Inactive

The WASHINGTON DC VAMC is conducting this Sources Sought to identify contractors who possess capabilities to provide the services described in the Statement of Work below. As permitted by the FAR Part... The WASHINGTON DC VAMC is conducting this Sources Sought to identify contractors who possess capabilities to provide the services described in the Statement of Work below. As permitted by the FAR Part 10, this is a market research tool being utilized for the informational and planning purposes. Your responses will assist the Government in the development of its acquisition strategy. Response is strictly voluntary it is not mandatory to submit a response to this notice to participate in formal RFQ process that may take place in the future. However, it should be noted that information gathered through this notice may significantly influence our acquisition strategy. All interested parties will be required to respond separately to any solicitation posted as a result of this sources sought notice. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. We appreciate your interest and thank you in advance for responding to the sources sought. This service will be implemented using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 221310. If a small business is interested in this procurement, they must provide at least 51 percent of the services rendered. NOTES All Capability Statements/Responses to this Sources Sought Notice shall be submitted via email only to jennifer.elkins2@va.gov. Telephone, Fax, or any other form of communication inquiries will not be reviewed or accepted. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice must be received no later than June 11, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time). This Sources Sought Notice may or may not assist the VA in determining sources only. A solicitation is not currently available. If a solicitation is issued, it may or may not be announced at a later date, and all interested parties shall respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this Sources Sought Notice. STATEMENT OF WORK 1.0 INTRODUCTION Washington DC VA Medical Center intends to procure water quality investigative services for the healthcare Sterile Processing Service (SPS) critical water treatment systems under an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The contract period of performance will be twelve (12) months. The objective of this contract is to provide water quality investigative and consultative services for the SPS critical water treatment systems at Washington DC VA Medical Center (VAMC), 50 Irving St NW, Washington, DC 20422. The Washington DC VAMC is experiencing repeat events of elevated Heterotrophic Plate Counts (HPCs) in the SPS Critical Water System and has been unable to maintain the critical water treatment systems water quality within the standards set by AAMI ST108. Task Orders: The Contracting Officer shall issue a Request for Quote (RFQ) for each requirement identified by the medical center within the scope of this contract. The contractor shall furnish a detailed proposal to the Government, the proposal will consist of unit prices established under this contract and based on services as outlined in Sections 4 of the scope of work (SOW). Upon issuance of a task order, the contractor shall promptly commence work specified therein and shall complete the work within the period of performance and price agreed upon. The Contractor shall perform no work under this contract unless a written task order has been executed by the Contracting Officer. To the extent of any inconsistency between this contract and any task order, the provisions of this contract shall control. 2.0 SCOPE The Contractor shall provide critical water assessment, sampling and testing of water in the system from entry point to the point of use to assess underlying cause of elevated HPCs, Remediation and Maintenance Plan, consultative services, and additional follow-up testing, as needed. Testing shall, at a minimum, assess the critical water system for water quality parameters outlined in AAMI ST108, potential for and activity level of biofilm, chemical corrosion, and microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). Testing results shall provide details regarding location, severity, and source/cause of the determined underlying issue(s). The Remediation and Maintenance Plan shall outline recommended necessary steps to remediate the water quality issues for the critical water treatment system supplying the sterile processing department and SPS equipment and maintain the water quality such that the critical water system and SPS equipment can maintain first-class operating condition within the standards set by AAMI ST108. Contractor personnel will check in and out with the Sterile Processing Supervisor and designated Biomedical Engineering personnel. Services shall be funded through task orders according to a mutually agreed upon price list. Hours of operation for the Washington DC SPS department are from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Monday through Friday excluding holidays. Services may be required outside of normal working hours or on weekends to avoid interruptions to SPS operations. Normal Working Hours DC VAMC s normal working hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, excluding observed Federal holidays: New Year s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King s Birthday Columbus Day President s Day Veteran s Day Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day Juneteenth Christmas Day Independence Day Any other national holiday as declared by the President of the United States 3.0 EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEM1 carbon prefilter 1 gradient sediment filter DC VAMC SPS Plumbing Drawings, Details, Schedules, and Riser Diagram are provided per Appendix A: DC VAMC SPS Plumbing Details of the SOW. Previous assessment of RO Loop Piping provided in Appendix B: DC VAMC SPS RO Piping Loop Verification of the SOW Summary of previous remediation efforts provided in Appendix C: DC VAMC SPS Summary of Remediation Efforts of the SOW. Summary of sampling results for critical water system provided in Appendix D: DC VAMC SPS Summary of Critical Water Testing of the SOW. SERVICES Initial Assessment Sampling locations for initial assessment shall include, at a minimum: Building point of entry SPS Point of Entry RO influent, post-filtration RO product Post DI Tanks Post Storage Tank Pre-UV treatment Post-UV/UF treatment Post Endotoxin Filter Sinks (qty 4) Washers (qty 3) Ultrasonic cleaner (qty 1) Loop Return Initial testing to include, at a minimum, assessment of: Biofilm Indication Biofilm Activity Protein Assay Nutrients and Chemical Components Metals (Ionic Contaminants) Water Corrosivity (both chemical and microbiological) Comparative analysis to the entry point sample and/or processed water sample shall be applied to all samples. Results to be analyzed and compared to determine, at a minimum: Whether nutrients are present in the water that would promote biofilm growth in the critical water plumbing system or are added by the presence of biofilm. Where nutrient conditions change to indicate a source of biofilm. Whether materials used in the water system promote biofilm activity. Cause for biofilm. Locations at which biofilm is most problematic. Where biofilm starts. Best method to control/remediate biofilm. Initial assessment to include associated data analysis, report preparation, and follow up meeting to explain results. Sampling Shall be performed by a "fully qualified" service representative or service technician. All work in relation to the critical water system shall comply with AAMI ST108 standards and conform to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications. In the case that DC VAMC personnel are to conduct sampling per Contractor protocol, Contractor shall: Provide all necessary sampling kits and supplies. Observe all sampling actions and validate adequate sampling techniques used in the collection of samples. First draw and flowing sample types and sample locations to be identified by Contractor as best recommended for system assessment. Contractor shall provide a water sampling procedure to the Site POC upon award of this contact. If sampling to be conducted by DC VAMC staff, the SOP should clearly detail the step-by-step requirements and considerations for each sample type and location. Testing Shall be performed by a "fully qualified" service representative or service technician per industry standards. Laboratories that process microbial water samples must be accredited by a recognized regional, national, or international accrediting body. Examples of such accrediting bodies include the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP); the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA); the Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Accreditation Program (EMLAP); and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-American Society for Quality (ASQ) National Accreditation Board (ACLASS). Contractor must submit laboratory certification documentation to the Site POC upon contract award and/or any time the Contractor chooses to use another laboratory for microbial sample processing. Consultative Services Shall be billed on a time and materials basis within the rate(s) identified in the mutually agreed upon price list. Includes, but is not limited to: Development and presentation of water quality mitigation and/or management plan based on analysis of test results. Assistance with development of procedures to control any identified biofilm and/or corrosion in the water system. Meeting attendance/teleconferences. Additional data analysis. Preparation of related documents, procedures, and deliverables. Summary of Services: Service to be Performed Description: Initial Assessment Sampling and testing of water throughout the critical water system from entry point to the point of use to assess the underlying cause of poor water quality and elevated microbiological levels. Includes determination of sample types and locations, sample coordination, sample kits and supplies, travel (as applicable), freight, laboratory fees, data analysis, report preparation, and explanation of results. Additional Testing Biofilm Indication Test Additional biofilm indication testing and associated sampling of water at a designated sample location (either previously sampled or as an addition). Includes determination of sample types and locations, sample coordination, sample kits and supplies, travel (as applicable), freight, laboratory fees, data analysis, report preparation, and summary of results. Additional Testing Biofilm Activity Test Additional biofilm activity testing and associated sampling of water at a designated sample location (either previously sampled or as an addition). Includes determination of sample types and locations, sample coordination, sample kits and supplies, travel (as applicable), freight, laboratory fees, data analysis, report preparation, and summary of results. Additional Testing Protein Assay Test Additional protein assay testing and associated sampling of water at a designated sample location (either previously sampled or as an addition). Includes determination of sample types and locations, sample coordination, sample kits and supplies, travel (as applicable), freight, laboratory fees, data analysis, report preparation, and summary of results. Additional Testing Other Other additional testing as recommended by Contractor and associated sampling of water at a designated sample location (either previously sampled or as an addition). Includes determination of sample types and locations, sample coordination, sample kits and supplies, travel (as applicable), freight, laboratory fees, data analysis, report preparation, and summary of results. Consultative Services Consultative and administrative services completed by Contractor. Includes, but is not limited to, 1) Development and presentation of water quality mitigation and/or management plan based on analysis of test results. 2) Assistance with development of procedures to control any identified biofilm, unacceptable water quality, and/or corrosion in the water system. 3) Meeting attendance/teleconferences. 4) Additional data analysis. 5) Preparation of related documents, procedures, and deliverables. Note: Contractor shall submit deliverables per Section Reports and Documentation of the SOW. Other If a part, material, component, or service is not included on the price list, the Contractor shall provide relevant pricing to the site POC for submission to receive a separate PO prior to commencing/resuming work. Any services done without an associated Purchase Order/Task Order shall be at the Contractor s own cost. 5.0 SPECIAL WORK REQUIREMENTS The Contractor shall provide the Site POC(s) change out COR to Site POC with a contact list, to include alternates in the event of unavailability of POCs. Upon receipt of a task order the Contractor shall submit a schedule of work to the Site POC within 10 business days. The plan shall contain a schedule detailing proposed sampling, testing, and return of results are expected to be completed. Should the contractor elect to change the work schedule during the course of the contract, a revised work plan shall be submitted to the Site POC for written approval prior to any schedule changes. Contractor shall perform all services to industry standards and AAMI ST108. Contractor shall obtain and make available to its field service personnel all operational and technical documentation such as operation and service manuals, schematics, and parts lists necessary to meet the performance requirements of this contract. No work will be allowed on equipment for which the contractor s service representative does not have technical documentation. 6.0 COMPETENCY OF PERSONNEL Each respondent must have an established business, with sufficient qualified staff to support work. The Firm shall have at least three years experience across multiple facilities within 500 miles of service location in assessing water quality of equivalent systems examples of equivalent systems, hospital sterile processing systems, Reverse Osmosis (RO) system, critical water in a healthcare environment. The contractor shall provide proof of past performance and references to demonstrate customer satisfaction and technical competency completing the work identified in this SOW and restoring water systems quality to industry standards. Field service engineer(s)/technician shall be authorized by the Contractor to perform the maintenance services. All work shall be performed by "fully qualified" competent field service engineer(s)/technician. The Contractor shall provide written assurance of the competency of their personnel and a list of credentials of approved field service engineer(s)/technician. The Contracting Officer may authenticate the training requirements, and request training certificates or credentials from the Contractor at any time for any personnel who are conducting any services on the equipment. The Site POC specifically reserves the right to reject any of the Contractor's personnel and refuse them permission to provide services on the system. Contractor shall demonstrate that it follows standard operating procedures (SOP) for test sampling. SOP for sample collection shall be submitted by Contractor prior to award; this SOP must explicitly state steps to be taken and be in line with industry best practices for water sampling at each of the designated sample locations. their SOP or SPS SOP? According to AAMI ST108 and VHA water quality tracking sheet 7.0 REPORTS AND DOCUMENTATION The Contractor shall provide all reports to vhawasbiomedservice@va.gov. Service Reports Shall include all costs associated with accomplishing work to include parts, supplies, labor/consultative hours, and labor/consultative rates. Shall be submitted to vhawasbiomedservice@va.gov for review within 5 business days of completion of work to be invoiced and is required to be validated prior to invoice submittal. Test Results Shall be submitted to vhawasbiomedservice@va.gov. Shall clearly detail associated sample information. Shall include the associated laboratory information. Shall include date and time (as practicable) of sample and testing. Noncontract Charges: The contractor shall not perform any service that will result in additional charges without prior approval from the Contracting Officer. Payment Shall be made in arrears, upon receipt of a properly prepared invoice. Invoice shall include: Period of performance for which payment is due Information in alignment with validated service report Itemized list of all services rendered, labor/consultative costs, and the associated equipment/sample location, as appropriate Identification of quantity and type of sample tests completed Contract number and/or assigned purchase order or task order number Correct payment address All invoices from the contractor shall be submitted electronically in accordance with VAAR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests. 8.0 APPENDICES APPENDIX A: DC VAMC SPS Plumbing Details APPENDIX B: DC VAMC SPS RO Piping Loop Verification APPENDIX C: DC VAMC SPS Summary of Remediation Efforts APPENDIX D: DC VAMC SPS Summary of Critical Water Testing