Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

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. Requests for a sol... 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. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. Responses to this “Sources Sought” 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 qualified vendors, to include Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses and Veteran Owned Small Businesses, interested and capable of providing the services described below. Documentation of technical expertise must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is NAICS: 624410– Child Care Services ($25.5M) PSC: R401 – Support – Professional: Personal Care (non-medical) Responses to this notice shall include the following: (a) Company name (b) Address (c) Point of contact (d) Phone, fax, and email (e) SAM Unique Identification number (f) Cage Code (g) Tax ID Number (h) Type of business (large or small) (i) If small business, type of small business, e.g. Services Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Veteran-owned small business, and (j) Must provide a capability statement that addresses the organization’s qualifications and ability to perform as a contractor for the work described below. General: The Ventura Vet Center is seeking ad hoc childcare for children between the ages of 6 weeks to 12 years of age. The contractor shall provide spaces for ad hoc childcare services at a licensed childcare facility to accommodate the needs of Veterans while receiving services at the Ventura Vet Center. Description of Services/Introduction. The purpose of the program is to provide childcare services for veterans who are attending an appointment or services at the Ventura Vet Center and are in need of childcare. The contractor will be expected to provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform this service as defined in the Statement of Work (SOW) except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract. Services will be provided in locations convenient for employees working at and primarily residing near the facility locations. There shall be no hidden charges, fees, or billed services to employees for services rendered in accordance with the Statement of Work which shall include parking expenses at the contractor’s site location. Services shall be provided for the Veteran at the Ventura Vet Center in California. Background. A core value of the Vet Center program is to promote access to care by helping Veterans overcome barriers that impede them from using the Vet Center’s services. One pathway to remove barriers is through the provision of childcare services to those we serve. This contract will provide eligible Veterans and assistance to reduce the barriers of attendance at in-person Vet Center services by providing childcare for the duration of that visit, to include driving time to and from the childcare facility to their associated Vet Center. This childcare pilot would be available to improve the quality of life for our Nation’s Veterans through removing childcare as a barrier for eligible Veterans currently engaged in in-person readjustment counseling services at the piloted Vet Center. Objectives. The childcare program provides Veteran assistance to reduce the barriers of attendance of in-person Vet Center services by providing childcare for the duration of that visit, to include driving time to and from the childcare facility to their associated Vet Center. The objective of this contract is to secure dedicated childcare services, in a non-residential setting, for ad hoc childcare services in a facility located within 5 driving miles of the Ventura Vet Center. The childcare services are required for children of eligible Veterans during the Veteran’s scheduled appointment(s) time at the Ventura Vet Center. Scope. The Ventura Vet Center is seeking ad hoc childcare at their childcare facility for children between the ages of 6 weeks to 12 years of age. The contractor shall provide spaces for ad hoc childcare services at a licensed childcare facility to accommodate the needs of Veterans while receiving services at the Ventura Vet Center. The contractor shall operate an accessible, high quality, state licensed, non-residential childcare facility which includes trained staff, maintaining liability insurance, and complying with state and local licensing requirements. The childcare facility shall meet all state, and local licensing requirements pertaining to the operation of childcare facility, ensuring the safety and well-being of the children while they are at the facility. The contractor shall notify the COR within one business day if there are any status changes to their licensure and/or insurance status. The childcare facility shall be located within 5 driving miles of Ventura Vet Center located at 790 E Santa Clara St Ste 100, Ventura, CA 93001. The services shall include flexible scheduling options for ad hoc childcare while Veterans are receiving schedule services at the Vet Center. The childcare facility shall have spaces available for ad hoc childcare services Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, recognizing childcare industry generally accepted closures for federal holidays. The eligible Veteran parent will be required to register and provide the childcare facility with their required documents for enrollment. The contractor shall complete all necessary paperwork that is expected of their licensing boards for the children obtaining services and to complete the registration process. The contractor shall provide a scheduling procedure that allows for parents to schedule their child for care. Once enrolled the Veteran will contact the childcare facility for scheduling of ad hoc childcare services. The eligible Veterans should have the flexibility to be able to call the day before for ad hoc childcare service. The contractor shall be responsible for managing and overseeing the activities of all contractors’ personnel used in performance of this contract. The contractor’s management responsibilities shall include all activities necessary to ensure the accomplishment of timely and effective support, performed in accordance with the requirements contained herein. The contractor shall not allow unauthorized personnel into the facility. The contractor shall ensure the safety, privacy, and security of the children, while authenticating the identification of the person picking up the child. The contractor shall employ an adequate number of employees for the number of children based on federal, state, and local guidelines. Employees should be well-trained to provide educational experiences for the children, as well as be certified to perform certain medical procedures, such as CPR, in the event of an emergency. All employees employed by the contractor must have a comprehensive background investigation. The contractor shall notify the COR of newly hired employees to ensure all background check requirements are completed. Additionally, a background investigation must be initiated upon award of the new contract. Background checks for the childcare center are required as a contract requirement and previous background checks do not meet the requirement for award of a new contract. The language at 34 USC 20351 is outlined in Section 12. The contractor will be required to monitor and document all delivered childcare services provided to Vet Center eligible Veterans. The contractor shall submit monthly reports that contains the dates of service, Veteran’s name, number of children cared for, time of entry, and time of departure to the Contracting Officer Representative no later than the first week of the succeeding month. The report shall also address any issues encountered during registration, scheduling, or any identified issue to the performance of this contract. The report format and report delivery will be agreed upon by the Contracting Officer Representative and the Contractor after award. See Attachment 1 Sample Monthly Report. Under no circumstances should Veterans receive billing from Contractor. Contractor shall resolve any discrepancies or issues with the COR. The childcare facilities shall provide a copy of their operating procedures, registration requirements, late pick-up fees, and policies. The contractor shall allow Agency personnel to conduct announced and unannounced observations and inspections during the duration of the contract. A minimum of two childcare staff presents at the child care center at all times. Important information. The Government is not obligated to, nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this Sources Sought synopsis request. 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 Business set aside. However, if response by Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms proves inadequate, an alternate set-aside or full and open competition may be determined. No sub-contracting opportunity is anticipated. 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 and complete Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA). Additionally, all Service- Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses or Veteran Owned Businesses who respond to a solicitation on this project must be registered with the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Veterans Enterprise VetBiz Registry located at http://vip.vetbiz.gov. All interested Offerors should submit information by e-mail to Joshua.Villalta-Solis@va.gov. All information submissions shall be received no later than 17:00 Pacific Standard Time on Thursday, January 13, 2023. After review of the responses to this announcement, the Government intends to proceed with the acquisition and a subsequent solicitation may be published.