical and environmental testing. These facilities are essential for the "Lab Testing" requirements of the Virginia Tech contract, providing the empirical data needed for project validation.
Professional Qualifications: The firm’s team includes licensed Professional Engineers (PE) across multiple states, certified Building Officials, and ICC-certified inspectors. This diverse talent pool allows them to address everything from mechanical system failures to complex structural design reviews.
Geographic Reach: While a global entity, Bureau Veritas maintains local offices and field staff capable of rapid deployment to Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus and other regional sites. This local-global model provides the university with both high-level specialized knowledge and efficient on-site coordination.
Quality Management Systems: The firm employs a rigorous internal quality assurance program designed to meet or exceed industry standards. This system ensures that all technical reports, design reviews, and lab results delivered to Virginia Tech are accurate, reproducible, and legally defensible.
Strategic Partnership with Virginia Tech: The execution of VTS-2144-2024 on December 1, 2023, established Bureau Veritas as a long-term strategic partner for the university. This partnership is built on the firm's capacity to handle high-value task orders, up to the $2.5 million limit per project, with minimal lead times.
Focus on Risk Mitigation: A core component of the Bureau Veritas service model is identifying and mitigating technical risk. Through exhaustive inspections and code reviews, the firm ensures that university projects avoid costly structural errors and remain compliant with the Virginia Statewide Building Code.

Scope of Services: Specialized Reviews & Protocols

LEED Building Review: BV provides building services including LEED submittal consultation, green building consulting, ENERGY STAR verification, energy efficiency audits, and Chain of Custody (COC) certification. These services aim to optimize the university's environmental footprint and capital cost structure.
Civil Engineering Review: Professional staff familiarize themselves with all city, state, and federal requirements (ADA, NPDES) before beginning reviews. Requirements for civil infrastructure are sourced from statutory requirements, local design guidelines, and the mandates of affected utilities.
Fire Plan Review: BV staff consult closely with local Fire Department Chiefs or designated representatives on code interpretations and alternate methods. Proposed fire plan check engineers ensure compliance with ICC, NFPA, and International Health and Safety Codes.
Plan Review Process: BV utilizes an established internal plan check coordination process where each plan is entered into the ProTrack database. The process involves screening, logging, verification of permit application information, and a thorough structural/MEP review of design drawings.
Technical Oversight: BV conducts reviews of any deferred submittals as outlined by the International Building Code and the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC). They provide letters recommending the issuance of respective permits after substantial compliance is reached.
Preliminary Consultations: To facilitate fast-tracked projects, BV offers preliminary consultations to guide applicants in the design phase. This proactive approach enhances client relations and aids in project schedule recovery when construction timelines are compressed.

Plan Review Turnaround Schedule

Review Type	Initial Review	Re-Submittal
Standard Project	10 Business Days	5 Business Days
Expedited Project (1.5x Fee)	Negotiated / Fast-Track	Negotiated
Communications Response	Return of telephone calls and e-mails within 24 hours

* Complex / Large project schedules may be negotiated individually based on construction impact.

Fee Proposal & Hourly Billing Rates

Rates valid through Dec 2024

Staff Level Classification	Hourly Rate (USD)
Structural Engineer / Fire Protection Engineer	$160.00
Senior Plan Review Engineer	$150.00
Plan Review Engineer / EIT	$140.00
Accessibility Review	$135.00
Fire Plans Examiner	$135.00
ICC Certified Plans Examiner	$125.00
Administration / Clerical	$65.00

Service Options & Multipliers

Plan Check Option: 65% of Permit Fees (using Table 1A)
Expedited Reviews: 1.5x standard hourly fees
Overtime (OT): 1.25x (25% premium) standard rate
Prevailing Wage: Excluded unless negotiated separately

Billing & Expense Policies

On-site Minimum: 6 hours minimum per on-site day
Travel: Current IRS rate for employee-owned vehicles
Adjustment: Subject to annual CPI from ENR
Billing Cycle: Monthly invoicing; plan review fee after initial check

Selection Criteria & Award Breakdown

Bureau Veritas was awarded contract VTS-2144-2024 based on a 100-point composite score evaluation:

Quality of products/services and suitability 25 Points

Qualifications and experiences of Offeror 25 Points

Specific plans or methodology for Services 25 Points

Cost (or Price) 15 Points

Participation of SWAM Businesses 10 Points

Total Evaluation Value 100 Points

Acronyms & Technical Terms

ProTrack

Bureau Veritas's proprietary database for tracking each submittal and ensuring on-time project delivery.

USGBC Review

BV has provided approx. 1,000 LEED reviews for the U.S. Green Building Council, validating their sustainability expertise.

NPDES

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System; a key federal requirement reviewed during civil infrastructure assessments.

ASTM

The international standards followed by BV laboratories for all material and structural testing tasks.

Table 1A

The Building Permit Fees reference table used to calculate the 65% plan check fee option.

GAYA CAPITAL

DOCUMENT REF: VT-BV-VTS2144-OPS

Bureau Veritas North America, Inc.