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This is a sources sought announcement only. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Responses in this ... This is a sources sought announcement only. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Responses in this sources sought notice must be in writing. The purpose of this sources sought announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential businesses interested and capable of providing the supplies described below. The Mountain Home VA Medical Center, Corner of Lamont St, Mountain Home, TN 37684, is looking to purchase milk and various dairy products as listed below. This procurement shall be a brand name or equal that meet or exceed the physical, functional, and performance of listed statement of work outlined below. Contractors shall show clear, compelling, and convincing evidence that all equal to items meet all requirements as outlined in the included statement of work including brand name and model numbers IAW FAR 52.211-6 Brand Name or Equal. CLIN ITEM DESCRIPTION QTY UOM 0001 Milk, 2% Group 1 (pasteurized), Type C low fat homogenized with added vitamins A and D in ½ pint wax or plastic-coated vending type containers. 48 or 50/case 120,000 EA 0002 Milk, Group I (pasteurized), Type D, nonfat/skim/fat free milk homogenized with less than 0.5% milkfat and added Vitamins A and D ½ pint wax or plastic-coated vending type containers. 48 or 50/case. 35,000 EA 0003 Chocolate Milk, Group I (pasteurized), Type C, low fat, Flavor b (chocolate), with added Vitamin A & D in ½ pint wax or plastic-coated containers. 48 or 50/case. 25,500 EA 0004 Buttermilk, Group 1 (pasteurized), Type P cultured nonfat/skim/fat free: homogenized with added Vitamin A&D in ½ gallon plastic containers. 500 EA 0005 Cottage Cheese, Group A (cultured) Subgroup 1 (normal shelf life 14 days and over) or Subgroup 2 (extended shelf life 21 days and over), Type II (low fat, not less than 0.5 nor more than 2.0% milk fat), Class I (unflavored), Style a (small curd) or Style b (large curd), 5 lb. container, plastic/fiber container. 500 EA STATEMENT OF WORK: A. GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Title of Project: Milk and Dairy Products for the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) James H. Quillen VA Medical Center (JHQVAMC) Mountain Home. 2. Scope of Work: The contractor shall provide all resources necessary to accomplish the deliverables described in this statement of work (SOW), except as may otherwise be specified. The scope of this requirement involves providing milk and dairy products, which conform to the specifications outlined and referenced herein, to JHQVAMC Nutrition & Food Services at Mountain Home located at Lamont Street and Veterans Way, Johnson City, TN 37604. 3. Background: The VA intends to award a firm, fixed price contract for the provision of milk and dairy products. The quantities listed in the attached schedule are estimated annual requirements for Nutrition & Food Services. The contractor shall be a United States (US) Vendor and a US citizen. 4. Performance Period: The period of performance for the provision of milk and dairy products shall be 60 months, five, one-year periods from October 01, 2024, through September 30, 2029. The base period shall begin October 01, 2024, through September 30, 2025. Base Period October 01, 2024 September 30, 2025 1st Option Period October 01, 2025 September 30, 2026 2nd Option Period October 01, 2026 September 30, 2027 3rd Option Period October 01, 2027 September 30, 2028 4th Option Period October 01, 2028 September 30, 2029 B. CONTRACT AWARD MEETING The contractor shall not commence performance on the tasks in this SOW until the Contracting Officer (CO) has conducted a kickoff meeting or has advised the contractor that a kickoff meeting is waived. C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 1. Contracted items shall be delivered to Building 160 loading dock, 1st floor kitchen room N100 at the VA Medical Center, Lamont Street and Veterans Way, Johnson City, TN 37604. Deliveries must be made FOB destination on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 5:00 am and 7:00 am. Requirements are for the period 10/01/2024 through 9/30/2029. Deliveries on Federal holidays may require additional coordination with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) in advance. Requests for deliveries on different days and/or at a different time shall be submitted to and approved by the CO and his/her designee in writing. 2. The quantities listed in Section D represent the estimated quantities that will be ordered annually over the base period and option years. The actual quantity ordered may vary from this estimate but shall not exceed the total estimated quantity for the base and four (4) option years without the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer. 3. The contractor must be able to always ensure delivery to the VA, inclusive of disasters, and/or any other emergency condition. The VA may place a special order in preparation for, or in response to, a disaster or emergency. For anticipatory situations, such orders will be placed 24 hours or less in advance. In an emergency, the contractor will be notified with the amount and type of products required by the VA that shall be delivered within 24 hours of order placement. The order may be placed for larger quantities than the normal weekly order. The contractor shall provide both the CO and the COR with its designated point of contact and contact information for emergency orders. 4. By submitting an offer, the contractor certifies that the product offered meets the specified salient characteristics and requirements of the Federal Hospital Subsistence Guide; conforms to the producer's own specifications and standards, including product characteristics, manufacturing procedures, quality control procedures, and storage and handling territories, or possessions; and is sold in the commercial market. The Government reserves the right to determine proof of such conformance prior to the first delivery from point of origin and any time thereafter, up to and including, delivery at final destination as may be necessary to determine conformance with the terms of the contract. 5. The delivered products shall meet the specification as listed in sections C and D and comply with all applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sales of the products with the commercial marketplace. All deliveries shall conform in every respect to the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and regulations, promulgated hereunder. 6. All raw milk for pasteurization, condensed and dried milk, finished products and the plant in which the products are processed shall comply with all applicable requirements of the "Grade A pasteurized Milk Ordinance - 1978 Recommendations of the United States Public Health Service" or latest revision thereof, or regulations substantially equivalent thereto. The raw milk for pasteurization, milk plant, and pasteurized milk and milk products each shall have a compliance rating of 90 or more as certified by the State Milk Sanitation Rating Officer and shall be listed in the "Sanitation Compliance and Enforcement Ratings of Interstate Milk Shippers." Milk laboratories approved by Federal and State agencies and listed in the previously mentioned document shall do all testing. 7. All products furnished shall be prepared, processed, and packed under sanitary conditions and in accordance with good commercial practice. All containers shall be clean, sound and securely covered or sealed to provide adequate protection from dirt, filth, and all other contamination. Chilled and frozen items shall be maintained at temperatures necessary for the preservation of the product according to the standards established by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). 8. The CO or his/her designee reserves the right to inspect the Offeror's premises at any time during the life of the contract. A pre-award, on-site visit to inspect the manufacturing plant, personnel, process and packaging equipment and premises to verify compliance with all applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, packaging, labeling storage, distribution, and sales of the products with the commercial marketplace may be performed by the government prior to contract award. If the plant of the offeror does not meet specification or is not acceptable, the quote will be rejected. 9. Offers on items not listed in section D will only be considered if acceptable bids on required items are not available or an offer is not received. Offerors must clearly identify any items that are not exact and specify the exceptions which differ from the required item. 10. Fluid dairy products and other dairy products shall have sufficient remaining shelf life commensurate with good commercial practice at a minimum: a. Milk must be delivered a minimum of 14 days prior to the expiration date and within 72 hours after pasteurization. b. Buttermilk must be delivered a minimum of 21 days prior to the expiration date. c. Cottage cheese, cultures, normal shelf life must be delivered within 4 days after date of packing, cottage cheese, acidified, normal shelf life, must be delivered within 5 days after date of packaging, cottage cheese, culture or acidified, extended shelf life, must be delivered a minimum of 21 days prior to the expiration date. 11. Unless otherwise specified, preservation, packaging, and packing shall be to a degree of protection to preclude damage to containers and/or contents thereof under normal shipping conditions, handling, etc., shall conform to normal commercial practices and applicable carrier rules and regulations regarding shipment from the contractor to the receiving area for storage. Shipping containers shall comply with national Motor Freight Classification and Uniform Freight classification (issue in effect at time of shipment). NOTE: (a) Gallon Containers Acceptable packaging = plastic containers (b) ½ pint Containers Acceptable packaging = ½ PT Cardboard Containers measuring 4-1/2" x 2-1/3" OR ½ PT Cardboard Containers measuring 2-7/8" x 3" 12. All packaging and packing shall be in accordance with good commercial practice. Labeling shall be in accordance with commercial labeling, complying with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and regulations promulgated there under. 13. All fluid milk products will have a pull date (date stamped on container) that is a minimum of seven (7) days before expiration on the date of delivery. Expiration dates shall be legible on each product. Cottage Cheese and yogurt will have a minimum expiration date of fourteen (14) days after delivery. Failure to comply with this requirement will render a contract in default and be grounds for termination. 14. If it is determined that a significant number of products are leaking, spoiled, or otherwise found to not be in accordance with the specifications contained herein, the Contractor will be notified to exchange the products for ones that are in accordance with these specifications within two hours of notification. If the number of such products is determined to be insignificant in number, they may be held for pick up by the contractor at the next scheduled delivery. 15. Items supplied under this contract are required to originate from a sanitarily approved source. The supplier must identify the source of manufacture on the primary container or in the accompanying shipping documents. The identification on the primary container may consist of either the manufacturing plant name and address or a manufacturing plant code. When the manufacturing plant is identified on the shipping documents accompanying the delivery, the plant shall be identified by its complete name, address, and plant code. Preference will be given to locally sourced vendors. 16. Should the contractor manufacture and provide company brand milk products, the contractor should utilize, if possible, recycled materials for containers if they meet the FDA sanitary standards for the specified commodity. Contractor shall list recycled materials for containers that meet the standard. 17. Products manufactured to metric dimensions will be considered on an equal basis with those manufactured using inch/pound units, providing they fall within the tolerances specified using conversion tables contained in the latest revision of Federal Standard No. 376B and all other requirements of this document are met. If a product is manufactured to metric dimensions and those dimensions exceed the tolerances specified in the inch/pound units, a request should be made to the CO to determine if the product is acceptable. The COR will accept or reject the product. 18. Quantities shown in this statement of work represent the quantities estimated to be ordered over the delivery period. Quotes will be evaluated based on the estimated quantities. Actual quantities ordered may vary among the line items. 19. The Contractor shall provide the name, location, and telephone number, whereby calls, including emergency calls are to be placed: Name: _____________________________ Telephone Number: _____________________ Authorized Personnel: ________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ 20. There shall be a packing list enclosed with any shipments made under this contract. The packing list shall show the following as a minimum: Contractor s name and address; VA Purchase Order Number (if one is provided); the VA Facility and Service placing the order; the items shipped; and quantity. 21. Offeror shall clearly indicate their return policy with their quote. Defective product or incorrect product shipped by contractor error shall be replaced at no cost to the Government. Product shipped by Government error may be returned subject to the contractor s normal return policy. Offeror shall provide the name and telephone number for reporting delivery/product problems. 22. Deliveries and invoicing for the Nutrition and Food Services must be accomplished separately at the office listed below. Invoices must contain at a minimum the purchase order and itemized list of products delivered, unit prices, and total price. Nutrition & Food Services (120) James H. Quillen VA Medical Center Lamont Street and Veterans Way Johnson City, TN 37604 23. While performing under this contract, all vehicles used by the contractor shall be locked and the keys removed when not in use. This is intended to protect the contractor s property as well as the safety of patients and staff at the medical centers. 24. While performing under this contract, all vehicles used by the contractor shall have temperature tracking systems in place on the refrigerated trucks to ensure they are being maintained in accordance with federal safety & sanitation guidelines. 25. Payments under this contract shall be made by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) by the VA or VCS Finance Center. See Clause 52.232-34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer Other than Central Contractor Registration for further information. Contractor may elect to accept the Government Purchase Card as a method of payment for all orders under $3,000.00 if the contractor is set-up to accept credit cards. 26. The Government will award to the responsible offeror whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, is most advantageous to the Government, with past performance and price considered, prices being rated higher than past performance. Past Performance: The offeror must provide documentation of three (3) references for verification purposes of past performance which demonstrate the company's ability to meet the qualifications herein, inclusive of point of contact information and current phone numbers. D. SPECIFIC MANDATORY TASKS AND ASSOCIATED DELIVERABLES Description of Tasks and Associated Deliverables: The contractor shall provide the specific deliverables described below within the performance period stated in Section A.4 of this SOW. Task One: The contractor shall provide a detailed work plan and briefing for the VA project team, which presents the contractor's plan for completing the contract. The contractor's plan shall be responsive with this SOW and describe, in further detail, the approach to be used for each aspect of the contract as defined in the technical proposal. Deliverable One: A detailed work plan and briefing. Task Two: The contractor shall provide the following items (estimated quantities) on an annual basis during the base and four option years: Item # Description Estimated Quantity Unit 1 Milk, 2% Group 1 (pasteurized), Type C low fat homogenized with added vitamins A and D in 1/2 pint wax or plastic-coated vending type containers. 48 or 50/case 120,000 ea 2 Milk, Group I (pasteurized), Type D, nonfat/skim/fat free milk homogenized with less than 0.5% milkfat and added Vitamins A and D ½ pint wax or plastic-coated vending type containers. 48 or 50/case. 35,000 ea 3 Chocolate Milk, Group I (pasteurized), Type C, low fat, Flavor b (chocolate), with added Vitamin A & D in ½ pint wax or plastic-coated containers. 48 or 50/case. 25,500 ea 4 Buttermilk, Group 1 (pasteurized), Type P cultured nonfat/skim/fat free: homogenized with added Vitamin A&D in ½ gallon plastic containers. 500 1/2 gallon 5 Cottage Cheese, Group A (cultured) Subgroup 1 (normal shelf life 14 days and over) or Subgroup 2 (extended shelf life 21 days and over), Type II (low fat, not less than 0.5 nor more than 2.0% milk fat), Class I (unflavored), Style a (small curd) or Style b (large curd), 5 lb. container, plastic/fiber container. 300 5lb. Container Deliverable Two: Deliver the items listed in the above schedule in accordance with the terms listed in section C. E. SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERABLES 1. If for any reason any deliverable cannot be delivered within the scheduled time frame, the contractor is required to explain why in writing to the CO, including a firm commitment of when the delivery shall be affected. This notice to the CO shall cite the reasons for the delay, and the impact on the overall project. The CO will then review the facts and issue a response, in accordance with applicable regulations. If deliverable cannot be delivered within the scheduled time frame, compensation may be taken from the contractor. 2. TVHS estimates milk/ dairy orders will be submitted up to three times per week, with 48 hours notice, with the Government reserving the right to adjust orders 24-hours prior to scheduled delivery. Orders will be placed by the COR or his/her designee. Each order will show ship to and bill to addresses and purchase order number (if required). Orders for product may be placed by phone, fax, email, mail, in writing to the delivery driver, or EDI. If the contractor is not already set up as an EDI Vendor, they must be set-up by contacting at the VA Austin Automation Center. G. CHANGES TO STATEMENT OF WORK Any changes to this SOW shall be authorized and approved only through written modifications to the contract by the CO. A copy of each modification will be kept in a project folder along with all other products of the project. Costs incurred by the contractor through the actions of parties other than the CO shall be borne by the contractor. H. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 1. The COR is required to provide monthly progress reports to the Contracting Officer by the fifth workday of the new calendar month. 2. The progress report shall cover all work completed during the preceding month and shall present the work to be accomplished during the subsequent month. This report shall also identify any problems that arose, along with a statement explaining how the problem was resolved. This report shall also identify any problems that have arisen but have not been completely resolved, with an explanation. I. TRAVEL NA J. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES NA K. CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS Quotes will be considered only from Contractors who are regularly established in the business called for and who in the judgment of the contracting officer are financially responsible and able to show evidence of their reliability, ability, experience, equipment, facilities, and personnel directly employed or supervised by them to render prompt and satisfactory service in the volume called for under this contract. The VA reserves the right to thoroughly inspect and investigate the establishment, facilities, equipment, business reputation, and other qualifications of any offeror and to reject any offeror, irrespective of price, that shall be administratively determined lacking in any of the essentials necessary to assure acceptable standards of performance. L. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE It is agreed that: 1. The preliminary and final deliverables, and all associated working papers, application source code, and other material deemed relevant by VA which have been generated by the contractor in the performance of this contract, are the exclusive property of the U.S. Government and shall be submitted to the CO at the conclusion of the contract. 2. The CO will be the sole authorized official to release, verbally or in writing, any data, draft deliverables, final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this contract. No information shall be released by the contractor. Any request for information relating to this contract, presented to the contractor, shall be submitted to the CO for response. 3. Press releases, marketing material, or any other printed or electronic documentation related to this project, shall not be publicized without the written approval of the CO. The Government is not obligated to nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this sources sought announcement. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. The VA is mandated by Public Law 109-461 to consider a total set-aside for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses. However, if there are insufficient Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business responses, an alternate set-aside or full and open competition may be determined. No sub-contracting opportunity is anticipated. The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 311511 (1,150 employees). Notice to potential offerors: All offerors who provide goods or services to the United States Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov. Additionally, all Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses or Veteran Owned Small Businesses must be registered with U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) located at http://veterans.certify.sba.gov. Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to delaney.dickey@va.gov. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Questions must be submitted no later than 08/26/2024 3:00 PM Central Standard Time (CST). Responses must be received no later than 08/28/2024 10:00 AM CST.