Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

Combined Synopsis-Solicitation for Commercial Items Effective Date: 02/01/2022 Description This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Feder... Combined Synopsis-Solicitation for Commercial Items Effective Date: 02/01/2022 Description This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested, and a written solicitation document will not be issued. This solicitation is issued as an RFQ. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2022-08. This solicitation is set-aside for SB The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 513120, with a small business size standard of 1,000 Employees. The FSC/PSC is U009. The VHA, RPOE, NCO 01 is seeking to purchase: All interested companies shall provide quotations for the following: This is for brand name only; no equivalents will be accepted. Supplies/Services *See attachment STATEMENT OF WORK for MEDICAL JOURNALS FY2023 A. General Information Introduction: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Integrated Service Network 1 (VISN 1) requires a one-year subscription to a selection of 150 electronic journal titles, and print if noted, from various publishers and medical, nursing and specialty associations. The list of journals for FY23 is contained in a separate file, submitted with this statement of work. Performance Period: This subscription is for the period of performance one year from award date. Objectives VISN 1Knowledge Information Service s goal is to ensure uniform accessibility to high quality, up to date, medical and clinical, knowledge-based electronic resources across the network to improve clinical decision-making at the point of care. Provides access VISN 1-wide to electronic journals in support of a wide spectrum topics for clinical care and research. A VISN 1-wide centralized journal subscription purchase capitalizes on economies of scale. Negotiating one VISN-wide license/contract for this collection of journals decreases contracting and reviewing efforts that would otherwise be required at the separate VA facility level. SCOPE OF WORK The Contractor shall be responsible for the management, labor and equipment necessary to provide access to (1) serial publication subscriptions (electronic journals with a rare exception for a print journal), (2) point of care subscriptions, and (3) related subscription requirements. Related subscription requirements include paying publishers, handling claims for non-receipt, processing changes in subscriptions status (renewals, new and cancelled subscriptions), facilitating the activation of online access, and submission of required reports and other service problems. Approximately 90% of subscriptions placed by VISN 1 Knowledge Library will be renewal subscriptions. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Subscription Orders. The solicitation is divided into two parts. Contractor(s) must qualify under Part 1 in order to provide requirements under Part 2. Part 1 - Basic Subscription Orders. Contractor shall provide basic subscription orders that would include all tasks necessary to execute and manage orders for new and renewal subscriptions to serial publication subscriptions. These tasks fall into the following four critical areas, described in detail elsewhere in the solicitation: (a) Ordering subscriptions. (b) Serving as the fiscal agent with publishers, including making timely prepayments, processing refunds, claims, supplemental and bill-later charges. (c) Ensuring timely and complete delivery of ordered subscriptions; and, (d) Providing reports and other administrative support for subscriptions management. Part 2 - Required Support Requirements. Contractor shall provide support to cover a range of subscription-related products to the library, in addition to basic subscription orders and renewals described under Part 1. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS Basic Subscription Orders and Renewals. Contractor shall provide subscription orders for all subscriptions in all media generally available via agents from foreign and domestic publishers, if the ordering customer can supply sufficient publication information. If the ordering customer cannot obtain publication information, the contractor will assist in obtaining the necessary information to obtain the journal. The Contractor shall supply materials from a wide range of publishers. Subscription Periods. (a) Publisher permitting, the Contractor shall be required to place subscriptions at any time during the year, to provide common expiration dates for initial subscription and renewals whenever possible, and to assist in prorating for common expiration dates, as required by individual stations. (b) The Contractor shall provide administrative and other requirements for each subscription placed until three months after its expiration or for the life of the subscription. Direct Orders. (a) Listing of any "direct only" subscriptions, meaning subscriptions which the Contractor cannot supply due to publishers licensing requirements establishes privity of this contract is required to be directly between the Department of Veterans Affairs VISN1 and the Publisher. The doctrine of privity in the common law of contracts provides that a contract cannot confer rights or impose obligations arising under it on any person or agent except the parties to it. These orders cannot be placed through this contract action without VISN 1 Contracting Officer approval and also compliance with the publishers requirements. Payment. (a) The Contractor shall pay all regular subscription orders in advance, prior to submission of first invoice. (b) The Contractor shall make additional payments as necessary and be required to adjust for unforeseen contingencies, such as currency fluctuations, additional volumes, access, and any other unexpected fees. (c) The Contractor shall maintain complete records of all bibliographic and financial transactions of each Station for up to three years. The Contractor shall provide to the VISN 1 immediate access to these records on demand. If required by VISN 1 the Contractor shall provide copies of these documents at no cost. The Contractor shall retain the original records on-site. Administrative Services. The Contractor shall provide the following administrative services to support subscription ordering services: (a) Claims for missing, defective or mutilated issues. The Contractor shall be the contract liaison for all VA VISN 1 stations in obtaining from the publisher replacement copies of print periodicals found to be defective, mutilated, lost in transit, or otherwise missing, provided the loss is reported within sixty calendar days. Contractor shall provide back issue ordering if requested. Contractor shall respond to Stations' claims within ten (10) calendar days of the claim. The Contractor shall offer electronic claims services at no additional charge. The Contractor shall, upon request of the government, demonstrate or make available for review its electronic claims system prior to contract award. (i) The Contractor shall provide each Station with the necessary training and written documentation to enable each Station to effectively use the electronic claiming system. (ii) The Contractor shall supply the VA and all "ship-to" addressees with full service assistance in claiming missing issues. (iii) The Contractor shall handle claims for any subscription for up to three months after the life of the subscription. (b) Access Issues. The Contractor will assist in ensuring access to all journals under the current contract responding back within one business day. Personal Representative. The Contractor shall assign a representative by name to provide personalized in-house assistance for VA Station account. (c) Library Management Reports Claims Lists. The Contractor shall provide to the station a monthly listing of all outstanding claims and any responses received from the publishers. The report shall be cumulative, by title, for all unresolved claims. Statistical and Usage Access reports The Contractor shall provide access/usage statistics to the VISN1 Knowledge Information Service representatives on a quarterly schedule. The usage statistics should be in COUNTER R5 and Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative (SUSHI) Protocol (ANSI/NISO Z39.93-2014; https://www.niso.org/standards-committees/sushi ) if available, or latest version. The COUNTER Code of Practice provides a framework for the recording and exchange of online usage statistics for the major categories of e-resources (journals, databases, books, reference works, and multimedia databases). Licenses Contractor and publishers frequently have license agreements for their electronic publications, systems and software products. Licenses may be for the subscription agent s proprietary products, or publisher s proprietary products. All license agreements will be between the VISN 1 and the Contractor/Publishers. Such individual licenses shall only pertain to the VA library for whom they were negotiated. License agreements will be reviewed, approved, signed and enforced by according to local procedures. Contractor s proposals must contain copies of all Contractor proprietary licenses for all items offered. Place of Performance Address: 150 S Huntington Ave. Boston, MA Postal Code: 02130 Country: UNITED STATES The full text of FAR provisions or clauses may be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html. The following solicitation provisions apply to this acquisition: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items FAR 52.212-3, Offerors Representations and Certifications Commercial Items Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) website located at https://www.sam.gov/portal in accordance with FAR 52.212-3, Offerors Representations and Certifications Commercial Items. If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required. The following contract clauses apply to this acquisition: FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items Nov 2021 FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders May 2022 The following subparagraphs of FAR 52.212-5 are applicable: 52.219-6, 52.219-28, 52.219-32, 52.222-26, 52.222-50, 52.223-18, 52.225-1, 52.225-13, 52.232-33 GRAY MARKET ITEMS (APR 2020) (a) No gray market or remanufactured items will be acceptable. Gray market items are Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) goods sold through unauthorized channels in direct competition with authorized distributors. This procurement is for new OEM medical equipment only for VA medical facilities. (b) Vendor shall be an OEM, authorized dealer, authorized distributor or authorized reseller for the proposed equipment/system, verified by an authorization letter or other documents from the OEM. All software licensing, warranty and service associated with the equipment/system shall be in accordance with the OEM terms and conditions. (End of clause) All quoters shall submit the following: QUOTE All quotes shall be sent to the Contract Specialist, kurt.fritz@va.gov Award will be based upon a comparative evaluation of quotes in accordance with the Simplified Acquisition Procedures of FAR 13. Comparative evaluation is the side by side pairwise comparison of quotes based on factors resulting in a Contracting Officer decision for the quote most favorable to the Government. The following are the decision factors: price, past performance The award will be made to the response most advantageous to the Government. Responses should contain your best terms, conditions. ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS COMMERCIAL ITEMS Provisions that are incorporated by reference (by Citation Number, Title, and Date), have the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The version of FAR 52.212-1 in the addendum is tailored for Simplified Acquisition Procedures and supersedes the current version of FAR 52.212-1 contained in the FAR. The following provisions are incorporated into 52.212-1 as an addendum to this solicitation: FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO QUOTERS COMMERCIAL ITEMS North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and small business size standard are stated in the combined synopsis/solicitation. Submission of quotations. Submit quotations to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation. Quotations may be submitted on letterhead stationery, or as otherwise specified in the solicitation. As a minimum, quotations must show- The solicitation number; The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of quotations; The name, address, and telephone number of the quoter; A technical description of the items being quoted in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary; Terms of any express warranty; Price and any discount terms; Remit to address, if different than mailing address; A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b) for those representations and certifications that the quoter shall complete electronically); Acknowledgment of Solicitation Amendments; Past performance information, when included as an evaluation factor, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information); and If the quotation is not submitted on the SF 1449, include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Quotations that fail to furnish required representations or information or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration. Period for acceptance of offers. The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 30 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation. Product samples. When required by the solicitation, product samples shall be submitted at or prior to the time specified for receipt of quotations. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, these samples shall be submitted at no expense to the Government, and returned at the sender s request and expense, unless they are destroyed during testing. Multiple quotations. Quoters are encouraged to submit multiple quotations presenting alternative terms and conditions or commercial items for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation. Each quotation submitted will be evaluated separately. Late submissions Quoters are responsible for submitting quotations so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation, the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated Government office on the date that quotations are due. Any quotation received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of quotations is late and will not be considered unless it is received before purchase order issuance and the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late quotation would not unduly delay the acquisition. If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that quotations cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of quotations by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation or other notice of an extension of the closing date, the time specified for receipt of quotations will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume. Issuance of purchase order. Quotations should contain the quoter s best technical and price terms. The Contracting Officer may reject any or all quotations. The Contracting Officer may issue a purchase order to other than the quoter with the lowest priced quotation. After the evaluation of quotations, the Contracting Officer may negotiate final terms with one or more quoters of the Government s choice before issuing any purchase order. The Contracting Officer will not negotiate with any quoters other than those of the Government s choice and will not use the formal source selection procedures described in FAR part 15. Multiple purchase orders. The Government may issue a purchase order for any item or group of items of a quotation, unless the quoter qualifies the quotation by specific limitations. Unless otherwise provided in the Schedule, quotations may not be submitted for quantities less than those specified. The Government reserves the right to issue a purchase order for a quantity less than the quantity quoted, at the unit prices quoted, unless the quoter specifies otherwise in the quotation. Availability of requirements documents cited in the solicitation. (i) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29, and copies of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained for a fee by submitting a request to- GSA Federal Supply Service Specifications Section Suite 8100 470 East L Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20407 Telephone (202) 619-8925 Facsimile (202) 619-8978 If the General Services Administration, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Veterans Affairs issued this solicitation, a single copy of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained free of charge by submitting a request to the addressee in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this provision. Additional copies will be issued for a fee. Most unclassified Defense specifications and standards may be downloaded from the following ASSIST websites: ASSIST (https://assist.dla.mil/online/start/). Quick Search (http://quicksearch.dla.mil/). ASSISTdocs.com (http://assistdocs.com). Documents not available from ASSIST may be ordered from the Department of Defense Single Stock Point (DoDSSP) by- Using the ASSIST Shopping Wizard (https://assist.dla.mil/wizard/index.cfm); Phoning the DoDSSP Customer Service Desk (215) 697-2179, Mon-Fri, 0730 to 1600 EST; or Ordering from DoDSSP, Building 4, Section D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, Telephone (215) 697-2667/2179, Facsimile (215) 697-1462. Nongovernment (voluntary) standards must be obtained from the organization responsible for their preparation, publication, or maintenance. Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number. (Applies to all quotations exceeding the Micro-Purchase Threshold (MPT), and quotations of MPT or less if the solicitation requires the Contractor to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database.) The quoter shall enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its quotation, the annotation DUNS or DUNS+4 followed by the DUNS or DUNS+4 number that identifies the quoter s name and address. The DUNS+4 is the DUNS number plus a 4-character suffix that may be assigned at the discretion of the quoter to establish additional SAM records for identifying alternative Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) accounts (see FAR Subpart 32.11) for the same concern. If the quoter does not have a DUNS number, it should contact Dun and Bradstreet directly to obtain one. A quoter within the United States may contact Dun and Bradstreet by calling 1-866-705-5711 or via the internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. A quoter located outside the United States must contact the local Dun and Bradstreet office for a DUNS number. The quoter should indicate that it is a quoter for a Government contract when contacting the local Dun and Bradstreet office. [Reserved]. Requests for information. The contracting officer will not notify unsuccessful quoters that responded to this solicitation. Quoters may request information on purchase order(s) resulting from this solicitation from the contracting officer. (END-OF-PROV) To facilitate the award process, all quotes must include a statement regarding the terms and conditions herein as follows: "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition." OR "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:" Quoters shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s), if any. Submission of your response shall be received not later than 4:00 PM EST 01/24/2022 to kurt.fritz@va.gov Late submissions shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f). Any questions or concerns regarding this solicitation should be forwarded in writing via e-mail to the Point of Contact listed below. Point of Contact Kurt Fritz Kurt.fritz@va.gov

Inactive

Pre-Solicitation Notice for notice of intent to award a Firm Fixed Price contract. This is not a solicitation. The Department of Veterans Affairs intends to negotiate a Firm Fixed Price contract with ... Pre-Solicitation Notice for notice of intent to award a Firm Fixed Price contract. This is not a solicitation. The Department of Veterans Affairs intends to negotiate a Firm Fixed Price contract with a SDVOSB to obtain One-Year subscription for EBSCO Clinical Journals. The applicable NAICS code is 513120 with size standards of 1,000 employees. The PSC is U009. Interested persons may contact the Contracting Specialist via email at kurt.fritz@va.gov regarding this procurement. The determination to conduct a competitive procurement based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Contracting Officer.