Inactive Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Set-Aside (FAR 19.14)

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 announce... 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. The solicitation number 36C24E21Q0003 is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-92. This requirement will be made using a cascading set-aside under the associated NAICS code 541940 Veterinary Services with a small business size standard of $8.1 Million. The full solicitation document is included as an attachment to this notice; to include: a list of contract line items, a Description of requirements for the items to be acquired, SOW, Date(s) and place(s) of delivery, and applicable clauses and provisions. Evaluation procedures: Evaluation of offers will be made in accordance with FAR 13.106-2, and an award made based on the offer which outlines the Best Value to the government, utilizing the Statement of Work (SOW) specifications as minimum requirements. Offers shall be received in three separate volumes (Technical, Past Performance and Price). Technical, and Past Performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price. Statement of Work Veterinary Services Introduction/Background This Statement of Work is for a Consultant Veterinarian with crucial expertise in providing veterinary support for the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) animal research program. Consultative services shall be provided to ensure maintenance of high standards for animal research programs and to ensure compliance with all laws, regulations, VA policies and industry standards pertaining to animal research. The Consultant Veterinarian shall have training or experience in laboratory animal science and medicine and will be responsible for directing and/or delegating authority and responsibility for activities involving animals at VAPHS. The VA shall provide equipment, surgical and medical supplies, and personnel protective equipment. The VA shall also provide animal laboratory and clinical laboratory staff support. The contract shall be a best value firm fixed price agreement that will include a base period and four (4) option years. Requirements The Consultant Veterinarian shall provide support to VAPHS researchers and their staff in specialized techniques and procedures and assist with experimental design, protocol writing and their reviews. The Contractor shall establish and implement a quality control program for rodent colonies to include necropsies and clinical pathologic support program. The written program shall be provided to the COR within the first month of each new contract period. The Contractor shall provide a report documenting the results for each review or inspection. These activity reports shall be provided weekly, via email. In the event no deficiencies or problems are identified, a report stating this condition shall be provided. In the event a problem is identified that may compromise the outcome of the desired service or cause a delay in delivery of the desired service, the Contractor shall provide a Problem Identification Report identifying and describing the specific problem encountered. The problem reports shall be provided within one (1) business day of the visit. A copy of the report shall be provided to the COR, the Animal Facility Manager, and the Business Manager. The Contractor shall adhere to the VA s infection control program. Infection Control personnel protective equipment (PPE) for infection control will be provided by the VA. PPE shall be worn at all times while in the laboratory, clinical areas, and housing areas. The PPE shall include, but is not limited to shoe covers, gowns, gloves, and headwear. A sticky mat will also be present at the laboratory entrance and shall be used by the Contractor when entering. The presence of footprints in the laboratory and clinics, or entering the laboratory without wearing the PPE is unacceptable and will be considered a breach of contract. Invoices shall contain the dates of service, invoice number, PO number, amount due, a description of the service and/or a description of the product. Monthly invoices shall be submitted to the Tungsten portal and shall be paid in arrears. VAPHS shall fund CE for consultants including travel, lodging, meals and registration, not to exceed $2,000 annually. Any costs associated with these activities must be funded through a separate agreement and shall not be invoiced against this contract. Duties Primary duties shall include, but are not limited to: Directing the operation of the animal research facility to ensure compliance with current animal welfare laws, regulations, and policies, and to support Research and Development (R&D) programs using animal subjects. Providing professional guidance and technical, secretarial, and administrative support to the health care facility's investigators in planning, executing, and directing R&D activities using animals. Including the establishment and execution of disease surveillance programs in the animal research facility. Ensuring adequate caretaker staffing and proper support of animal research projects at the facility. Once the annual proposed Veterinary Medical Unit (VMU) budget is prepared by research administrators with input from the Consultant Veterinarian, the proposed budget should be submitted to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for comments, and then submitted to the R&D Committee for review and final approval. Initiating and/or reviewing requests for equipment used in the animal research facility and plans for animal research facility construction and renovation. Serving as a member of the local IACUC. Performing mandatory veterinary consultations with investigators prior to the submission of their animal protocol forms to the IACUC. Participating in mandated semi-annual IACUC inspections of animal facilities and the animal care and research use program. Guiding the facility in preparations for Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), international accreditation site visits, and compliance visits by regulatory agencies. Drafting or reviewing regulatory documents required for compliance with applicable regulations, guidelines, and policies. This includes AAALAC Program Descriptions, Public Health Service (PHS) Assurance documents, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Annual Reports (to be signed by the IO), and annual VA VMU reports. Serving as a member of the Bio-safety Committee as a liaison to the IACUC, if requested by the ACOS for R&D. Contributing to the promotion of favorable community and affiliate relations and increased public appreciation of the importance of animal studies in improving patient care. Participating in VA initiatives that contribute to improved animal research support of R&D programs throughout the VA health care system. Assisting the CVMO with special projects of system-wide importance. Period of Performance The anticipated contract will be a firm fixed service contract for a base period of one (1) year with four option periods of one (1) year each. The period of performances will be: Base Period: April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022 Option Period 1: April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023 Option Period 2: April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024 Option Period 3: April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2025 Option Period 4: April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 Place of Performance The selected vendor for this requirement will perform most of the work at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive. The VA s location is: University Drive Campus University Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15240 Schedule/Milestones The Contractor shall provide veterinary care of animals housed for research at VAPHS to performed primarily during on-site visits two (2) days per week or though on-call availability. On-call telephone consultation services shall be available 24 hours per day, seven (7) days per week. Attends at a minimum 10 monthly IACUC Meetings during the period of this contract. Provides a written review, to the IACUC Program Assistant, for each pre-review conducted of a research investigators animal protocol. Provides semi-annual written report to the AO/ACOS/R&D by 6/30 and 12/31 of each calendar year, evaluating the Animal Facility Manager in animal husbandry practices in the animal facility. Participate actively in the Post Approval Monitoring (PAM) Program, as described in Standard Operating Procedures. Performs written post-surgery evaluations in accordance with approved ACORPS. PRICE/COST SCHEDULE: Please provide one price for the entire period. Individual cost breakdown are not required. LINE ITEM DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT 0001 1.00 YR _________________ _________________ VETERINARY SERVICES TO R&D ARF PER STATEMENT OF WORK. Contract Period: Base POP Begin: 04-01-2021 POP End: 03-31-2022 1001 1.00 YR __________________ _________________ VETERINARY SERVICES TO R&D ARF PER STATEMENT OF WORK. Contract Period: Option 1 POP Begin: 04-01-2022 POP End: 03-31-2023 2001 1.00 YR __________________ __________________ VETERINARY SERVICES TO R&D ARF PER STATEMENT OF WORK. Contract Period: Option 2 POP Begin: 04-01-2023 POP End: 03-31-2024 3001 1.00 YR __________________ _________________ VETERINARY SERVICES TO R&D ARF PER STATEMENT OF WORK. Contract Period: Option 3 POP Begin: 04-01-2024 POP End: 03-31-2025 4001 1.00 YR __________________ _________________ VETERINARY SERVICES TO R&D ARF PER STATEMENT OF WORK. Contract Period: Option 4 POP Begin: 04-01-2025 POP End: 03-31-2026 GRAND TOTAL _________________ Acceptance Criteria The achievement of the specific duties required of the VAPHS Consultant Veterinarian will be formally assessed and documented by the COR during the second and fourth quarters of the of each contract year. The Animal Facility Manager will inform the COR on a quarterly basis regarding the achievements of the contractor in relationship to the stated duties, schedules and milestones. The VAPHS Administrative Officer for Research, Janelle Altman, is the COR designation for this contract. She will also be responsible for verifying the provision of the services rendered by the Contractor. Standards for conduct shall mirror those prescribed by current federal personnel regulations. Should the COR or designee show documented problems or continual unprofessional behavior/actions with any Contractor s personnel, s/he may request, without cause, immediate replacement of said Contractor s personnel or consult the Contracting Officer (CO) on contract termination options. The CO and COR shall deal with issues raised concerning Contractor conduct. The final arbiter on questions of acceptability is the CO. Qualifications The veterinarian shall be licensed. A copy of the license shall be submitted with the offer. The contract veterinarian shall provide evidence of documented past performance with reference names and contact information. The Contractor shall provide proof of training the CITI Laboratory Animal Courses within one (1) month of the contract award date. All relevant animal specific species modules shall be completed. The CITI Laboratory Animal Welfare Course is currently hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at www.researchtraining.org. Reference the SOW for penalties for failure to comply with the VA s infection control policies and for failure to complete the CITI training. Influenza Prevention Program VHA Directive 1192 requires all health care personnel (HCP) to participate in the seasonal influenza prevention program and outlines the key implementation steps. Healthcare personnel is defined in VHA Directive 1192 as all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, paid and unpaid, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, students, researchers, volunteers, and trainees who work in VHA locations. HCP covered by the policy are expected to receive annual influenza vaccination. Those HCP unable or unwilling to be vaccinated are required to wear a face mask throughout the influenza season. Masks are available at entrances throughout the medical center. It is the responsibility of the contractor to ensure that all contract staff is compliant with the requirements outlined in VHA Directive 1192. The contractor shall maintain the following documentation: Documentation of vaccination, e.g., signed record of immunization from a healthcare provider or pharmacy, or a copy of medical records documenting the vaccination. Completed Healthcare Personnel Influenza Vaccination Form (Attachment B of VHA Directive 1192) if unwilling or unable to receive the vaccine. The contractor is required to submit annual certification to the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) that all contract staff performing services at VA facilities follow VHA Directive 1192. COVID-19 Upon entering VAPHS, per CDC and federal regulations, all personnel must wear the required PPE while on-site; at a minimum this includes a cloth mask. PPE will not be provided by VAPHS. All individuals are required to enter through the main entrance for temperature screening. If Contractor s temperature exceeds the designated threshold, they will be asked to leave. In the event of an FSE being forced to vacate the premises, they shall notify the necessary Research staff and provide a contact for a replacement. Surveillance Surveillance has been developed to ensure that the services conform to contract requirements. It is designed to aid the VAPHS's COR in providing effective and systematic review of all aspects of veterinary services. This SOW provides for monitoring all contract requirements through a combination of methods. The objective is to evaluate how the Contractor is performing in all the performance areas. The principal method of surveillance will be the random sampling of the quantity and quality of laundered items processed. The plan contains sampling guides for use in random sampling. It contains random sampling (tally) checklists which are used to record information about the random samples. Tasks not surveyed by random sampling will be covered by daily observation, or periodic checklist inspections. Appropriate checklists are provided for recording observations in this type of surveillance. This SOW has been organized to identify all work requiring surveillance and the method of review to be used by the COR. It is the COR s responsibility to develop a schedule for surveillance activities based on SOW requirements. The performance of the Contractor will be monitored as demonstrated in the summary below. Deductions in many areas, or consistent problems in one area, will be addressed as necessary to maintain the health and safety of VAPHS patients and staff. Performance Indicator Performance Standard Maximum Allowable Degree Of Deviation Method Type of Surveillance Reduction When max Exceeded Deduction Amount (monthly billing) CITI Training Training shall be completed within one (1) month of award. 100% completion. Provide copies of training certificate. 5% for each invoice until proof of training is provided. Use of Infection Control PPE Infection control measures must be taken while visiting laboratory, clinics, and housing. Three (3) occurrences per contract year. Observation. 10% against final invoice for contract year. IACUC committee meetings. Attend all meetings. One (1) unexcused absence per contract year. Meeting attendance records. 10% against final invoice for contract year. Activity and deficiency reports. Weekly reports for each review or visit shall be provided. One (3) occurrence per contract year. 100% Review 10% against final invoice for contract year. Post-surgery evaluation reports. As required. One (3) occurrence per contract year. 100% Review 10% against final invoice for contract year. Semiannual full facility and documentation review report. Report shall be provided within two (2) weeks of the review events. 100% completion. Observation. 5% for each invoice until reports are delivered. Annual quality control program documentation. Document provided to the COR. 100% completion. Observation. 5% for each invoice until documents are delivered. This is a service requirement for Veterinary Assistance Services for the Pittsburgh Veterans Health Administration. Offers shall meet, or exceed, the specifications outlined in this solicitation. A The following provisions apply to this acquisition: 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial, (ix) A statement regarding the applicability of Offerors are advised to include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items, with its offer. 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items, 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders Commercial Items, 852.246-70, Guarantee Additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions determined by the contracting officer: Set Aside Cascading set-aside procedures. Any award resulting from this solicitation will be made using a cascading set-aside order of precedence as follows: 1. In accordance with FAR Subpart 19.1405 and VAAR Subpart 819.7005, any award under this solicitation will be made on a competitive basis first to an eligible Service Disabled Veteran Owned small business [SDVOSB] concern provided that the conditions of 38 U.S.C. 8127(d) are met (the VA Rule of Two) whereby the Contracting Officer receives adequate competition of two or more small business concerns owned and controlled by Veterans, and that the award can be made at a fair and reasonable price that offers the best value to the United States. 2. If there is inadequate competition for award to an SDVOSB concern, the SDVOSB set-aside shall be withdrawn and cascaded to the next contracting order of priority in accordance with VAAR 819.7004, which is Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) and conducted in accordance with the procedures set forth in VAAR 819.7006 provided that the conditions of 38 U.S.C. 8127(d) are met (the VA Rule of Two) whereby the Contracting Officer receives adequate competition of two or more small business concerns owned and controlled by Veterans, and that the award can be made at a fair and reasonable price that offers the best value to the United States. 3. If there continues to be inadequate competition between SDVOSB and VOSB concerns, the cascading will continue through the contracting order of priority in accordance with VAAR 819.7004 and FAR 19.203. If the contracting officer determines that offers from small business concerns do not meet the solicitation requirements in terms of technical acceptability, past performance, and fair market price, the small business set-aside[s] will be withdrawn and award will be made on the basis of full and open competition. Adequate competition: Adequate competition shall be deemed to exist if At least two competitive offers are received from qualified, responsible business concerns at the set-aside tier under consideration; and Award could be made at fair market price as determined in accordance with FAR 19.202-6. The VA contracting officer reserves the right to consider competitive proposals submitted from all responsible offerors (including large businesses) in determining the fair market price. Due dates and submission information: Any questions or clarification requirements shall be received electronically by the Contracting Officer no later than 2/8/2021. The quotes are due on 2/15/2021 at 10:00 AM EST and shall be directed electronically to Michael.haydo@va.gov. Offers shall be marked with the solicitation number. Information regarding the solicitation can be addressed to the Contracting Officer, Michael Haydo, michael.haydo@va.gov