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Page 1 of Page 4 of 29 Page 1 of The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), VA Healthcare System, Network Contracting Office (NCO) 10, on behalf of John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan... Page 1 of Page 4 of 29 Page 1 of The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), VA Healthcare System, Network Contracting Office (NCO) 10, on behalf of John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan, is conducting market research through this sources sought notice to seek sources that can prepare, deliver, and serve meals in a cafeteria-style setting to Veterans enrolled in the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program currently located at VALOR Center 3245 East Jefferson Detroit, MI 48207 and transitioning to Conner Creek Village 4777 E. Outer Drive Detroit, MI 48234. The Performance Work Statement has been attached for reference. The NAICS Code for this acquisition is 722310, size standard $38.5 million. The product service code is S203 Housekeeping Food. The contracting office is contemplating award of a Firm Fixed Price contract for 5 years (Base plus four option periods) beginning August 2, 2022. Pursuant to FAR Part 10, Market Research, the purpose of this notice is to determine if sources capable of satisfying the agency's requirements exists and to determine the commercial practices of company's engaged in providing the needed service. Pursuant to FAR Part 6 and FAR Part 19, competition and set-aside decisions may be based on the results of this market research. This notice in no way obligates the Government to any further action. Contractors that can provide this requirement and meets the requirements below are requested to send: 1. Company Name 2. DUNS number 3. Business size under NAICS 722310 4. If the service(s) are available on an FSS contract or not and the FSS contract number if it is available on contract. 5. Notification if they are a VETBIZ registered VOSB/SDVOSB or not. Contractors must be registered and certified in VETBIZ to be considered VOSB/SDVOSB. 6. If you believe another NAICS code is more suitable for these services, please include the code. 7. Is there any reason you would not be interested in responding to a solicitation? 8. Please provide a short narrative on the technical capability and interest in providing the requested services. 9. Any questions, comments, or concerns, that may otherwise assist us. Disclaimer This Notice is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not itself constitute an RFP, RFQ or IFB. The Government does not intend to award a contract based only on responses to this RFI. Responses to the notice will not be returned. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Request for Information (RFI). The VA will not pay for information received in response to this Request for Information. Do not submit pricing information in response to this Request for Information. Responses must be received NLT 2:00 PM EST on May 6, 2022. Please email all responses to chad.kemper@va.gov with subject line RFI 36C25022Q0511 Domiciliary Food Service STATEMENT OF WORK Scope and Purpose The contractor shall provide all supplies, equipment and personnel necessary to prepare, deliver and serve meals in a cafeteria-style setting to veterans as described below for the residents of the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (JDDVAMC/DRRTP) hereafter referred to as DRRTP. This program is currently located off campus at the follow location: VALOR Center 3245 East Jefferson Detroit, MI 48207 The Domiciliary is currently in the process of moving and is expected to change locations early in the base year of the contract. Veterans may be placed in both facilities during this time and meals shall be expected to be delivered to both locations. Throughout the course of the agreement, the Contractor shall continue to provide the agreed upon services if the location remains within the city limits of Detroit. The location of the new Domiciliary is: Conner Creek Village 4777 E. Outer Drive Detroit, MI 48234 Meals shall be provided three times per day and they shall meet the nutritional needs of the veterans served by the DRRTP as defined in the description of work in Section II. The resident census is expected to fluctuate but the expected daily census is approximately 30-50 residents. The current facility does not have a fully functional cafeteria. However, if a fully functional cafeteria becomes available, a contract modification will be considered to change the location where services are provided and adjust the contract price accordingly. Description of the Work Meals as described below, shall be served within the VALOR Center facility and/or Conner Creek Village facility, and provided to the Veterans in a cafeteria style setting as stated below. The preparation shall occur in a kitchen fully licensed by the Wayne County Health Department. Breakfast shall consist of a hot breakfast served Sunday through Saturday on all federal and non-federal holidays. Lunch shall be served Monday through Sunday with a full lunch delivered for the residents eating at the DRRTP and boxed lunches provided for those who will be off-site at lunch time. A full dinner shall be served Monday through Sunday and boxed dinners shall be available for ordering by VA residents unable to return in time for dinner. Themed dinner meals shall be provided on the following Holidays: New Years, Memorial Day, The Fourth of July, Veteran s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas consultation with DRRTP will take place to determine the meal content on these occasions. Definitions: Full Dinner This is defined as a full meal prepared by the vendor and served in a cafeteria style setting based on the nutritional needs of the Veterans. Boxed Dinner This is also a full meal but is prepared in a to-go fashion so that our Veterans can take their dinner with them to work and other Vocational Rehabilitation assignments. Themed Dinner -Full dinner that is only served once per year based on the holiday. Example: for Thanksgiving dinner, the Contractor shall provider Oven-baked Turkey and sides that meet nutritional requirements. All meals shall meet USDA RDA requirements with a fat content of 30% or less. The contractor shall have a registered Dietitian on staff to develop menu cycles for Veterans with special dietary needs. At each meal, the contractor shall provide sufficient quantities of appropriate condiments as requested by the Domiciliary leadership team. Contractor shall supply a daily inventory checklist listing type and amounts of condiments supplied. Daily inventory of type and amounts of condiments supplied to DRRTP will be verified by nursing staff. The individual trays used by residents to carry their plates and drinks shall be placed in the designated area for contractor pick-up and processing. Trays must be made of a hard-plastic material, Styrofoam is not acceptable. The contractor shall provide a copy of the menu cycle and tally sheets at least two weeks in advance of project start-up to the Chief, DRRTP and Contracting Officer Representative (COR). The contractor shall furnish to the Chief, DRRTP and COR, in advance, a varied, full hot breakfast, bagged lunch and dinner menu, full dinner menu with at least a four-week meal cycle (meals must not be repeated during the cycle). No significant changes to the menu are permitted without the approval of the Chief, DRRTP. These changes shall be presented to the Chief, DRRTP within 24 hours of the change. The menu for the regular meals and the restrictive diet meals will be reviewed and approved in writing by a John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Registered Dietician or designee Contractor shall provide snacks to DRRTP Residents. These snacks should be rotated on an ongoing basis and made available between all meals. These snacks should be restocked daily. The Contractor shall provide enough snacks to serve two snacks per Veteran each day. At least three different snacks must be provided daily, one of which must be fruit. These snacks should be rotated each week to provide variety. Each type of snack should not be used for more than 7 calendar days and the same snack cannot be used in consecutive weeks. Recommended snacks include Fruit, peanut butter crackers, string cheese, unsalted/unsweetened nuts, cheese crackers, protein bars, popcorn, Greek yogurt, and hard-boiled eggs. The contractor shall designate a person who shall provide oversight to individuals working on this contract to ensure all requirements are met. This person shall be the point of contact for the VA. The contractor shall be responsible for washing and sanitizing these individual trays, dishes, and utensils. The contractor shall prepare clean food trays, individual trays, and carts wrapped in plastic to ensure no contamination during transport to serving area. All plastic plates, glasses, cups, and cutlery shall be in covered containers or plastic wrap to ensure cleanliness is maintained during transportation to serving area. The contractor shall serve/distribute the meals during at designated meal periods defined in Part V. The contractor must record which residents receive which meals when they are served. The contractor shall supply disposable plates, cutlery, straws, glasses, and cups in sufficient quantities to meet each meal demand. The contractor shall meet or exceed the nutritional care requirements set forth by the Joint Commission in the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals (http://vaww.oqsv.med.va.gov/functions/integrity/accred/jointcommission.aspx). The contractor shall provide a quality assurance plan as part of the quote/proposal detailing how they intend to meet or exceed the Joint Commission standards. The contractor shall provide a menu cycle that shall meet the following dietary requirements as needed when ordered by DRRTP nursing staff (PRIOR APPROVAL BY THE COR OF ANY MENU CHANGE IS REQUIRED): Diets Requirements: Regular* At least 2400 Calories and 90 Grams Protein Low Fat/Cholesterol* At least 1800 Calories and 80 Grams Protein No Added Salt* 3-4 Grams Sodium; at least 2200 Calories and 80 Grams Protein 2 Gram Sodium* At least 2000 Calories and 80 Grams Protein Mechanical Soft* At least 2400 Calories and 90 Grams Protein Moist Ground Meats; Soft Fruits and Vegetables; Requires no use of Teeth Pureed* At least 2400 Calories and 90 Grams Protein Diabetic* Calorie Level According to Prescription Diabetic Mech* Combine expectations above for respective diets Diabetic Pureed* Combine expectations above for respective diets Full Liquid At least 2000 Calories and 60 Grams Protein Clear Liquid At least 100 Calories per 8 oz. serving Gout Special Diet At least 2200-2400 Calories. Proteins restricted to .8gm/kg and proteins high in purines are omitted: Anchovies, sardines, herring, scallops, mussels, tuna, codfish, bacon organ meats *Meets USDA RDA for all nutrients of a 50 year old Male DRRTP nursing staff will communicate changes to meal census, to include how many of what types of meals to provide, by 3:00pm each day for the following day s count of meals needed. This communication shall occur by fax, email, or delivering a hard copy of tally sheet that will be designed by the Contractor and agreed upon by the COR. Meals must be labeled with the resident s name for non-regular meals and the meal type from the above table listing. Upon delivery of all meals, they will be inventoried by VA personnel/nursing staff to ensure the proper number of the various meal types have been delivered, and that they are properly labeled. Historically, approximately 80% of the total meals provided have been regular meals, with the remaining 20% being a mix of the various special meal types. If a resident at the DRRTP has a specific food allergy, the Contractor shall prepare the required meals for these individuals in a manner that is safe and will not jeopardize the health of the residents. Meals that are provided for residents with specific food allergies should be marked and served separately. The DRRTP nursing staff shall provide the contractor a daily-updated, by-name listing of those veterans with food allergies, and what those allergies are. If the contractor is made aware of any veterans with food allergies that are not on the government-provided listing, the contractor shall notify the COR immediately by phone and will not provide food containing suspected allergens. The contractor shall furnish tally (production) sheets, menus, and a summary of the nutrient analysis of the regular and modified menus. The contractor shall provide tally sheets for both hot and cold items. These batched daily tally sheets for the month, shall be provided by the fifth (5th) working day of the following month. The contractor shall prepare meals that meet all Federal, State and Local health standards. The contractor shall post the state certification at the preparation facility and shall meet all health and sanitation requirements at all times. The contractor shall provide dairy products such as milk and ice cream in single service containers (i.e. cartons). Juices shall be provided in 4oz. pre-portioned single service cups or containers. Orange juice and milk shall be provided at each breakfast meal in sufficient quantities for all residents to receive one serving. Canned items shall be opened by the contractor and placed in storage containers with lids; all items shall be stamped with a use-by date. The contractor shall provide fresh fruit each day. The amount of the fruit provided will be dependent on the census for that day. The Contractor shall provide one piece of fruit per resident per day. The fruit shall include apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, peaches, pears, and plums. Fruits shall be rotated on an on-going basis. The contractor shall provide a cold beverage option at each meal such as fruit juices, flavored water, bottled water, or other sugar free products in individually wrapped containers of 8-12 oz. The contractor shall provide a warming/steaming unit to keep hot foods warm enough to meet safety guidelines of a minimum of 140 degrees F between the time of delivery and the time of meal serving. Every Monday by noon, the contractor shall provide the DRRTP Chief and the COR a written summary sheet via email of the supplies delivered, contents of meals delivered, and number of persons that were fed by the prepared meals during the previous seven-day period. Anticipated Quantity The contractor shall provide three meals per day for all residents. The resident census is expected to fluctuate but the expected daily census is approximately 30-50 residents. If the resident population grows to greater than 75, the contractor may request a modification to the contract price. If the resident population decreases to less than 15 residents, the Government may request a modification to the contract price. Adjustments to the contract price will be based upon the pricing included in the pricing schedule The Contractor shall establish a monitoring system to track the number of meals that each Veteran receives during their treatment course at the Domiciliary. This will occur at least 30 days prior to the activation of the cafeteria that will be used to fulfill the contract and it must be agreed upon by the COR. Location of Work to be Performed and Government Furnished Items The serving of meals shall be at the VALOR Center, located at 3245 East Jefferson, Detroit, MI 48207 Required Time Frames The contractor shall provide and pick up all food serving trays and patient serving trays in accordance with the following schedule: Breakfast: Prepared and placed in serving tables/warming stations by 5:45 am each day. Pick up of large serving trays, individual meal trays, and resident trays used to carry food to the tables by 6:45 am each day. All boxed lunches for the day shall be delivered with breakfast. Breakfast times may vary based upon the work schedule of the residents at the DRRTP. If breakfast times need to be changed, the DRRTP team will notify the contractor by 3:00pm for the following day. Lunch: Prepared and placed in buffet tables by 11:15.am each day. Serving will take place between 11:15am-12:00pm. Dinner: Prepared and placed in buffet tables by 4:45 pm each day. Serving will take place between 4:45-5:30pm. Food service shall be provided for 3 meals per day 7 days per week 365 days a year including federal and non-federal holidays. Inspection Requirements The contractor shall monitor its employees performance and based upon the results of such monitoring, shall on an as-needed basis, establish performance improvement activities to assure employee efficiency and knowledge and also, ensure employees are performing their duties in a manner consistent with all federal, state, and local rules and regulations, and as set forth by applicable regulatory agencies and this contract. The contractor shall provide and maintain an inspection system in accordance with state, federal and local health standards under this contract. Complete records of all inspection work performed by the contractor shall be maintained and made available to the Government during contract performance. If any of the services do not conform with contract requirements, the Government may require the Contractor to perform the services again or to take the necessary action to ensure future performance conforms with contract requirements, the Government may 1) by contract or otherwise, perform the services and charge to the contractor any cost incurred by the Government that is directly related to the performance of such service or 2) reduce payment of invoices by the amount of the deficiency 3) terminate the contract for default Security All Contractor personnel performing work related to this contract shall complete the VA Privacy and HIPAA training within 30 days after the start date of the contract and submit completion certificates to the COR. This will be repeated annually throughout the duration of the contract. Damage to VA Property All tasks accomplished by Contractor s personnel shall be performed to preclude damage or disfigurement of Government-owned furnishings, fixtures, equipment, and architectural or building structures. The Contractor shall be fully responsible for any repairs and all damage to VA property, which results from the activities, negligence, or carelessness of its employees or subcontractors. All damages shall be immediately brought to the attention of the COR by the end of the workday on the day of occurrence. If damage is not discovered on the day the work is performed, it shall be repaired within 72 hours of notification to the Contractor by the VA. In cases of disputes between the COR and the Contractor, the Contractor shall notify the CO in writing as soon as possible to avoid any delay in conflict resolution. If the CO is not notified in writing within thirty (30) days of the date of the incident, the incident shall be considered to have been resolved to the satisfaction of the Contractor. Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) FAR 42.1502 directs all Federal agencies to collect past performance information on contracts. The Department of Veterans Affairs has implemented use of the Contractor Performance Assessment evaluations will be conducted in order to record your contract performance as required by FAR 42.15. The past performance evaluation process is a totally paperless process using CPARS. CPARS is a web-based system that allows for electronic processing of the performance evaluation report. Once the report is processed, it is available in the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) for Government use in evaluating past performance as part of a source selection action. Please furnish the CO with the name, position title, phone number, and email address for each person designated to have access to your firm s past performance evaluation(s) for the contract no later than 30 days after award. Each person granted access will have the ability to provide comments in the Contractor portion of the report and state whether or not the Contractor agrees with the evaluation, before returning the report to the Assessing Official. The report information must be protected as source selection sensitive information not releasable to the public. When your Contractor Representative(s) (Past Performance Points of Contact) are registered in CPARS, they will receive an automatically generated email with detailed login instructions. Further details, system requirements, and training information for CPARS are available at www.cpars.gov. The CPARS User Manual, registration for online training for Contractor Representatives may be found at this site. Within 60 days after the end of a performance period, the CO will complete an interim or final past performance evaluation and the report will be accessible at www.cpars.gov Contractor Representatives may then provide comments in response to the evaluation or return the evaluation without comment. Comments are limited to the space provided in Block 22. Your comments should focus on objective facts in the Assessing Official s narrative and should provide your views on the causes and ramifications of the assessed performance. In addition to the ratings and supporting narratives, blocks 1-17 should be reviewed for accuracy, as these include key fields that will be used by the Government to identify your firm in future source selection evaluations. If you elect not to provide comments, please acknowledge receipt of the evaluation by indicating, No Comment in Block 22, and then signing and dating Block 23 of the form. Without a statement in Block 22, you will be unable to sign and submit the evaluation back to the Government. If you do not sign and submit the CPAR within 30 days, it will automatically be returned to the Government and will be annotated: The report was delivered/received by the contractor on (date). The contractor neither signed nor offered comment in response to this assessment. Your response is due within 30 calendar days after receipt of the CPAR. The following guidelines apply concerning your use of the past performance evaluation: Protect the evaluation as source selection information. After review, transit the evaluation by completing and submitting the form through CPARS. If for some reason you are unable to view and/or submit the form through CPARS, contact the CO for instructions. Strictly control access to the evaluation within your organization. Ensure the evaluation is never released to persons or entities outside of your control. Prohibit the use of or reference to evaluation data for advertising, promotional material, pre-award surveys, responsibility determination, production readiness reviews, or other similar purposes If you wish to discuss a past performance evaluation, you should request a meeting in writing to the CO no later than seven days following your receipt of the evaluation. The meeting will be held in person or via telephone or other means during your 30-day review period. A copy of the completed past performance evaluation will be available in CPARS for your viewing and for Government use supporting source selection actions after it has been completed. Performance Monitoring The COR appointed by the VA Medical Center will monitor performance to ensure services are received. The COR will evaluate the Contractor s performance through intermittent on-site inspections of the Contractor s quality control program, and receipt and investigation of complaints from personnel. The VA may inspect each task as completed. The COR will inspect and shall make final determination of the validity of customer complaint(s) in cases of disagreement with customer(s). Ten days prior to the implementation of this contract, contractor shall provide the COR with written copies of procedures to be used to carry out the requirements of the contract. The CPM shall meet with the COR on a minimum frequency of once each month according to schedule established by the COR. The COR will complete quality assurance surveillance in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) for this contract. The following Performance Requirements Summary Table demonstrates the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) for all tasks required under this PWS. This table will be used in conjunction with the QASP to monitor contractor performance. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY TABLE: Tasks PWS Indicator Standard Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) Method of surveillance Maintain Licensure 2.A Food Safety All food much be prepared in a fully licensed kitchen area. 100% Observation- Licensure must be provided prior to contract award and at each renewal period. Provide adequate menu cycles 2.G 2.M Menu Cycles The contractor shall furnish to the Chief, DRRTP and COR, in advance, a varied, full hot breakfast, bagged lunch and dinner menu, full dinner menu with at least a four-week meal cycle (meals must not be repeated during the cycle). 100% Inspection- Electronic or hard copies of the menu cycles will be provided to the Dom Chief and COR each month Provide Adequate Food Service 2.C 5.A 5.B Food Quality and Timeliness Food service shall be provided for 3 meals per day 7 days per week 365 days a year including holidays. 100% Periodic Sampling by COR Breakfast served between 5:45am-6:45am, Lunch served between 11:15am 12:00pm, Dinner served between 4:45-5:30pm. 95% All meals shall meet USDA RDA requirements with a fat content of 30% or less 100% Accommodate residents who have special dietary needs 2.M 2.S Special Diets The contractor shall provide a menu cycle that shall meet the following dietary requirements as needed when ordered by DRRTP nursing staff: Regular, Low Fat, Low Cholesterol, No Added Salt, Low Sodium, Soft Diet, Pureed Diet, Full Liquid, Clear Liquid. 95% Inspection- Electronic of the menu cycles will be provided to the Dom Chief and COR Privacy & Security 7.A Maintains privacy and security of patient information All Contractor personnel performing work related to this contract shall complete the VA Privacy and HIPAA training prior to the start date of the contract and submit completion certificates to the COR. This will be repeated annually throughout the duration of the contract. 100% Completes mandated annual education and provides completion certificates to COR. COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors VHA Supplemental Contract Requirements for Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors (Amended October 25, 2021) Contractor employees who work in or travel to VHA locations must comply with the following: Documentation requirements: If fully vaccinated, shall show proof of vaccination. NOTE: Acceptable proof of vaccination includes a signed record of immunization from a health care provider or pharmacy, a copy of the COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (CDC Form MLS-319813_r, published on September 3, 2020), or a copy of medical records documenting the vaccination. If unvaccinated and granted a medical or religious exception, shall show negative COVID-19 test results dated within three calendar days prior to desired entry date. Test must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use or full approval. This includes tests available by a doctor s order or an FDA approved over-the-counter test. Documentation cited in this section shall be digitally or physically maintained on each contractor employee while in a VA facility and is subject to inspection prior to entry to VA facilities and after entry for spot inspections by Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs) or other hospital personnel. Documentation will not be collected by the VA; contractors shall, at all times, adhere to and ensure compliance with federal laws designed to protect contractor employee health information and personally identifiable information. Contractor employees are subject to daily screening for COVID-19 and may be denied entry to VA facilities if they fail to pass screening protocols. As part of the screening process contractors may be asked screening questions found on the COVID-19 Screening Tool. Check regularly for updates. Contractor employees who work away from VA locations, but who will have direct contact with VA patients shall self-screen utilizing the COVID-19 Screening Tool, in advance, each day that they will have direct patient contact and in accordance with their person or persons who coordinate COVID-19 workplace safety efforts at covered contractor workplaces. Contractors shall, at all times, adhere to and ensure compliance with federal laws designed to protect contractor employee health information and personally identifiable information. Contractor must immediately notify their COR or Contracting Officer if contract performance is jeopardized due to contractor employees being denied entry into VA Facilities.