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

A0001 - Questions and Answers. GENERAL INFORMATION: Document Type: Combined Synopsis Solicitation Solicitation Number: 36C78622Q0026 Post Date: 01/07/2022 Original Response Date: 02/07/2022 at 4:30PM ... A0001 - Questions and Answers. GENERAL INFORMATION: Document Type: Combined Synopsis Solicitation Solicitation Number: 36C78622Q0026 Post Date: 01/07/2022 Original Response Date: 02/07/2022 at 4:30PM EST Applicable NAICS: 561730 Classification Code: S208 Set Aside Type: SDVOSB Period of Performance: Base plus 4 option years if exercised Issuing Contracting Office: Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration, Contract Services 18434 Joplin Road Triangle, VA 22172 Place of Performance: Cemetery Address Change accordingly Attachments: A. Schedule B. Statement of Work C. Past Performance Questionnaire D. Wage Determination No This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.603 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ), solicitation number 36C78622Q0026 change accordingly. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC): 2021-07, published 08/11/2021. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE: The (NAICS) code for this procurement is 561730. The business size standard number of employees is $18.0M. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, anticipates the award of an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract. IDIQ Contracts does not procure or specify a firm quantity of services (other than a minimum or maximum quantity). The awardee shall be issued via Task Orders (TOs) for the performance of services during the period of the contract. This IDIQ Contract is for Grounds Maintenance located New Albany National Cemetery, 1943 Ekin Ave, New Albany, IN 47150 DIGNITY CLAUSE: Respect for Headstones and Markers in National Cemeteries; Handling of Markers and Headstones Every action by Offeror personnel at a national cemetery must be performed with the special care, reverence, dignity, and respect that acknowledges the cemetery as the final resting place that commemorates the service and sacrifice that service members, Veterans and their families made for our Nation. Critically important is the awareness required of the Offeror employees of the remains buried in the grounds where the work is performed. The utmost care must be given to these remains and the headstones and flat grave markers that mark those gravesites and memorialize the service of individuals. Offerors cannot walk, stand, lean, sit or jump on headstones or markers. Nor can they drive over them. No tools, equipment or other items will be placed or leaned on headstones or markers. Use care not to scratch or damage markers in any manner. Offeror shall be responsible for replacing damaged headstones and markers and for restoring turf damaged during performance of this work. Additionally, should any activity result in the exposure and/or damage to any remains, container for remains (e.g., casket or urn), or outer burial container, the Offeror must contact the COR, Director/Assistant Director, or Contracting Officer (CO) for guidance. Any doubts as to proper procedures shall be brought to the attention of the COR, Director/Assistant Director, or CO for guidance or resolution. The Offeror is required to discuss the guidance with employees and/or subcontractors and have each employee sign a statement of compliance and deliver the signed statement to the COR before work may begin. Contracted Site Supervisor will ensure that no Offeror personnel work will cause any funeral, ceremony, procession or visitation to be delayed, altered, or otherwise impacted in such a way that the dignity, security, or safety of the event or visit is compromised. A list of scheduled ceremonies will be provided the week prior to the event, and a list of scheduled committal services will be provided on the day of the service. The Site Supervisor shall communicate not less than daily with the COR, to ask questions and ensure he/she and contracted personnel understands the off-limit areas. SITE VISIT: Offerors are urged and expected to inspect all sites where services are to be performed and to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of contract performance. In no event shall failure to inspect one or all sites constitute grounds for a claim after contract award. All contractors and attendees shall follow CDC guidelines for COVID-19 on government premises and must practice safe social distancing as directed. If you plan to conduct a site visit / inspection of the New Albany National Cemetery, YOU MUST CONTACT one of the following personnel to make arrangements: Contracting Officer Representative (COR), New Albany National Cemetery at (859) 885-5727 Michael Niklarz, Director, New Albany National Cemetery: (859) 885-5727 Site Visits will be from 01/17/22 to 01/21/2022 and will not be rescheduled. RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ): Quotes are due to the Contracting officer no later than 02/07/2022@ 16:30 EST. Responses to this announcement will result in a IDIQ Contract. The Government intends to make award without discussions. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary and the Government will not pay for information provided nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided for the Government. Offerors are responsible for obtaining any and all amendments or additional information concerning this announcement at beta.sam.gov. SOLICITATION QUESTIONS: All questions regarding this solicitation are to be submitted to the Contracting Officer, via email, no later than close of business, 01/21/2022 @16:30 EST. Questions pertaining to this announcement shall be sent by email to: Larry.Curtis@va.gov, CC Joselito.Roman@va.gov. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. Associated answers to questions submitted will be provided via a solicitation amendment. Should an amendment not be endorsed by the interested Offeror, the quote will be considered Non-Responsive. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS: Interested Offerors MUST be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) at http://www.sam.gov and must compete the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) at http://www.sam.gov prior to the solicitation closing date. Failure to comply will result in the offeror being considered Non-Responsive. Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) socio-economic category concerns MUST have an active/current registration with the Vendor Information Pages (VIP) and the Verification Case Management System (VCMS) via www.vetbiz.va.gov (VetBiz.VA.Gov). Failure to comply will result in the offeror being considered Non-Responsive. Interested Offerors who do not have a current/active Sam account registration or who are not certified in VIP upon solicitation close date will be considered non-responsive. REGISTRATION WITH VENDOR PORTAL: All Interested Offerors must be registered with the Department of Veterans Affairs eCMS Vendor Portal at https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov . Offerors who require registration shall proceed to the Vendor Portal s Login section and shall click on Request a user account to register. In the event an Offeror is unable to submit a Quote/Proposal through the vendor portal domain, prior to the Quote/Proposal closing date, contact the VAAS helpdesk at 1-877-634-3739, or via email at VA.Acquisition.Systems@va.gov. If an Offeror is still having difficulties in submitting a proposal via the Vendor Portal the contracting officer/specialist may accept an Offeror s Quote/Proposal via email under the following circumstances: 1. Offeror must provide evidence that an email discussions or verbal discussion with the VAAS helpdesk could not resolve registration issues. 2. Offerors must meet the time constraints as set forth in the solicitation. Submitted Quotes/proposals via email without set requirements may be considered nonresponsive. All Quote/Proposals transmissions and uploads submitted via the Vendor Portal or via email are due as specified in this solicitation. Late or incomplete Quotes may also be considered nonresponsive. QUOTATION PREPARATON INSTRUCTIONS: Offerors shall submit quotes in four (4) separate volumes and in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. Offerors who fail to provide Volumes A through D will result in the Contractor being considered non-responsive. Company Information (Volume A) The following information shall be included in Volume A: Legal Business/Company Name (as listed in www.sam.gov) Complete Company Address (No P.O. Boxes) Duns Number Company Point of Contract Name and Title Telephone Number Email Address Company Capabilities Statement One (1) Signed Copy of all Solicitation Amendments One (1) Copy of Completed FAR Clause 52.223-3 Hazardous Material Identification and Material Safety Data (if applicable). One (1) copy of Completed FAR Provisions 52.212-3 Certifications and Representations or indicate whether contractor has completed the annual representation and certifications electronically at www.sam.gov (copy of current SAM status) In accordance with Public Law 116-183 a Small Business claiming Veterans First Status, Service Disable Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), or Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), must certify in writing that their firm are performing 50 percent of the work. Therefore, Interested Offerors who claim SDVOSB or VOSB status shall provide (1) document stating their compliance with PL 116-183. Failure to provide such document will result in the Interested Offeror being considered Non-Responsive. Should award be made to an SDVOSB or a VOSB who is suspected of violating PL 116-183 this Agency will refer suspected violators to its department s inspector general for investigation and possible fines, suspensions, or debarments. Technical Proposal (Volume B) The following shall be included as part of the Offeror s technical submission, Volume B: Company relevant experience descriptions Managerial & Technical Qualifications of Key Personal to include Resumes Work Plan/Staffing Plan to accomplish the required services to include man hours, methodology, list of equipment/vehicles to be used, licenses, permits and insurance information. GANTT Chart Past Performance (Volume C) The following shall be included as part of the Offeror s Past Performance submission, Volume C: Past performance Questionnaire (Attachment C) from at least three (3) references in the last five (5) years. Past Performance information provided must be similar or somewhat similar to the required service(s). Interested Offeror shall list any National Cemetery Administration (NCA) contracts currently working or previously worked first followed by Non-NCA contracts. Pricing (Volume D) The following information shall be included in Volume D Proposed pricing shall be submitted on the Price/Cost Schedule of Services (Attachment A) EVALUATION PROCESS: The Government intends to award an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract resulting from this Solicitation to the responsible Offeror whose Offer/Quote provides the best benefit to the Government, price and other factors considered. Quotations/Offers will be evaluated by performing a comparative evaluation in accordance with FAR 13.106-2(b)(3) to determine which response represents the best as a whole. Quotations/Offerors will be evaluated by performing a direct comparison of one Quotation/Offer with another in a uniform manner to determine which Quotation/Offer provides the government with its needs, as identified in the RFQ. The government reserves the right to consider a response that Quotes or Offers more than the minimum and select that response if it provides a benefit to the government. The government has the discretion to accept other than the lowest priced Quoter/Offer that provides additional benefits. The government also has the discretion to make an award based on whether the lowest priced of the Quotation/Offer having the highest past performance rating possible represents the best benefit to the government. Technical Approach and Understanding of the Work: Offer shall be evaluated in accordance with the criteria contained in the Statement of Work and on how well the technical approach meets the Government requirements. Technical approach will be evaluated for the following: 1. Demonstrate experience in performing this requirement. 2. Demonstrate Key Personal have the managerial and technical qualifications in performing this requirement. 3. Demonstrate Work Plan/Staffing Plan is suitable in performing this service. Plan must include man hours, methodology, list of equipment/vehicles to be used, licenses, permits and insurance information. 4. Provide a GANTT Chart Past Performance: Past performance shall be evaluated based on the Offer s technical qualifications on projects within the last 5 years that are comparable in size, complexity, and scope. Past Performance information shall be obtained by the following methods. 1. The Contracting Officer s knowledge of previous experience with the supply or service being acquired. 2. Customer past performance questionnaire replies 3. The Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) at https://www.cpars.gov; or 4. Any other reasonable basis. Price: Proposed price will be evaluated for Reasonableness SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES: aw52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions- Commercial Items (Oct 2018) Addendum to FAR 52.212-4 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html (FAR) and https://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaar/index.asp (VAAR) FAR Clauses 52.203-16 Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest (JUN 2020) 52.203-17 Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights and Requirement to Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights (JUN 2020) 52.204-4 Printed or Copied Double-Sided on Postconsumer Fiber Content Paper (MAY 2011) 52.204-9 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel (JAN 2011) . 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (OCT 2018) 52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (AUG 2020) 52.216-18 Ordering (AUG 2020) Note: (a) Any supplies and services to be furnished under this contract shall be ordered by issuance of delivery orders or task orders by the individuals or activities designated in the Schedule. Such orders may be issued from date of award through January 31, 2023 52.216-19 Order Limitations (OCT 1995) Note: (a) Minimum order. When the Government requires supplies or services covered by this contract in an amount of less than the initial Task Order, the Government is not obligated to purchase, nor is the Contractor obligated to furnish, those supplies or services under the contract. (b) Maximum order. The Contractor is not obligated to honor- (1) Any order for a single item in excess of the contract schedule; (2) Any order for a combination of items in excess of the contract schedule; or (3) A series of orders from the same ordering office within 30 days that together call for quantities exceeding the limitation in paragraph (b)(1) or (2) of this section. 52.216-22 Indefinite Quantity (OCT 1995) 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999) 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contact (MAR 2000) 52.222-54 Employment Eligibility Verification (OCT 2015) 52.223-99 Ensuring Adequate COVID19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors (OCT 2021) 52.228-5 Insurance-Work on a Government Installation (JAN 1997) CL-120 Supplemental Insurance Requirements 52.232-18 Availability of Funds (APR 1984) 52.232-19 Availability of Funds for the Next Fiscal Year (APR 1984) 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (DEC 2013) 52.237-3 Continuity of Services (JAN 1991) VAAR Clauses 852.204-70 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel (MAY 2020) 852.211-72 Technical Industry Standards (NOV 2018) 852.212-70 Provisions and Clauses Applicable to VA Acquisition of Commercial Items (APR 2020) 852.215-70 Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and Veteran-Owned Small Business 852.203-70 Commercial Advertising. 852.233-70 Protest Content/Alternative Dispute Resolution 852.233-71 Alternate Protest Procedure 852.270-1 Representatives of Contracting Officers. 852.219-75 Subcontracting Commitments Monitoring and Compliance (JUL 2018) 852.237-75 Key Personnel (OCT 2019) 852.242-71 Administrative Contracting Officer (OCT 2020) (End of Addendum to 52.212-4) 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items (SEP 2021) (Addendum to FAR 52.212-1) 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html (FAR) and http://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaar/index.asp (VAAR) 52.204-7 System for Award Management (OCT 2018) 52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (AUG 2020) 52.209-7 Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (OCT 2018) Only if its over 600k otherwise remove. 52.216-27 Type of Contract (APR 1984) 52.233-2 Service of Protest (SEPT 2006) VAAR Provisions (End of Addendum to 52.212-1) 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items (OCT 2014) 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (FEB 2021) End of Document