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COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION LABORATORY SPECIMEN TRANSPORT SERVICES HUDSON VALLEY VAMC CASTLE POINT AND MONTROSE
(i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items, and FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested, and a written solicitation document will not be issued.
(ii) This solicitation is issued as a request for quote (RFQ). Request for Quote will be submitted through beta.sam.gov on RFQ reference number 36C24223Q0738.
(iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2023-02 (eff. 03/16/2023) and VAAR Update 2008-36 (eff. 03/22/2023).
(iv) This solicitation is a Total Small-Business Set-Aside Open-Market solicitation. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 492110 COURIERS AND EXPRESS DELIVERY SERVICES and has a small business size standard of 1,500 Employees. The FSC/PSC is R602 Support Administrative: Courier/Messenger.
(v) This is a services contract to provide Laboratory Specimen Transport Services. Below is a template for pricing. Contractors may provide their own pricing document, but it must be broken down to allow for price reasonableness determination.

PRICING TABLE FOR: Laboratory Specimen Transport Services




LINE ITEM
DESCRIPTION
QUANTITY
UNIT
UNIT PRICE
TOTAL PRICE
0001
Base Period: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the laboratory specimen transport services for the HVHCS Castle Point Campus
12
MO
0002
Base Period: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the laboratory specimen transport services for the HVHCS Montrose Campus
12
MO
Total Base Year:
1001
Option Year 1: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the laboratory specimen transport services for the HVHCS Castle Point Campus
12
MO
1002
Option Year 1: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the laboratory specimen transport services for the HVHCS Montrose Campus
12
MO
Total Option Year 1:
2001
Option Year 2: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the laboratory specimen transport services for the HVHCS Castle Point Campus
12
MO
2002
Option Year 2: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the laboratory specimen transport services for the HVHCS Montrose Campus
12
MO
Total Option Year 2:
3001
Option Year 3: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the laboratory specimen transport services for the HVHCS Castle Point Campus
12
MO
3002
Option Year 3: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the laboratory specimen transport services for the HVHCS Montrose Campus
12
MO
Total Option Year 3:
4001
Option Year 4: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the laboratory specimen transport services for the HVHCS Castle Point Campus
12
MO
4002
Option Year 4: Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, incidentals, travel, and services necessary to accomplish the laboratory specimen transport services for the HVHCS Montrose Campus
12
MO
Total Option Year 4:

Base and All Options Total:


(vi) The required work is as contained below in the Statement of Work.
STATEMENT OF WORK

Laboratory Specimen Transport
Hudson Valley Healthcare System

BACKGROUND

Contractor must provide all labor, material, equipment, transportation, and certification/licensure for transportation of medical samples and supplies to local hospitals and other businesses deemed necessary.
SCOPE OF WORK:

Service will be utilized to transport clinical specimens to various labs for testing as needed. The courier will be used for such places as Long Island City, Albany, West Point and Montrose. Services include special blood bank procedures, STAT blood work during WHEN (weekend, holiday, evening, nights) hours and transport to New York Presbyterian from the Montrose campus.
The delivery price schedule provided includes various destinations. The courier service can be utilized for anything that is needed for the laboratory as it is a comprehensive list that was provided from the vendor.

Service needs to be available anytime day or night 365 days a year. The facility requires the courier to be here for pick-up within 30 minutes from the time a service call is placed.

The number of trips utilized for the IGCE is based on the number of stats that the facility had on nights for a 12-month period, the number of Blood Bank deliveries needed during that time, as well as any other special blood trips. Management has eliminated the night shift, so the number of actual stat tests needs to be taken into consideration .

The number of trips that occurred in 2022 will reflect an estimated test count, but not limited to, 38 for stats to CP from Montrose, and 3 Blood Bank trips to Long Island City (ID lab for BB workups), 1 Montrose trips to New York Presbyterian and 1 trip to the Wadsworth Lab in Albany.
RESPONSIBILITY OF CONTRACTOR:

The contractor must maintain all Federal and State requirements/licensure as required.

Medical specimens in transport must be safeguarded according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Prevention and Dept. of Transportation regulations governing shipments of diagnostic/infectious substances.
Contractor must be Dept. of Transpiration certified, have completed OSHA approved training for transporting Bio-hazardous specimens, and have documented Blood Borne Pathogen Training for its employees.
All drivers must have specific training/supplies to handle cleanup of spills (Hazmat) etc. associated with medical specimens
All couriers must be eligible to enter VA Hudson Valley Healthcare Medical Facilities.
Driver personnel records with documentation of required training will be furnished to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) within 14 days of request.
RESPONSIBILITY OF VA HUDSON VALLEY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Provide originating caller name, contract phone number and location (i.e. laboratory, pharmacy, operating room etc.) to ensure packages are ready for immediate pick up.
Provide all packing materials including shipping containers and ensure that all packages are correctly addressed.
Ensure all packages are prepared or packed according to any Federal, State, and local regulations for diagnostic or infectious substances as appropriated to the contained specimens, etc.
Ensure sufficient amounts of wet or dry ice are packed with the specimens if required to provide the proper storage temperature for the duration of the transportation process.
Provide a contact name/number for both the sender and receiver.
Be available 24 hours/7 days a week to answer technical questions assist with questions concerning the nature of specimens shipped.
Coordinate access to VA Hudson Healthcare Medical Facilities according to current Security Forces rules, regulations and requirements.

QUALITY CONTROL

The contractor must develop and implement a plan to monitor the quality and timeliness of services provided under this SOW.

WORKLOAD ESTIMATE

Services will be requested on an as needed basis.
PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS:

Prior to award of contract the Contractor must provide a signed Business Associate Agreement regarding Veteran Privacy. The background investigation must be repeated throughout the term of the contract so that all investigations are current (less than five years old.)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The base period of performance will be from June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024, with provision of four (4) Option Years.

Federal Holidays observed by the Federal Government are:

- New Year s Day
- Martin Luther King s Birthday
- President s Day
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veteran s Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day

And any other holiday designated by the President of the United States.
PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:

Department of Veterans Affairs
Hudson Valley Healthcare System Castle Point Campus
41 Castle Point Road
Castle Point, NY 12511
Department of Veterans Affairs
Hudson Valley Healthcare System Montrose Campus
2094 Albany Post Road
Montrose, NY 10548
VHA SUPPLEMENTAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS FOR COMBATTING
COVID-19

Contractor employees who work in or travel to VHA locations must comply with the following:

Documentation requirements:
If fully vaccinated, contractors must 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, contractors must 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 that includes an affiliated telehealth service.

Documentation cited in this section must 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.Â

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 must 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.Â

Contractor must immediately notify their COR or Contracting Officer if contract performance is jeopardized due to contractor employees being denied entry into VA Facilities.

For indefinite delivery contracts: Contractor agrees to comply with VHA Supplemental Contract Requirements for any task or delivery orders issued prior to this modification when performance has already commenced.
CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS:

VISN 2 Network Contracting Office
Albany Stratton VA Medical Center
113 Holland Ave
Albany, NY 12208

(vii) Awardee shall coordinate with the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) prior to performance.
(viii) The following solicitation provisions apply to this acquisition:
The full text of FAR provisions or clauses may be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html
FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items (Nov 2021)
Solicitation number for this requirement as 36C24223Q0738;
The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of offers;
Name, address and telephone number of offeror;
Technical description of services to be performed in accordance with the Statement of Work. This Technical description should address the requirement specifically. Capability statements that are merely an overview of what the contractor offers will be determined incomplete. Please address all the technical evaluation sub-factors. Failure to address all the sub-factors will result in your package being determined incomplete;
Terms of any express warranty;
Price should be for all services detailed in section v of this document. The pricing must be broken down in a manner that allows for price reasonableness to be determined. Failure to provide complete pricing will result in contractors package being determined to be incomplete;
Remit to address, if different than mailing address;
A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b) for those representations and certifications that the offeror shall complete electronically);
Acknowledgement of any solicitation amendments;
Past performance information;
A statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation.
Offers that fail to furnish required representation or information or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation will be excluded from consideration.
The following solicitation provisions are included as addenda to FAR 52.212-1:
52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)
52.204-7 System for Award Management (OCT 2018)
52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020)
52.216-1 Type of Contract (APR 1984)
The Government contemplates award of a Firm Fixed Price contract resulting from this solicitation
52.217-5 Evaluation of Options (JUL 1990)
852.252-70 Solicitation Provisions or Clauses Incorporated by Reference (JAN 2008)

Addendum to FAR 52-212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS COMEMRCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021):

This Request for Quote (RFQ) is issued in accordance with FAR Part 12 in conjunction with Simplified Acquisition Procedures at FAR 13.5. All instances of FAR 15 procedures in FAR 52.212-1 shall not apply to this RFQ and are hereby substituted with FAR 13 procedures.

Eligibility: In order for a quote to be eligible for award, offerors submitting a quote must have the NAICS Code 492110 COURIERS AND EXPRESS DELIVERY SERVICES and current registration in both the System for Award Management (SAM): https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM.

Questions: Questions must be submitted to Levi.Russin@va.gov in writing via e-mail. Oral questions will not be accepted. The deadline for receipt of questions is 5/25/2023 at 12:00 PM ET. Questions will be answered in an amendment to the solicitation.

Submission Instructions: Technical packages shall be submitted to Levi.Russin@va.gov by 12:00 PM ET on 06/01/2023. The email shall identify Solicitation 36C24223Q0738. Offerors that do not adhere to these instructions may be determined to be incomplete and, therefore, risk being rejected without further consideration for award. Offer submissions must include:

EVALUATION FACTOR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:

Technical Capability: Technical capability is defined as an offeror s ability to satisfy the solicitation s requirements, providing the highest quality service to the specified facilities

Technical Capability will be determined on the basis of the qualification of the quoter that are detailed in the quoter s capability statement.

Quoter must provide a technical capability statement of 15 pages or less demonstrating it has trained personnel, equipment, and working experience in Laboratory Specimen Transport services. Documentation must include proof of providing work on at least three (3) contracts of similar nature, scope, complexity, difficulty, and size to that which will be supplied to the work detailed in the SOW for this required.

Quoter must provide proof/certification that it is a licensed business to conduct Laboratory Specimen Transport services, including Dept. of Transpiration certification, completion of OSHA approved training for transporting Bio-hazardous specimens, and documentation of Blood Borne Pathogen Training for its employees.
(2) Past performance: Quoter will be evaluated on how well their past performance information supports that they are a capable vendor who can adequately perform services of this scope and complexity without issues with performance. Relevant past performance information shall include key personnel who have relevant experience, predecessor companies, and subcontractors who will perform major or critical elements of this solicitation. The contractors Past Performance shall also be reviewed in PPIRs; Individuals with no past performance shall receive a neutral rating for this evaluation factor. Quoter must provide at least three (3) past performances references for contracts of similar nature, scope, complexity, difficulty, and size to that which will be supplied to the work detailed in the SOW for this required.

(3) Price: The government will evaluate quotes for award purposes based on the pricing for the total requirement. Quotes for partial requirement will not be evaluated and will be deemed non-responsive upon receipt.

END OF ADDENDUM

(ix) The provision at FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation Commercial Items (November 2021), applies to this acquisition.
The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the government, considering technical capability, past performance, and price.
A Technical Evaluation Team comprised of representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs will evaluate the proposals. The identities of the Technical Evaluation Team are confidential, and any attempt by the offerors to contact these individuals is prohibited. The evaluation will be based on the content of the proposal and any subsequent discussions, if necessary, as well as information obtained from other sources, e.g. past performance information. Quoters are advised that the technical evaluation and rating of proposals will be conducted in strict confidence in that technical and past performance proposals are reviewed and rated without knowledge of the price offered. During deliberation, the number and identities of quoters are not revealed to anyone who is not involved in the evaluation and award process or to other quoters. Quotes will be evaluated based on the factors described herein, and award will be made to the responsive responsible quoter whose offer in conformance with this solicitation, results in the best value to the Government, price and other factors considered.

The evaluation process essentially consists of two parts: Technical/Past Performance Evaluation and Price Evaluation.
1. Technical/Past Performance Evaluation: Proposals shall be evaluated against the Evaluation Factors and Criteria.

2. Price Evaluation: The CO will evaluate price proposals independent of the technical/past performance evaluation. The Technical Evaluation Team will not have access to price information until completion of the technical/quality evaluation.

NOTE: Price/Technical Trade-off Analysis: Once above evaluations are complete, the Technical Evaluation Team will compare the relative advantages and disadvantages of technical proposals and weigh against the prices. Technical Approach and Past Performance are equal and when combined are significantly more important than Price. The Technical Evaluation Team will then consider all factors and recommend an awardee to the CO, the quote offering the best value to the Government. The CO s decision shall be based on a comparative assessment of proposals against all source selection criteria in the solicitation.

The government shall evaluate information based on the following evaluation criteria.

Evaluation Factors:
Technical Capability: Technical capability is defined as a quoter s ability to satisfy the solicitation s requirements, providing the highest quality service to the specified facilities. Contractor shall provide a maximum 15-page capability statement demonstrating it has trained personnel, equipment and working experience and ability to meet all the requirements of the Statement of Work (SOW).

A) Technical Proficiency: Quoter shall submit a proposal that verifies it is a firm that specializes in Laboratory Specimen Transport services. The proposal shall be comprehensive and demonstrates its understanding of the requirement and not a copy and paste of the Statement of Work requirements. It shall outline the contractor s ability to perform the services adequately and satisfactorily in accordance with the Statement of Work (SOW) and the extent to which potential risks are identified and mitigated.

B) Contractor Experience: The quoter shall provide three (3) instances of past-experience similar in nature, scope, complexity, difficulty, and size to that which will be supplied under the prospective contract contemplated by this solicitation. The experience shall reflect of no less than three (3) years of Laboratory Specimen Transport Services.

C) Licensing/Certifications:Â Quoter will be evaluated on how well they meet the requirement to provide proof that it is a licensed business to conduct Laboratory Specimen Transport Services, including Dept. of Transpiration certification, completion of OSHA approved training for transporting Bio-hazardous specimens, and documentation of Blood Borne Pathogen Training for its employees.

Past performance: Quoter must provide three references for contract of similar scope and magnitude to be evaluated. Relevant past performance information shall include key personnel who have relevant experience, predecessor companies, and subcontractors who will perform major or critical elements of this solicitation. The quoters Past Performance shall also be reviewed in PPIRs; Quoter s with no past performance shall receive a neutral rating for this evaluation factor.Â

Price: The government will evaluate quotes for award purposes based on the pricing for the total requirement. Quotes for partial requirement will not be evaluated and will be deemed non-responsive upon receipt.

Options: The Government will evaluate quotes for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that a quote is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

A written notice of award or acceptance of a quote, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful quoter within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the quote s specified expiration in time, the Government may accept a quote (or part of a quote), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.
Failure to provide the information requested in the evaluation criteria may result in being found non-responsive.

(End of Provision)

(x) The provisions at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (Nov 2021) applies to this acquisition. * All firms or individuals submitting a quote shall include a completed copy of this provision OR have current Representations and Certifications in the System for Award Management (SAM - https://www.sam.gov). Representations, Certifications, and SAM must be current at award. IF NOT CURRENT AND/OR YOU DO NOT SUBMIT A COMPLETED COPY OF THIS PROVISION, YOUR QUOTE WILL BE CONSIDERED NON-RESPONSIVE.

(xi) FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items Nov 2021
applies to this acquisition.
The following clauses are incorporated into Addendum to FAR 52.212-4,
52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)
52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (OCT 2018)
52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (AUG 2020)
52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999)
52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000)
a) Within 30 days; written notice of its intent to extend at least 60 days; c) shall not exceed 5 years
52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (DEC 2013)
852.212-70 Provisions and Clauses Applicable to VA Acquisition of Commercial Items (APR 2020)
- 852.201-70 Contracting Officer s Representative (DEC 2022)
- 852.203-70 Commercial Advertising.
- 852.211-76 Liquidated Damages-Reimbursement for Data Breach Costs (FEB 2023)
- 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests
- 852.270-1 Representatives of Contracting Officers.
852.242-71 Administrative Contracting Officer (OCT 2020)
(xii) FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items (Jan 2022)

The following subparagraphs of FAR 52.212-5 are applicable:
52.204-10 Reporting Executive Compensation & First-Tier Subcontract Awards (JUN 2020)
52.209-6 Protecting the Government s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment
52.219-4 Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns (SEP 2021)
52.219-28 Post Award Small Business Program Representation (NOV 2020)
52.219-32 Orders Issued Directly Under Small Business Reserves (MAR 2020)
52.222-3 Convict Labor (JUN 2003)
52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (APR 2015)
52.222-26 Equal Opportunity (SEP 2016)
52.222-36 Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (JUN 2020)
52.222-41 Service Contract Labor Standards (AUG 2018)
52.222-42 Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (MAY 2014)
Employee Class: 31043
Monetary Wage-Fringe Benefits: WG-5
52.222-43 Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards - Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts) (AUG 2018)
52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons (OCT 2020)
52.222-55 Minimum Wages Under Executive Order 13658 (NOV 2020)
52.222-62 Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706 (JAN 2017)
52.223-18 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (JUN 2020)
52.224-3 Privacy Training (JAN 2017)
52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUN 2008)
52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer System for Award Management (OCT 2018)

(xiii) The Service Contract Act of 1965 does apply to this procurement.
See attached Wage Determination

(xiv) All quoters shall submit the following: one copy of technical capability and pricing, and an additional redacted copy.
All quotations shall be sent ONLY to Levi Russin at Levi.Russin@va.gov
This is a Total Small-Business Set-Aside Open-Market solicitation for Laboratory Specimen Transport Services for Hudson Valley Healthcare System Castle Point and Montrose Campuses as defined herein. The government intends to award a contract as a result of this combined synopsis/solicitation that will include the terms and conditions set forth herein. To facilitate the award process, all quotes must include a statement regarding the terms and conditions herein as follows:
"The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition."
OR
"The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:"
Quoter shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s).
Submission shall be received not later than 12:00 PM ET on 06/01/2023 at Levi.Russin@va.gov. Late submissions shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f). Faxed or postal mailed quotes will NOT be accepted.
Request for information (RFI) shall be received no later than 12:00 PM ET on 05/25/2023. Any questions or concerns regarding this solicitation should be forwarded in writing via e-mail to the contract specialist Levi Russin at Levi.Russin@va.gov.

All communication shall have RFQ number and requirement title in the subject line.

Point of Contact
Levi Russin, Contract Specialist
Levi.Russin@va.gov

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