Inactive Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Sole Source (FAR 19.14)

2 THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. This is a Sources Sought Notice only and is issued to conduct market research and gain knowledge of current market capabilities. Responses to this notice are not offers a... 2 THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. This is a Sources Sought Notice only and is issued to conduct market research and gain knowledge of current market capabilities. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation or a guarantee to issue a solicitation in the future. This notice does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary; the Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if issued. This announcement is based on the best information available at this time and is subject to future amendment. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 4, 1400 Blackhorse Hill Road, Coatesville, PA 19320 is conducting a market survey to identify potential sources to provide Laboratory Courier Service at the, Lebanon VA Medical Center, 1700 South Lincoln Ave, Lebanon ,PA 17042 See Statement of Work. All potential contractors will need to be registered through the Government website, System for Award Management (SAM) prior to award. Department of Labor (DOL) wage determination are accessible at: https://beta.sam.gov Response due: 6pm EST on March 5, 2021 via email to wesley.kimmel@va.gov and include the Sources Sought Notice Number in the Subject Line STATEMENT OF WORK COURIER SERVICES: LABORATORY SPECIMEN DELIVERY 1. GENERAL INFORMATION Title of Project: Fully licensed courier transportation services are needed to provide delivery between the Lebanon VA Medical Center and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center as listed below in the Scope of Work. Scope of Work: Patient specimens must be delivered from the Lebanon VA Medical Center Laboratory, 1700 S. Lincoln Avenue, Lebanon, PA, 17042, to the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, every Saturday, Sunday and Holiday mornings before 9:00 am. Additional pick up of specimens must be made Monday thru Friday, weekends, and holidays at 7:00 pm to be delivered to laboratory Service at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. Vendor will be notified no later than 5:30 pm if services are not needed for that specific day. When VA couriers are not available during regular duty days the contractor will be called to pick up the specimens for delivery to the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. Specimens are to be picked up at the Emergency Room of the Lebanon VA Medical Center and delivered directly to the Philadelphia VA Medical Center Laboratory. Background: Many laboratory tests are performed for the Lebanon VA Medical Center by our hub laboratory at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. This is a standing VISN mandate designed to save money. Patient specimens will be packaged by laboratory personnel of the Lebanon VA Medical Center and placed in a locked container. The Lebanon VA Medical Center will have a key and the receiving facility will have a key to the container. These patient specimens must be moved in a timely fashion from the Lebanon facility to the Philadelphia facility and then the specimen containers must be returned to the Lebanon facility for continued use. Occasionally, critical consumables are shared between the laboratories via this system. Performance Period: The Government is requesting one base period of one year and four option periods of one year. Base Period: 1 April 2021 thru 31 March 2022 Option Period 1: 1 April 2022 thru 31 March 2023 Option Period 2: 1 April 2023 thru 31 March 2024 Option Period 3: 1 April 2024 thru 31 March 2025 Option Period 4: 1 April 2025 thru 31 March 2026 Type of Contract: Firm-Fixed-Price 2. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 2.1 For every task, the contractor shall identify in writing all necessary subtasks (if any), associated costs by task, along with associated sub-milestone dates. The contractor's subtask structure shall be reflected in the technical proposal and detailed work plan. 2.2 All written deliverables shall be phrased in layperson language. Statistical and other technical terminology shall not be used without providing a glossary of terms. 2.3 Special Contract Requirements: The Contractor shall provide pricing that is all inclusive (tolls, gas). The Contractor shall only bill for services rendered. The Contractor shall be responsible to ensure that Contractor personnel (service provider) providing work on this contract are fully trained and completely competent to perform the required work. All certifications (valid driver s license) need to be current through the term of the contract and if renewal is required it will be the contractor s responsibility to insure it is accomplished without interruption to services being provided. b. The Contractor shall be required to maintain records that document competence/performance level of Contractor personnel (service provider) working on this contract in accordance with PENNDOT (42 CFR 72 Interstate shipment of etiological agents). c. The Contractor shall provide proof of valid licensure and insurance of all drivers assigned to this contract. These must be provided to the COR at the award of the contract. d. Contractor shall provide a reliable and safe vehicle for transportation of samples. If the vehicle breaks down mid-transport, the Contractor must have a back-up transport plan that will permit the samples to arrive to their destination in the required time frame. e. Contractor shall go directly to the destination after picking up the samples. The Contractor may not make any other stops once VA samples are in the vehicle. f. Once the samples have been picked up, the driver will be the only person in the vehicle until the samples are delivered to their destination. No other passengers are permitted while transporting samples. g. In the event the Contractor driver is in an accident during transport, or if the samples become compromised in any way during transport, the Contractor must contact the VA Medical Center immediately at (717) 272-6621 and ask to speak to the AOD. 3. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION 3.1 Term of Contract -This contract is effective beginning April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2026. If the services are not needed through 3/31/2026, the Contracting Office will give the Contractor a minimum of a 2 (two) week notice before the last date that services are needed. The total length of this contract shall not exceed the date March 31, 2026. This contract is subject to the availability of VA funds. 3.2 Work Hours: The services covered by this contract shall be furnished by the contractor as defined herein. Work Hours: Saturday, Sunday and all National Holidays: Between 500 AM and 800 PM and between 5:30 PM and 7:00 PM. Monday through Friday: 7:00 PM. National Holidays: The ten (10) holidays observed by the Federal Government are as follows: New Year s Day, Martin Luther King s Birthday, Washington s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday. 3.3. Personnel Policy: The contractor shall be responsible for protecting the personnel furnishing services under this contract. Thus, the contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that the contractor and/or the individual service provider complies with all laws and regulations applicable to labor and employment including but not limited to the following: Worker s compensation Professional liability insurance Health examinations; income tax withholding; Social security payments The parties agree that such personnel shall not be considered VA employees for any purpose and shall be considered personnel (service provider) of the contractor. Medical Liability Insurance will be at the rates identified in the Federal Supply Schedule. 3.4 Payment The VA agrees to reimburse the Contractor on a unit basis for resources furnished at the prices listed in the Schedule of Supplies/Services portion of this contract. Pricing will be provided for delivery to each facility. Payment of sums due will be paid monthly upon submission (by the contractor) of a properly prepared invoice and receipt through the OB10 system of the Financial Services Center in Austin, Texas. All trip tickets must be electronically attached to the OB10 invoice for service verification. The VA will review the records for agreement with the VA records and verify that the coverage provided for the month is in accordance with the contract. The VA upon verification by the VA of the services billed will authorize payment. In the event that coverage is not provided in accordance with this contract, the payment to the contractor shall be reduced in direct ratio to the reduction in coverage. Any additional costs incurred by the VA as a result of obtaining coverage from a source other than the contractor, due to the contractor's failure to provide adequate coverage, will be assessed against the contractor. 3.5 Record Keeping: A recordkeeping system, by use of trip tickets, will be established at this VA to demonstrate that the VA has received services called for under the contract. The Contracting Officer s Representative will maintain these logs. Contractor's service provider shall sign in and out with the Administrative Officer of the Day (AOD). 3.6 Termination: The Government may terminate this contract at any time upon at least 15 days' written notice by the Contracting Officer to the contractor. The contractor, with the written consent of the Contracting Officer, may terminate this contract upon at least 30 days' written notice to the Contracting Officer. 3.7. Contractor Personnel Security Requirements: Position Sensitivity The position sensitivity has been designated as Low Risk. Personnel (service provider) working under this contract will also be required to furnish the following prior to or at arrival at this facility. A State issued driver s license or State-issued identification containing a photograph. If the driver s license or identification does not contain a photograph, identifying information should be included such as: name, date of birth, sex, height, color of eyes, and address, or a Military ID Card. A social security card other than the one which has printed on its face not valid for employment purposes , OR an original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a state, county or municipal authority bearing a seal. If they have one of the documents listed below, this is the only information they are required to bring. Any of these documents will establish their identity. U. S. Passport Certificate of Naturalization Certificate of U. S. Citizenship Unexpired foreign passport with attached Employment Authorization Alien Registration Card with photograph