Inactive

Combined Synopsis Solicitation for Bedford VAMC Emergency Bed Services for the Bedford VAMC area (i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the forma... Combined Synopsis Solicitation for Bedford VAMC Emergency Bed Services for the Bedford VAMC area (i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. (ii) The solicitation number is 36C24124Q0014 and the solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). (iii) A statement that the solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2022-02. (iv) The associated NAICS code is 624221 Temporary Shelters services and small business size standard is $13.5 million. (v) The Government intends to award a firm-fixed price contract for Bedford VAMC Emergency Bed Services for the Bedford VAMC area. The contract will be written for a base year with four (4) option years. Please see the attached Performance Work Statement for full requirement details. Please complete the Price Schedule below and submit with the quote submission. (vi) The Contractor shall provide all resources necessary to provide services IAW the attached Scope of Work. Please see the attached SOW for full requirement details. (vii) The Place of Performance is: Bedford, MA catchment area (viii) Provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial, applies to this acquisition in addition to the following addenda s to the provision: 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998), 52.204-7 System for Award Management (OCT 2018), 52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (AUG 2020), 852.252-70 Solicitation Provisions or Clauses Incorporated by Reference (JAN 2008) (ix) Provision at 52.212-2, Evaluation -- Commercial Items, applies to this requirement. Submission of Quotes: (1) Quotes shall be received on or before the date and time specified in Section (xv) of this solicitation. Note: Offers received after the due date and time shall not be considered. (2) Offerors shall submit their quotes electronically via email to Craig.Harris@va.gov. (3) Questions: Questions shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer in writing via e-mail. Oral questions are not acceptable due to the possibility of misunderstanding or misinterpretation. The cut-off date and time for receipt of questions is 11/18/2023 at 11:00 AM EST. Questions received after this date and time may not be answered. Questions shall be answered in a formal amendment to the solicitation so all interested parties can see the answers. (4) Quote Format: The submission should be clearly indexed and logically assembled in order of the evaluation criteria below. All pages of the quote shall be appropriately numbered and identified by the complete company name, date and solicitation number in the header and/or footer. Evaluation Process: Award shall be made to the best value, as determined to be the most beneficial to the Government. Please read each section below carefully for the submittals and information required as part of the evaluation. Failure to provide the requested information below shall be considered non-compliant and your quote could be removed from the evaluation process. Offeror quotes shall be evaluated under FAR Part 13.106-2(b) -- Evaluation of Quotations or Offers. Therefore, the Government is not obligated to determine a competitive range, conduct discussions with all contractors, solicit final revised quotes, and use other techniques associated with FAR Part 15. The contracting techniques associated with FAR Part 15 are not mandatory. The Government shall award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation shall be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:  Price (Follow these instructions): Offeror shall complete the attached Price Schedule, with offerors proposed contract line-item prices inserted in appropriate spaces. Ensure your representations and certifications are complete in the System for Award Management (SAM)( https://www.sam.gov). Otherwise, you will need to fill out solicitation Clause 52.212-3 Offeror Representation and Certifications -Commercial Items and submit with the quote. Federal Acquisition Regulations require that federal contractors register in the SAM database at http://www.sam.gov and enter all mandatory information into the system. Award cannot be made until the contractor has registered. Offerors are encouraged to ensure that they are registered in SAM prior to submitting their quotation. Past Performance: Provide (2) references of work, similar in scope and size with the requirement detailed in the Performance Work Statement. References must include contact information; brief description of the work completed, and contract # (if relevant). Please utilize Attachment 1 Past Performance Worksheet for your references and please submit as part of your quote submission. References may be checked by the Contracting Officer to ensure your company is capable of performing the Performance Work Statement. The Government also reserves the right to obtain information for use in the evaluation of past performance from any and all sources. Technical: The offeror s quote shall be evaluated to determine if the organization has the experience and capabilities to provide the requested services IAW the Performance Work Statement in a timely efficient manner. Contractor shall demonstrate that their technicians meet the qualification standards stated in the Performance Work Statement, by stating technician years of applicable service. If you are planning to sub-contract some or all of this work, please provide the name and address(s) of all subcontractor(s) (if applicable) and a description of their planned subcontracting effort. All interested parties are asked to complete and submit Attachment 2 Limitation on subcontracting with your submission. (x) Please include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items, with your offer via the SAM.gov website or a written copy. (xi) Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition in addition to the following addenda s to the clause: 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998), 52.203-17 Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights and Requirement to Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights (JUN 2020), 52.204-4 Printed or Copied Double-Sided on Postconsumer Fiber Content Paper (MAY 2011), 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (OCT 2018), 52.204-18 Commercial Government Entity Code Maintenance (AUG 2020), 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000), 52.228-5 Insurance-Work on a Government Installation (JAN 1997), 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontracting (DEC 2013), 852.212-70 Provisions and Clauses Applicable to VA Acquisitions of Commercial Items (APR 2020) 852.203-70 Commercial Advertising 852.219-10, VA Notice of Total Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside 852.232-72 Electronic Submissions of Payment Requests 852.233-70 Protest Content/Alternative Dispute Resolution 852.233-71 Alternate Protest Procedure 852.270-1 Representatives of Contracting Officers 852.219-74 Limitations on Subcontracting Monitoring and Compliance (JUL 2018) As prescribed in 819.7203(a) insert the following clause: (a) Accordingly, any contract resulting from this solicitation is subject to the limitation on subcontracting requirements in 13 CFR 125.6. The Contractor is advised that in performing contract administration functions, the Contracting Officer may use the services of a support contractor(s) retained by VA to assist in assessing the Contractor s compliance with the limitations on subcontracting or percentage of work performance requirements specified in the clause. To that end, the support contractor(s) may require access to Contractor s offices where the Contractor s business records or other proprietary data are retained and to review such business records regarding the Contractor s compliance with this requirement. (b) All support contractors conducting this review on behalf of VA will be required to sign an Information Protection and Non-Disclosure and Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest Agreement to ensure the Contractor s business records or other proprietary data reviewed or obtained in the course of assisting the Contracting Officer in assessing the Contractor for compliance are protected to ensure information or data is not improperly disclosed or other impropriety occurs. (c) Furthermore, if VA determines any services the support contractor(s) will perform in assessing compliance are advisory and assistance services as defined in FAR 2.101, Definitions, the support contractor(s) must also enter into an agreement with the Contractor to protect proprietary information as required by FAR 9.505-4, Obtaining access to proprietary information, paragraph (b). The Contractor is required to cooperate fully and make available any records as may be required to enable the Contracting Officer to assess the Contractor s compliance with the limitations on subcontracting or percentage of work performance requirement. (End of clause) 852.219-77 VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction. As prescribed in 819.7009(c) insert the following clause: VA NOTICE OF LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE FOR SERVICES AND CONSTRUCTION (SEP 2021) (DEVIATION) (a) Pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 8127(k)(2), the offeror certifies that (1) If awarded a contract (see FAR 2.101 definition), it will comply with the limitations on subcontracting requirement as provided in the solicitation and the resultant contract, as follows: [Contracting Officer check the appropriate box below based on the predominant NAICS code assigned to the instant acquisition as set forth in FAR 19.102.] (i) [ ] Services. In the case of a contract for services (except construction), the contractor will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs as set forth in 852.219-10 or VOSBs as set forth in 852.219-11. Any work that a similarly situated VIP-listed subcontractor further subcontracts will count towards the 50% subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. Other direct costs may be excluded to the extent they are not the principal purpose of the acquisition and small business concerns do not provide the service as set forth in 13 CFR 125.6. (ii) [ ] General construction. In the case of a contract for general construction, the contractor will not pay more than 85% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs as set forth in 852.219-10 or VOSBs as set forth in 852.219-11. Any work that a similarly situated VIP-listed subcontractor further subcontracts will count towards the 85% subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. Cost of materials are excluded and not considered to be subcontracted. (iii) Special trade construction contractors. In the case of a contract for special trade contractors, the contractor will not pay more than 75% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs as set forth in 852.219-10 or VOSBs as set forth in 852.219-11. Any work that a similarly situated subcontractor further subcontracts will count towards the 75% subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. Cost of materials are excluded and not considered to be subcontracted. (2) The offeror acknowledges that this certification concerns a matter within the jurisdiction of an Agency of the United States. The offeror further acknowledges that this certification is subject to Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001, and, as such, a false, fictitious, or fraudulent certification may render the offeror subject to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties, including prosecution. (3) If VA determines that an SDVOSB/VOSB awarded a contract pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 8127 did not act in good faith, such SDVOSB/VOSB shall be subject to any or all of the following: (i) Referral to the VA Suspension and Debarment Committee; (ii) A fine under section 16(g)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 645(g)(1)); and (iii) Prosecution for violating section 1001 of title 18. (b) The offeror represents and understands that by submission of its offer and award of a contract it may be required to provide copies of documents or records to VA that VA may review to determine whether the offeror complied with the limitations on subcontracting requirement specified in the contract. The Contracting Officer may, at their discretion, require the Contractor to demonstrate its compliance with the limitations on subcontracting at any time during performance and upon completion of a contract if the information regarding such compliance is not already available to the Contracting Officer. Evidence of compliance includes, but is not limited to, invoices, copies of subcontracts, or a list of the value of tasks performed. (c) The offeror further agrees to cooperate fully and make available any documents or records as may be required to enable VA to determine compliance with the limitations on subcontracting requirement. The offeror understands that failure to provide documents as requested by VA may result in remedial action as the Government deems appropriate. (d) Offeror completed certification/fill-in required. The formal certification must be completed, signed, and returned with the offeror s bid, quotation, or proposal. The Government will not consider offers for award from offerors that do not provide the certification, and all such responses will be deemed ineligible for evaluation and award. Certification: I hereby certify that if awarded the contract, [insert name of offeror] will comply with the limitations on subcontracting specified in this clause and in the resultant contract. I further certify that I am authorized to execute this certification on behalf of [insert name of offeror]. Printed Name of Signee: _________________________________ Printed Title of Signee: ________________________________ Signature: ______________________________________________ Date: ___________________________________________________ Company Name and Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________ (End of clause) 852.242-71 Administrative Contracting Officer. As prescribed in 842.271, insert the following clause: ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTING OFFICER (OCT 2020) The Contracting Officer reserves the right to designate an Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO) for the purpose of performing certain tasks/duties in the administration of the contract. Such designation will be in writing through an ACO Letter of Delegation and will identify the responsibilities and limitations of the ACO. A copy of the ACO Letter of Delegation shall be furnished to the Contractor. (End of clause) (xii) Clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes Or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and in addition to the following FAR clauses cited, which are also applicable to the acquisition: 52.203-6, 52.204-10, 52.209-6, 52.219-4, 52.219-8, 52.219-6, 52.219-28, 52.222-3, 52.222-21, 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.222-37, 52.222-40, 52.222-50, 52.223-18, 52.225-3, 52.225-13, 52.232-33, 52.222-41 (Wage Determination Bedford, MA SCLS WD 2015-4047 Revision 24, 52.222-42, 52.222-43, 52.222-55, 52.222-62 (xiii) All contract requirement(s) and/or terms and conditions are stated above. (xiv) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) and assigned rating are not applicable to this requirement. (xv) RFQ responses are due 11/30/2023 at 11:00 AM EST. RFQ responses must be submitted via email to: Craig.Harris@va.gov Hand deliveries shall not be accepted. (xvi) The POC of this solicitation is Craig Harris (Craig.Harris@va.gov )

Inactive

This is a Sources Sought notice only. This is not a request for quotes and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. The Government will not provide any reimbursement for responses submitted... This is a Sources Sought notice only. This is not a request for quotes and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. The Government will not provide any reimbursement for responses submitted in response to this Source Sought notice. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interest parties must response to that solicitation announcement separately. Responses to this notice are not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation The purpose of this announcement is to perform market research to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS 624221, Temporary Shelters with a size standard 13.5 Million. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office 1 (NCO 1) is seeking to identify any vendor capable of providing Bed Emergency Residential Bed Services for the Bedford VAMC per the Performance Work Statement below. This Sources Sought notice provides an opportunity for respondents to submit their capability and availability to provide the requirement described below. Vendors are encouraged to submit information relative to their capabilities to fulfill this requirement, in the form of a statement that addresses the specific requirement identified in this Sources Sought. Information received from this Sources Sought shall be utilized to facilitate the Contracting Officer s review of the market base, for acquisition planning, size determination, and procurement strategy. Submission Instructions: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to Craig.Harris@va.gov with RFQ # 36C24124Q0014 in the subject line. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. Interested parties should complete the attached Sources Sought Worksheet. Parties may submit additional information related to their capabilities, provided it contains all the requirements contained in the Sources Sought Worksheet. Responses to this Sources Sought shall not exceed 8 pages. In addition, all submissions should be provided electronically in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. Sources Sought Worksheet QUALIFICATION INFORMATION: Company / Institute Name: _______________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: ________________________________________________________________ Point of Contact: _______________________________________________________________ E-mail Address: ________________________________________________________________ Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) #: ___________________________________________________ CAGE Code: __________________________________________________________________ SAM Registered: (Y / N) Other available contract vehicles applicable to this sources sought (GSA/FSS/NASA SEWP/ETC): __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS: VIP Verified SDVOSB: (Y / N) VIP Verified VOSB: (Y / N) 8(a): (Y / N) HUBZone: (Y / N) Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N) Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N) Small Business: (Y / N) NOTE: Respondent claiming SDVOSB and VOSB status shall be registered and Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) verified in VetBiz Registry www.vetbiz.gov. BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SDVOSB, VOSB, SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. CAPABILITY STATEMENT: Provide a brief capability and interest in providing the service as listed in Attachment 2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT with enough information to determine if your company can meet the requirement. The capabilities statement for this Sources Sought is not a Request for Quotation, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach, but rather the Government is requesting a short statement regarding the company s ability to provide the services outlined in the PWS. Any commercial brochures or currently existing marketing material may also be submitted with the capabilities statement. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government will not pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Attachment 2 Performance Work Statement (PWS) VA Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Contract Emergency Residential Services (CERS) VA Bedford Healthcare System (518) I. INTRODUCTION The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Breakthrough Initiative 8 to continue progress to end Veteran s homelessness calls for enhancing current homeless service capacity as well as developing new programs and initiatives in concert with community and federal partners. The intent of this Performance Work Statement (PWS) is for VA Medical Centers to engage community provider(s) to offer homeless Veterans services through Contract Emergency Residential Services (CERS) model of residential care. VA Bedford Healthcare System, through the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program, is committed to meeting the emergency housing needs of the Veterans experiencing homelessness in our catchment area. Purpose: Under the contract authority of VA s Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) programs, VA Medical Centers will solicit community organizations to provide Contract Emergency Residential Services (CERS). These services must be put forth in the solicitation. Significant deviation from these services can dilute the model as prescribed, and thus disrupt program evaluation and fidelity studies. VA Medical Centers will contract through procedures in line with their own business practices and contracting services. Costs associated with Veteran care will be determined by bed days of care, per month. Policy: The Secretary of the VA has set a zero-tolerance policy for homelessness within the Veteran population. As part of the Breakthrough Initiative 8, VA intends to increase both capacity of existing programs and services offered to program participants. This plan calls for utilizing new models of care, not previously offered by VA.. Background: VA has been providing direct and specialized services for homeless Veterans since 1987, with numerous programs that provided street outreach and residential community services, VA Homeless Programs have developed and expanded to become the largest integrated provider of homeless services in the country. Despite these resources, on any given night there are still thousands of Veterans who are without a place to stay. The emergency housing needs subsumed under this scope are normally provided by numerous sources which cumulatively do not have adequate availability to serve our complex homeless Veteran population. VA Bedford Healthcare System has worked to provide a CERS program since November 2011 due to the increasing complexity of need of Veterans who cannot navigate local shelters or who have other urgent needs. As part of VA Bedford s efforts to end Veteran homelessness, the CERS beds located within VA Bedford s catchment area are needed to better serve Veterans experiencing homelessness and struggling to work on their own individual recovery needs. The Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) team provides intensive case management for Veterans served in the CERS program. The Period of Performance reads as follows: Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this contract will be performed at the Contractors facility which must pass inspection by VA Personnel (see attached inspection sheet). Type of Contract: VA will award a Firm Fixed Price Contract with estimated quantities. Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. The contracting officer, Contracting Officers Representative (COR), and other VA personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the contractor to review the contractor's performance. At these meetings the contracting officer will apprise the contractor of how VA views the contractor's performance and the contractor will apprise VA of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to VA. II. SCOPE OF WORK: Contractor will provide access for up to 15 Veterans to CERS beds with a length of stay (LOS) up to 90 days with the option to extend based on clinical need. This will be monitored and tracked by the VA Liaison. A separate area will be provided, or designated, for Veterans in CERS beds Contractor will collaborate with the designated VA Liaison for all Veteran referrals. Referrals to CERS beds are open to male, female, and transgendered Veterans, as well as disabled Veterans. Veterans will not be denied based solely on previous CERS admissions, history of treatment, substance use, or legal involvement. Contractor will maintain a minimum staff to veteran ratio of 1:15. Staff is defined as a paid professional or para-professional and does not include interns. Exceptions may be granted in writing by VA. Contractor will provide all linens, including sheets, towels, pillows and blankets as well as a locked storage box during LOS. Contractor will provide Veterans in CERS beds three (3) meals daily, seven (7) days a week. Alternative meals should be provided for Veterans with dietary restrictions if medically indicated (e.g. diabetic, renal and soft mechanical diets) and reasonable accommodation for Veterans with cultural/religious preferences around food (e.g. Kosher, Sikh, etc.). Contractor will provide an environment where Veteran can safely store and administer their own medications. Contractor will administer a minimum of one (1) randomized DAU per month, per Veteran and daily breathalyzer tests. Contractor shall assist Veterans with transportation to scheduled meetings and appointments, including those at VA Bedford. Scheduled meetings include court appearances, home viewings, job interviews, and other meetings or appointments related to the veteran s goals and progress in the program. Contractor will be expected to help Veterans access public transportation, including providing information and instructions necessary to enable Veterans to utilize public transportation. If public transportation is not available or appropriate for a Veteran, the Contractor shall arrange for alternative transport by car or taxi. Contractor will provide 24/7 transportation for urgent admissions from VA Bedford. Contractor will provide laundry facilities and necessary detergent free of charge and adequate for Veterans to do their own laundry or to have laundry done at minimum one time per week. VA will pay up to two (2) nights for any unscheduled/unauthorized absences for a Veteran under the following conditions: Contractor must have evidence of and document active outreach to locate and reengage Veteran; Contractor must not place anyone else in the bed; Veteran may be discharged if not located within 48 hours. Veterans are able to receive up two (2) overnight passes per month, as clinically indicated. The bed will be included in the monthly census and reason for overnight pass must be documented and be consistent with the Veteran s service/treatment plan Contractor must not place anyone else in the bed; Contractor will receive payment for up to seven (7) days should a Veteran require inpatient level of care. Contractor will obtain a signed VA Release of Information (ROI) for all Veterans to facilitate communication during LOS. If release is rescinded, Veteran is to be removed from the CERS bed. Contractor will provide intensive case management services in collaboration with VA Liaison while the Veterans are in the CERS beds. Intensive case management services may include but are not limited to, at minimum weekly face-to-face contact with Veterans to discuss goals and progress, provide transportation assistance, and advocacy. Contractor will provide assessment, evaluation, treatment plan, discharge, and referral to other resources as needed. Contractor will maintain regular communication with VA Liaison regarding Veteran s progress in the program, program rule violations, and discuss with VA Liaison sanctions and suspensions prior to being given, if possible. Contractor will maintain safe environment and pass pre-and annual inspection of facility by VA approved site team. Contractor will collaborate with VA Liaison to arrange for follow-up and aftercare services. Contractor will immediately notify VA Liaison of any changes in occupancy or availability Notification to VA Liaison should be made within 24 hours if Veteran is discharged &/or doesn t return to the program. Contractor will comply with VHA confidentiality and HIPPA guidelines. Contractor agrees to call 911 in the case of an emergency and inform the VA Liaison of Veteran s status. Contractor will transport Veterans as needed during emergencies, if safe to do so. Contractor will maintain current professional liability insurance. III. Customer Service The goal is to meet the needs of Veterans experiencing homelessness referred to VA Bedford CERS program and other outpatient services. Efforts will be made to consistently communicate and treat Veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provides consistent information according to established mental health policies and procedures and address conflicts and problems constructively and appropriately. IV. Confidentiality Protect printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, HIPPA, and other applicable laws, federal regulations, VA statutes and policy, TJC, and CARF. Protect the data from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion. Signed releases are required for the sharing of verbal &/or written information between VA and Contractor under this agreement. V. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Contractor shall furnish all supplies, equipment and services required to perform all tasks within the performance work statement. VI. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT SUMMARY: Contractor service requirements are summarized into performance objectives that relate directly to mission essential items. The performance threshold briefly describes the minimum acceptable levels of service required for each requirement. These thresholds are critical to mission success. Performance Objective (The Service required usually a shall statement) Standard Performance Threshold (This is the maximum error rate. It could possibly be Zero deviation from standard ) Method of Surveillance PRS # 1: Contractor shall provide private areas in safe and appropriate facility/facilities within the VA Bedford catchment area for Veterans. Contractor will have an appropriate facility with private areas ready for Veterans to move into upon the start of the contract. Zero deviation from Standard Unannounced property inspections/Annual inspections PRS# 2: Contractor shall provide healthy, nutritious, and appropriate food including fresh food for the residents that meet the requirements of the VA Bedford s Nutrition Department. Contractor will have appropriate amounts and types of food for residents at the facilities. Zero deviation from Standard Nutrition inspection PRS# 3: Contractor shall assist the Veterans with transportation to scheduled meetings and appointments, including those at the Beford VA Medical Center. Contractor will have appropriate transportation plans in-place for all residents. Varies based on accessibility to public transportation Oversight by VA Liaison PRS# 4: Contractor shall provide 24/7 awake staffing at the facility/facilities where CERS beds are located. Contractor will have minimal appropriate staffing patterns in-place when the contract begins. Zero deviation from Standard Unannounced property visits PRS#5: Contractor will assist Veterans with transitioning into either permanent housing or an appropriate treatment setting upon discharge. 55% of Veterans in CERS beds will transition into permanent housing upon discharge Zero deviation from Standard Documenting and sharing info on discharges VII. DELIVERABLES SCHEDULE Deliverable Frequency # of Copies Submit To Contractor will provide private and gender inclusive areas in a safe and appropriate facility for all Veterans. Prior to contract initiation N/A Homeless Programs Manager VISN Contracting Officer Contractor will provide healthy, nutritious, and appropriate food including fresh food Starting on award date N/A Homeless Programs Manager Contractor shall assist Veterans with transportation to scheduled meetings and appointments, including those at the Beford VA Medical Center. Starting on award date N/A Homeless Programs Manager Provide 24/7 awake staffing at the facility/facilities where CERS beds are located Starting on award date N/A Homeless Programs Manager Assist Veterans in acquiring permanent housing or accessing residential treatment Starting on award date N/A Homeless Programs Manager VIII. VA Bedford Healthcare System Agrees to Provide: Financial reimbursement for BDOC (Bed Days of Care-utilization) per Veteran admitted to a CERS bed. Designate a VA Liaison who will serve as the primary point of contact for the contractor. Services provided include: Clinical consultation & guidance as needed to collaborate and assist each Veteran. Collaborative assistance for transfer assistance and coordination. Obtain necessary Release of Information (ROI) for referral assistance and communication. Maintain frequent contact with contractor to discuss CERS beds availability. Contractors, under this scope, will be invited to attend educational training and seminars provided or sponsored by VA Bedford Healthcare System that would improve or enhance the staff s expertise, provide skill building, and improve quality of services delivery to Veterans. Reserve the right to increase the number of CERS beds as the need arises via a modification request. Contract Security according to VA Handbook 6500.6 Appendix A Modified GENERAL Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors, and subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security. ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS A contractor/subcontractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees, subcontractors, and affiliates only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the contract, agreement, or task order. All contractors, subcontractors, and third-party servicers and associates working with VA information are subject to the same investigative requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations for contractors must be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program. The Office for Operations, Security, and Preparedness is responsible for these policies and procedures. Contract personnel who require access to national security programs must have a valid security clearance. National Industrial Security Program (NISP) was established by Executive Order 12829 to ensure that cleared U.S. defense industry contract personnel safeguard the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not have a Memorandum of Agreement with Defense Security Service (DSS). Verification of a Security Clearance must be processed through the Special Security Officer located in the Planning and National Security Service within the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness. Custom software development and outsourced operations must be located in the U.S. to the maximum extent practical. If such services are proposed to be performed abroad and are not disallowed by other VA policy or mandates, the contractor/subcontractor must state\ where all non-U.S. services are provided and detail a security plan, deemed to be acceptable by VA, specifically to address mitigation of the resulting problems of communication, control, data protection, and so forth. Location within the U.S. may be an evaluation factor. The contractor or subcontractor must notify the Contracting Officer immediately when an employee working on a VA system or with access to VA information is reassigned or leaves the contractor or subcontractor s employ. The Contracting Officer must also be notified immediately by the contractor or subcontractor prior to an unfriendly termination. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE Information made available to the contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor/subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA. This clause expressly limits the contractor/subcontractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1). VA information should not be co-mingled, if possible, with any other data on the contractors/subcontractor s information systems or media storage systems in order to ensure VA requirements related to data protection and media sanitization can be met. If co-mingling must be allowed to meet the requirements of the business need, the contractor must ensure that VA s information is returned to the VA or destroyed in accordance with VA s sanitization requirements. VA reserves the right to conduct on-site inspections of contractor and subcontractor IT resources to ensure data security controls, separation of data and job duties, and destruction/media sanitization procedures are in compliance with VA directive requirements. Prior to termination or completion of this contract, contractor/subcontractor must not destroy information received from VA, or gathered/created by the contractor in the course of performing this contract without prior written approval by the VA. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a contractor/subcontractor must be done in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures, applicable VA Records Control Schedules, and VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization. Self-certification by the contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met must be sent to the VA Contracting Officer within 30 days of termination of the contract. The contractor/subcontractor must receive, gather, store, back up, maintain, use, disclose and dispose of VA information only in compliance with the terms of the contract and applicable Federal and VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies. If Federal or VA information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies become applicable to the VA information or information systems after execution of the contract, or if NIST issues or updates applicable FIPS or Special Publications (SP) after execution of this contract, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to implement the information confidentiality and security laws, regulations and policies in this contract. The contractor/subcontractor shall not make copies of VA information except as authorized and necessary to perform the terms of the agreement or to preserve electronic information stored on contractor/subcontractor electronic storage media for restoration in case any electronic equipment or data used by the contractor/subcontractor needs to be restored to an operating state. If copies are made for restoration purposes, after the restoration is complete, the copies must be appropriately destroyed. If VA determines that the contractor has violated any of the information confidentiality, privacy, and security provisions of the contract, it shall be sufficient grounds for VA to withhold payment to the contractor or third party or terminate the contract for default or terminate for cause under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 12. If a VHA contract is terminated for cause, the associated BAA must also be terminated and appropriate actions taken in accordance with VHA Handbook 1600.01, Business Associate Agreements. Absent an agreement to use or disclose protected health information, there is no business associate relationship. The contractor/subcontractor must store, transport, or transmit VA sensitive information in an encrypted form, using VA-approved encryption tools that are, at a minimum, FIPS 140-2 validated. The contractor/subcontractor s firewall and Web services security controls, if applicable, shall meet or exceed VA s minimum requirements. VA Configuration Guidelines are available upon request. Except for uses and disclosures of VA information authorized by this contract for performance of the contract, the contractor/subcontractor may use and disclose VA information only in two other situations: (i) in response to a qualifying order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or (ii) with VA s prior written approval. The contractor/subcontractor must refer all requests for, demands for production of, or inquiries about, VA information and information systems to the VA contracting officer for response. Notwithstanding the provision above, the contractor/subcontractor shall not release VA records protected by Title 38 U.S.C. 5705, confidentiality of medical quality assurance records and/or Title 38 U.S.C. 7332, confidentiality of certain health records pertaining to drug addiction, sickle cell anemia, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, or infection with human immunodeficiency virus. If the contractor/subcontractor is in receipt of a court order or other requests for the above mentioned information, that contractor/subcontractor shall immediately refer such court orders or other requests to the VA contracting officer for response. For service that involves the storage, generating, transmitting, or exchanging of VA sensitive information but does not require C&A or an MOU-ISA for system interconnection, the contractor/subcontractor must complete a Contractor Security Control Assessment (CSCA) on a yearly basis and provide it to the COTR. INFORMATION SYSTEM HOSTING, OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, OR USE VA prohibits the installation and use of personally-owned or contractor/subcontractor owned equipment or software on VA s network. If non-VA owned equipment must be used to fulfill the requirements of a contract, it must be stated in the service agreement, SOW or contract. All of the security controls required for government furnished equipment (GFE) must be utilized in approved other equipment (OE) and must be funded by the owner of the equipment. All remote systems must be equipped with, and use, a VA-approved antivirus (AV) software and a personal (host-based or enclave based) firewall that is configured with a VA approved configuration. Software must be kept current, including all critical updates and patches. Owners of approved OE are responsible for providing and maintaining the anti-viral software and the firewall on the non-VA owned OE. All electronic storage media used on non-VA leased or non-VA owned IT equipment that is used to store, process, or access VA information must be handled in adherence with VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization upon: (i) completion or termination of the contract or (ii) disposal or return of the IT equipment by the contractor/subcontractor or any person acting on behalf of the contractor/subcontractor, whichever is earlier. Media (hard drives, optical disks, CDs, back-up tapes, etc.) used by the contractors/subcontractors that contain VA information must be returned to the VA for sanitization or destruction or the contractor/subcontractor must self-certify that the media has been disposed of per 6500.1 requirements. This must be completed within 30 days of termination of the contract. SECURITY INCIDENT INVESTIGATION The term security incident means an event that has, or could have, resulted in unauthorized access to, loss or damage to VA assets, or sensitive information, or an action that breaches VA security procedures. The contractor/subcontractor shall immediately notify\ the COTR and simultaneously, the designated ISO and Privacy Officer for the contract of any known or suspected security/privacy incidents, or any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including that contained in system(s) to which the contractor/subcontractor has access. To the extent known by the contractor/subcontractor, the contractor/subcontractor s notice to VA shall identify the information involved, the circumstances surrounding the incident (including to whom, how, when, and where the VA information or assets were placed at risk or compromised), and any other information that the contractor/subcontractor considers relevant. With respect to unsecured protected health information, the business associate is deemed to have discovered a data breach when the business associate knew or should have known of a breach of such information. Upon discovery, the business associate must notify the covered entity of the breach. Notifications need to be made in accordance with the executed business associate agreement. In instances of theft or break-in or other criminal activity, the contractor/subcontractor must concurrently report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement entity (or entities) of jurisdiction, including the VA OIG and Security and Law Enforcement. The contractor, its employees, and its subcontractors and their employees shall cooperate with VA and any law enforcement authority responsible for the investigation and prosecution of any possible criminal law violation(s) associated with any incident. The contractor/subcontractor sh...