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Sources Sought Notice - 660 Heart Transplant Lodging Service DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information rec... Sources Sought Notice - 660 Heart Transplant Lodging Service DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice are NOT offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. Response Instructions: Do not provide more than 8 pages, including cover letter page. Submit your response via email to danielle.kramer@va.gov Submit your response NLT 14:00 (MST) on Friday, November 14, 2025; Mark your response as Proprietary Information if the information is considered business sensitive. VA has identified the appropriate North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code as 561599 - All Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services with a Small Business size of $32.5 Million. Please identify and explain any NAICS codes your company believes would better represent the predominated work included in the attached Statement of Work draft / Salient Characteristics List; Information Requested from Industry: In response to the Sources Sought, interested Contractors shall submit the following information and any Capabilities/Qualifications Statement to include but not limited to an overview of proposed solution(s) and a description of the product your company possesses accordance with the Statement of Work draft / Salient Characteristics List. Documentation of how the limitations of subcontract will be met is required for the response to be considered. Vendor Name: SAM UEI #: FSS contract number Vendor Point of Contract (POC) Name POC Phone Number: POC Email Address: George E. Wahlen Department of Veteran Affairs VA Salt Lake City Health Care System Statement of Work- Heart Transplant-Lodger Program Background: The Salt Lake VA Health Care System (VASLCHCS) Heart Transplant Program has the need for patient lodging to its eligible beneficiaries of the Left Ventricle Assistive Device (LVAD) and Cardiac Transplant program within 15 miles of the is VA Salt Lake City Health Care (VASLCHCS) located at 500 Foothill Boulevard, Salt Lake City, UT 84148. The VA Transplant program requires that each VA transplant center arranges appropriate lodging for veterans and a support person/caregiver. Transplant patients and a support person/caregiver will be provided with a one-bedroom hotel suite for stays one week or longer and a double queen for stays less than one week. Housing is provided for all patients who are being evaluated, receiving care and/or post-treatment care for LVAD and/or transplant. Transplant patients and a caregiver will require lodging until medically released to go back to their home state/VA; the average stay is within 1 week to 18 months. The accommodation cannot be shared with other patients due to the nature of their medical situation. Rooms should have at least one bedroom, to accommodate veterans and a support person/caregiver, as needed. Contractor Requirements/Responsibilities: Contractor will act as a broker locating hotel/lodging facilities that meet or exceed the requirements listed in the sections below. If the original hotel/lodging facility closes or does not have availability, the Contractor is required to find alternative hotel/lodging facility at the same rate that meets the requirements. Shall be responsible for providing invoices within the first 10 days of the following month. Advanced payments not allowed, invoices paid in arrears Shall be the single point of contact for issues/complaints for the hotel and the Medical Center. Shall monitor hotels for compliance with all safety and health regulations, state and federal. Shall provide a point of contact (POC) for contract management. Reservations: Contractor(s) will guarantee 20 rooms per night with a minimum of 3 diamond/3-star rating from independent originations such as AAA and/or Trip Advisor, with 8 of those rooms being one bedroom hotel suites and 2 rooms meeting wheelchair accessibility standards, to be billed to the VASLCHCS, with Sunday through Saturday arrival. VA personnel will call and/or email the authorized Point of Contact (POC) by 4:00 p.m. to reserve rooms for that night. After 4:00 p.m., rooms will be available to VASLCHCS subject to availability. The VA shall not be obligated to pay for rooms that are released back to the hotel on time. Should VASLCHCS need additional room/s above the 20 guaranteed per night, arrangements will be made by the Transplant program staff, and these rooms added to the reservation billing from the Contractor(s). Rooms shall be available from Sunday through Saturday. Contractor shall guarantee the Medical Center that there shall be no Blackout Dates on any reserved rooms. Seasonal rate changes are not allowed Contractor(s) shall monitor hotels for compliance with all safety and health regulations, state and federal, for hotel industry standards for health and safety must be met or exceeded. NFPA, ADA, OSHA and all city, county, state ordinances/codes. This shall include all housekeeping regulations Contractor(s) will provide appropriate rooms for those patients who have the need of service animals at no additional charge to the patient or VASLCHCS. The Contractor(s) will utilize the reservation list (e-mail) to reserve rooms and confirm room blocks as soon as possible, but no later than 4:00 p.m. Confirmation will be sent to VASLCHCS via e-mail. The Contractor(s) shall maintain the reservation list reflecting dates, length of stay, and collect the occupant s signature during check-in or check out. This will be returned to the COR via e-mail for certification/verification of performance. All rooms are non-smoking. As these rooms are contracted by VASLCHCS and they are non-smoking rooms, smoking will not be permitted in these rooms. Anyone found doing so would be barred from the Veterans Lodging Program. The Contractor(s) will provide a designated smoking area with proper signage. Check In: The Contractor(s) will only retain a credit card from the veteran if extra services are used (long distant phone charges, sundries, etc.) that are not normally included in the room rate. These expenses shall be paid for by the individual(s) requesting and receiving the extra service. The government incurs no liability in this instance, and it is the Contractor(s) s responsibility to collect these charges from the individual(s). Individuals must confirm late arrival before 4:00 p.m. on the date of the arrival. The Contractor(s) must annotate this confirmation on the reservation list by writing confirmed by (name of individual confirming late arrival) and the date confirmed. Late arrivals not confirmed prior to 4:00 p.m. shall be cancelled by the Contractor(s). If the reservation is for multiple nights, only the first night of the reservation will be cancelled. VASLCHCS incurs no liability when late arrival has not been confirmed by the individual prior to 4:00 p.m. on the date of arrival. Quality Assurance: The government will monitor the lodging facility performance using the following procedures. VA Salt Lake City Health Care System staff will have the option of conducting a "secret shopper" walk-through to inspect the hotel premises, customer service and accommodation. Problems or questions concerning the correct charge for the lodging facility room rate should be settled between the lodging facility and the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System or the designated representative. Problems or questions concerning the correctness of other items on the final statement (no shows, phone calls, sundry items, cleaning, and number of days in room) should be settled between the lodging facility and the traveler in the same manner as other lodging facility guest problems are solved. All lodging requirements outlined in this Statement of Work will be communicated to all employees and managers that are responsible for lodging reservation operations. Standards: Security. Parking facilities shall be available with adequate lighting. All exterior doors with direct access to guest quarters will be locked and access controlled no later than 10:00 pm. Each one bedroom suite will have a fully equipped kitchen, microwave, stove and regular size refrigerator, one queen bed with a pull out couch, a pillow, two sheets, firm mattress, mattress pad or cover, blankets, spread, wall to wall carpeting (desired) or other floor covering, a wall switch near the entrance door for at least one lamp, incandescent table or wall mounted lights for each bed, color TV, closet or hangar space, smoke detectors, individual thermostats, telephone, note pad with pen, bathrooms with vanity, mirror, light with grounded electrical outlet, and exhaust fan/privacy outside window, an exercise room, internet/Wi-Fi access at no additional cost, be pet friendly and provide free breakfast. The hotel will provide access to guest laundry facility, weekly housekeeping services and available free parking. Hotels will be located near restaurants and grocery stores or have daily shuttle service available to a grocery store or other stores within a 5-mile radius. Rooms will offer two queen beds, a pillow, two sheets, firm mattress, mattress pad or cover, blankets, spread, wall to wall carpeting (desired) or other floor covering, a wall switch near the entrance door for at least one lamp, incandescent table or wall mounted lights for each bed, color TV, closet or hangar space, smoke detectors, individual thermostats, telephone, note pad with pen, bathrooms with vanity, mirror, light with grounded electrical outlet, and exhaust fan/privacy outside window, an exercise room, internet/Wi-Fi access at no additional cost, be pet friendly and provide free breakfast. The hotel will be located near restaurants within walking distance. Hotels should provide multiple daily round trip shuttle services to transport veterans and/or their caregivers between the airport, the VA Medical Center, the University of Utah Medical Center, and conveniently located grocery stores and restaurants are required for transplant patients from the extended stay lodging. Hours of operation should be from 06:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and wheelchair accessible. First shuttle to be at the VA hospital by 07:30 Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and by 09:30 on Thursday and Friday. Second Shuttle to leave the hotel at 12:00pm and pick up at SLC VA and/or University of Utah at 12:30 pm. Afternoon/Evening shuttle to leave the hospitals to return to hotel at no additional cost to the Veteran/caregivers or VASLCHCS. Hotel shall provide either their hotel shuttle or contract with a local shuttle service to transport the veteran and/or caregivers to and from the SLC Airport at no additional cost to the Veteran/caregiver or VASLCHCS. Rooms shall be constructed and finished to provide good light. All piping and wiring must be enclosed. All finishes (walls and ceiling) should be free from damage, scars, marks, dirt, and dust. Vents and surrounding finishes must be free of dirt and dust. Ceilings and wall shall be finished in paint or wall covering. All floors in living and sleeping areas shall have a clean, serviceable covering. All windows shall be provided drapes with blackout lining, shades, or blinds. If only drapes are provided, they must screen out light. Sufficient electrical outlets shall be available. All electrical cords, bulbs, lights, and switches shall be operational and free from defects. All entrance doors to rooms shall have interior security locks, either deadbolt or double locking locks. All doors shall be free from holes, dents, or other physical defects. Smoke and fire protection systems must be installed and meet federal, state, or local fire codes. Bathrooms must be constructed to provide convenient sanitary facilities. Wash basin and shower tub areas shall have a vanity table, a large lighted mirror, stopper devices, soap dishes, towel bars/hooks, and grounded electrical outlets conveniently located for use of electrical razors, hair dryers etc. Loose, missing, or badly worn/damaged wall tiles, floor tiles, fixtures or accessories are unacceptable. The fixtures controlling the flow of water must not be cracked or leaking and shall operate properly to maintain a constant, adequate flow and temperature without sudden surges of temperature changes. Bathrooms must have a working exhaust fan or an exterior window that can be opened, which must be of frosted glass or curtained to provide privacy. The shower or shower/tub combination shall have shower doors or curtains. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Ventilation: Living quarters shall be provided with individual room-controlled heating and air conditioning (in season) and otherwise provide the ventilation necessary to maintain comfort for guests. If utilities fail, other than an area-wide failure, for more than eight hours, the Contractor(s) shall take action to relocate all occupants to other commercial quarters facilities at no expense to VASLCHCS or the occupant. Standard Lodging Facilities Services. Vending areas, 24 hour check in/out, wake-up and message service, central TV antenna or Cable TV, room identification/directory signs and smoke detectors in hallways, air conditioning, ice machines, adequate free parking area for all guests, local information packet, passenger/baggage loading zones, and secure luggage storage areas for guests when rooms are not immediately available for storage at check out. It will be the responsibility of the Contractor(s) to get any additional personal information from the members upon check in. The hotel will be responsible for tracking the billing members for unpaid services left uncollected at time of checkout. (i.e. phone charges, sundries, etc.). In the event of an emergency/non-emergency situation where fire/police/ambulance are called, this information will be communicated to the Lodging Management Group who will inform the SLCVAHCS lodging coordinator(s). The contractor shall also be inform. Timeliness of notification standards: If an emergency- the notification is expected within 2-hours of event If a non-emergency- the notification is expected, by the close of business, the next day Damages Any damage caused by a Veteran will be billed to that individual. The SLCVAHCS assumes no liability with its lodgers other than the contracted room rate. In the event of damage or a disruption, it is the hotel/motel s prerogative to determine if a Veteran will be a future guest. The SLCVAHCS will honor this decision. After the hotel/motel management informs the Veteran of not being welcomed back to their facility, the SLCVAHCS will follow-up with a registered letter informing the Veteran of the hotel decision and SLCVAHCS abiding by that decision. The SLCVAHCS must be notified immediately when any damages have occurred. The damages shall be documented and submitted to the SLCVAHCS; to include pictures. Services: Veteran Lodgers will be provided with the same customer considerations, courtesy and respect as all other facility guests. Check-in/Check-out: The lodging facility must provide a check in/out service on a 24-hour basis, 7 days a week. Lodging facility agrees to inform the occupant assigned accommodations under this agreement who incur another day s lodging charge because of failure to meet the required check out time, do so at their own expense. VASLCHCS incurs no liability in this instance. If a transplant veteran is admitted to the hospital, their caregiver will continue to stay at the hotel at no extra cost. SLCVAHSC will continue to pay for reservation. Telephone: A telephone shall be provided in each room at no charge to the occupant. Each room occupant shall pay for all toll calls placed by him or her. Service provided shall be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Custodial/Sanitation Services: Daily services include, but are not limited to, room cleaning, bed making, linen change (as required), adequate quantities of soap (minimum of 1 ¼ oz. deodorant bar), bath towels, hand towels, wash cloths, sanitized drinking glasses, facial tissues, and cloth bath mat. Linen Service: Linen service shall be provided at least once per week or occupant change (whichever occurs first), and whenever necessary. Additional blankets shall be made available if requested by the occupant. All linen and blankets shall be clean, freshly laundered, without any objectionable odors, and in good repair, free from tears, rips, holes, stains, and extensive wear. Pillows shall be of adequate quality to provide proper support. Common Use Areas: The lodging facility shall keep all hallways, corridors, grounds, and other adjacent areas under their control in clean, neat, and safe condition. Do Not Disturb Signs: All rooms shall have signs available. Lodging facility employees shall respect them when displayed. Information: Desk clerks shall be able to explain to occupants, miscellaneous charges not covered by this statement of work, for example, telephone charges. The lodging facility shall provide information on bus schedules, taxis, and other local transportation, dining facilities and locations, and commercial telephone directory service.