Inactive

Please note that this is NOT a request for quotes or proposals, the Government is seeking information for market research purposes only. The Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administr... Please note that this is NOT a request for quotes or proposals, the Government is seeking information for market research purposes only. The Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration (NCA) is conducting a market survey for interested vendors capable of providing Providing and Installing Concrete Grave liners, at the Fort Jackson National Cemetery located at 4170 Percival Rd. Columbia, SC 29229. The contractor shall provide and install grave liners for the Fort Jackson VA National Cemetery on an as needed basis. This includes all labor, equipment, and materials necessary to complete this job. ESTIMATED DAILY VOLUME The contractor will be required to deliver, unload, occupy with casket, install lid, transport, and set grave liners on an as needed basis, Monday through Friday. Grave liners that are needed are primarily oversized and standard. In the event that a casket burial is scheduled by the cemetery on a weekend or holiday, the contractor will be required to provide a liner and installation services as otherwise required under this contract. Based on historical precedent, weekend or holiday casket interments are estimated at seven (7) per calendar year. No additional or special charges may be assessed or invoiced by the contractor for required weekend or holiday services. DELIVERY ORDERS: Orders for grave liners and installation services will normally be placed by the cemetery with the contractor a minimum of one day in advance. The working day s liner order will be provided by the cemetery by means of a burial schedule faxed to the contractor by 4:00 p.m. the previous business day. On an occasional basis, the Cemetery Director or his/her designee may be required to authorize a same day or add-on interment. Liners required for these burials will be drawn from the liners kept on station as a contingency. In such cases the vendor will adjust the itemized unit record that accompanies the monthly invoice to reflect any additional liners. As requested, an updated burial schedule may be requested from the cemetery for the vendor s records. DELIVERIES: All deliveries of products and services under this contract will be made to the following address: Fort Jackson VA National Cemetery 4170 Percival Road Columbia, SC 29229 Delivery of liners will be accomplished by 8:30 a.m. the next working day following the placement of the order by the cemetery. All grave liners shall be delivered to the Grave Liner/Vault Staging Area designated by the Cemetery Director or his designee. Normal hours for interment operations involving the installation of grave liners is 8:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. e. Deliveries will be permitted only through the maintenance gates of Fort Jackson VA National Cemetery. INSTALLATION: All installation normally associated with the placement of grave liners will be the contractor s responsibility. Sufficient manpower will be provided by the contractor for the acceptable and timely installation of all liners under this contract so as not to adversely affect or delay the completion of the interment schedule. Fort Jackson National Cemetery will not provide employees to directly assist in the installation of these units. Caskets will normally be placed in grave liners after the grave liner is placed in the grave. The lids of liners will be positioned and secured on a flat surface until they are placed atop the box. For interments in active burial areas of the cemetery, the contractor shall deliver and lower liners into gravesites by means of an industry standard vault cart or based on seasonal and ground conditions and with approval by the Cemetery Director or his/her designee, the contract may alternately make use of a specialized boom truck. Regardless of location, the contractor shall provide any additional tools and equipment necessary to remove the burial container from the transporting vehicle and lower it into the gravesite. Grave liners will be visually spotted and placed in accordance with gravesite alignment. All liners and vaults will be installed in gravesites by means of level lowering procedures and with a minimum of swing from side to side. Where a second casket burial is anticipated in the same gravesite at a later date, the cemetery may direct the placement of a second covered and empty liner beside the interment. Occasionally there may be a need for a double depth interment, maximum placement in a 6x8 gravesite is four crypts. The order for any second liner for a gravesite will be made the previous day, except in the case of a same day add-on interment. For interments in established burial sections, the contractor shall be required to employ an industry standard self-propelled and powered vault carrier to minimize damage to existing gravesites. All such vault carriers will employ properly rated manual or motorized hoists or winches and stabilizers. Based on seasonal and ground conditions and with approval by the Cemetery Director or his/her designee, the contract may alternately make use of a specialized boom truck. No equipment employed by the contractor in developed burial areas will exceed 11,000 pounds gross axle weight. The contractor agrees to phase all work in such a manner as not to impact on or interfere with cemetery operations. The contractor shall not operate equipment, machinery, or otherwise perform contract work within 250 feet of any ongoing interment service. The COR, at his discretion, may direct and arrange the contractor's performance in specific areas of the cemetery to ensure smooth cemetery operations. GRAVE LINER SPECIFICATIONS: This specification states physical requirements and test methods for performance pertinent to the structure, design, workmanship, and other significant aspects of concrete grave liners to be furnished and installed at Fort Jackson VA National Cemetery. A number of different materials and methods of manufacturing grave liners may be used to meet the structural and performance requirements. Materials and methods used in the manufacturing process have different properties which will affect the end performance and suitability of the product in its intended use. This specification includes various requirements designed to identify these individual characteristics. Grave liners shall be a one-piece box with a separate lid. REQUIREMENTS: Grave liners will be provided in four sizes. The internal dimensions given below are nominal for the standard sizes. Small variances are permitted in the use of standard commercial products providing their size permits the use of commercially available caskets. Medium Liner 86 inches long by 30 inches wide by 24 inches high. Oversize Liner 90 inches long by 32 inches wide by 26 inches high. Extra Large 92 inches long by 36 inches wide by 28 inches high. 2x Large - 92 inches long by 42 inches wide by 28 inches high. Grave liners supplied under this contract will be the manufacturer s current standard commercial concrete grave liner. Grave liners furnished under the contract will: Be constructed from reinforced, commercial quality Portland cement. Have been cured under standard conditions for a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days prior to delivery. Be designed for a maximum burial depth of nine (9) feet (as measured from the gravesite surface to the bottom of the liner) with minimum soil cover of eighteen (18) inches. Be capable of structurally withstanding passage overhead of an axle load of 5 metric tons (11,000 pounds) after burial, have a minimum compressive strength of 4,500 pounds per square inch (PSI). Have a total weight of not more than 2,000 pounds, to include the lid. Have industry standard integrated hooks, loops and/or indents on the liner box corners to provide for ease of installation using appropriately rated cable hooks and/or slings. The purpose of this synopsis is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification (HUBZone, 8(a), small, small disadvantage, veteran owned small business (VOSB), service-disabled veteran owned small business (SDVOSB), or large business) relative to: NAICS 327390 (Other Concrete Product Manufacturing), with size standards of 500 employees. Note that if VA s pending market research establishes that two or more SDVOSB or VOSB, who are certified on SBA s VetCert, Veteran Small Business Certification (sba.gov), can perform the project at a fair and reasonable price, VA will set aside the underlying solicitation per 38 U.S.C. §8127. Interested vendors shall submit your firm capability statement, past performance experience and complete the information attached. Responses to this synopsis will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After review of the responses to this Sources Sought Synopsis, a solicitation announcement may be published on SAM.gov and/or GSA eBuy. Responses to this Sources Sought Synopsis are not considered adequate responses to the solicitation announcement. This notice is neither a request for competitive proposal nor solicitation of offerors. This notice is to assist the NCA in determining sources only and a solicitation is not currently available. If a solicitation is issued it will be announced at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from this response. Responses to this Sources Sought Synopsis is not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation. Information received as a result of this notice will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. This notice does not represent a commitment by the Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of information or any other costs incurred as a response to this announcement. Inquiries will only be accepted in writing via email to Charnell.Cunningham@va.gov by July 26, 2024 at 10:00a.m. EST.