STA GROUNDS MAINTENANCE
Added: Jun 18, 2015 12:14 pm This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, 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. Solicitation Number VA248-15-Q-1514 is being issued as a Request for Quotes (RFQ) with intent to award as a simplified acquisition. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect tough Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-78. This requirement is a 100% set-aside for Small Business Concerns under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 561210 with a Small Business size standard of $38.5 million dollars. The North Florida/South Georgia VA Contracting Office has a requirement for grounds maintenance service to include all labor, personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision and other items and services necessary to maintain the grounds and sprinkler systems defined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS) section for the VA Health Care System, St. Augustine Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) located at 195 Southpark Blvd., Saint Augustine, FL 32086. CLIN0001: BASE YEAR: PROVIDE LAWN MAINTENANCE AS OUTLINED IN THE PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT. Period of Performance 09/15/2015-09/14/2016. Unit Price_______ Total Amount__________ CLIN0002: OPTION YEAR 1: PROVIDE LAWN MAINTENANCE AS OUTLINED IN THE PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT. Period of Performance 09/15/2016-09/14/2017. Unit Price_______ Total Amount__________ CLIN0003: OPTION YEAR 2: PROVIDE LAWN MAINTENANCE AS OUTLINED IN THE PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT. Period of Performance 09/15/2017-09/14/2018. Unit Price_______ Total Amount__________ CLIN0004: OPTION YEAR 3: PROVIDE LAWN MAINTENANCE AS OUTLINED IN THE PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT. Period of Performance 09/15/2018-09/14/2019. Unit Price_______ Total Amount__________ CLIN0005: OPTION YEAR 4: PROVIDE LAWN MAINTENANCE AS OUTLINED IN THE PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT. Period of Performance 09/15/2019-09/14/2020. Unit Price_______ Total Amount__________ The North Florida/South Georgia VA Contracting Office anticipates awarding one firm-fixed price contract with a base year plus (4) one-year option periods. Please review the below Performance Work Statement. PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT SCOPE OF WORK: The Contractor shall provide all labor, personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision and other items and services necessary to maintain the grounds and sprinkler systems defined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS) section for the VA Health Care System St. Augustine Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) located at 195 Southpark Blvd, Saint Augustine, FL 32086. The property is about 2.85 acres. It will have a 14k square feet Modular building and about 125 parking spaces. 1. EQUIPMENT: The contractor shall provide, after award of contract, a list of tools and equipment to be used during the course of the contract. Prior to the beginning of the contract, the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) shall inspect the contractor's equipment to ensure it is of commercial grade and is in safe operating condition. The equipment list shall include but shall not be limited to: a. Riding lawn mower b. Hand power mowers (two each) c. Power equipment; blowers, edgers, weed eaters d. Garden tools e. Power vacuum cleaners f. Spike aerating equipment g. Herbicidal application equipment h. Water hoses with quick disconnects 2. AREAS TO BE MAINTAINED: Specific areas will be identified on site plan maps prior to work commencement. The maps, description, and approximate square footage are only given as a guide and are not to be relied upon for estimating purpose to determine the scope of work to be performed. 3. TASK FREQUENCY AND INSTRUCTIONS: a. LAWN MAINTENANCE (1) Mow all lawns bi-weekly during the months of March tough October. The lawn will be kept between 1 1/2 inches to 2 1/2 inches during the growing season. Mow all lawns monthly during the months of November tough February. The lawn will be kept between 2 inches and 3 inches during the winter season. (2) Edge all lawns on the same day that lawns are mowed. The edging should be performed around the perimeters of the area, around paved surfaces within the areas and around trees, bushes, subs, planters, standpipes, barriers, water valve boxes, recreation equipment, sprinkler heads, planter pods and other permanent structures within the areas immediately after every other mowing. (3) Collect and dispose of all grass and lawn clippings after mowing and edging into the VA provided open dumpster. b. AERATION, DETHATCHING Aerate, and dethatch all lawns once each year in the month of March, or as weather permits. c. FERTILIZATION (1) Fertilize all lawns twice during each contract period. The actual dates chosen for fertilization will be determined by mutual agreement of the contractor's supervisor and the Government, but in no case will the fertilization be performed more frequently than once every twelve (12) weeks nor less frequent than every twenty four (2) weeks, nor will any fertilization be performed between November 15 and January 31. (2) Apply fertilizer to all other vegetation in developed areas in October and April according to the specific needs of each tree or sub. All trees shall be "deep root" fertilized. (3) The contractor shall utilize several types of fertilizer which are specifically formulated for the plant material and for the time of the year that it is applied. The amount of fertilizer used shall never be less than that which is recommended by the fertilizer manufacturer. (4) Prior to and immediately after fertilization of the grass, trees and subs, the contractor will personally visit the COTR. The contractor shall show the COTR evidence (i.e., full/empty fertilizer bags) of the amount and the types of fertilizer used. d. WEED CONTROL (1) Pre-emergence crabgrass control chemicals shall be applied to all lawn areas between February 15 and March 15. The quantity of pre-emergence control utilized shall never be less than that which is recommended by the pre-emergence control manufacturer. (2) Chemical controls for broad-leaf weeds shall be applied as needed. (3) Remove weeds from all parking lots, curbs, roadways, property lines, fence lines and around all permanent structures on the entire grounds once a month. (4) When chemical methods are used to remove weeds or unwanted vegetation, the contractor shall assure the compatibility of the chemicals with the existing vegetation and ensure that only the weeds shall be affected by the chemicals. All weeds and unwanted vegetation killed by mechanical means or chemical treatment shall be picked up and deposited into the government provided open dumpster, and shall not be left on the ground. (6) Dispose of all weeds and weed cuttings into the VA provided open dumpsters. (7) Paper and trash shall be picked up. Weeds shall be kept to a maximum height of 4 inches. e. INSECT/PEST/& DISEASE CONTROL (1) Inspect all trees and subs for insect infestation or disease two (2) times a year in the months of March and September. Report any insect or disease problems to the Contracting Officer's Technical representative (COTR). If the Government decides to treat the noted problems, a separate purchase order will be issued to cover the contractor costs involved in treating or removing the insect or disease. Do not treat until separate Purchase Order is issued. (2) Gopher and snail control shall be provided by contractor on an as need basis. f. TRASH/LITTER COLLECTION AND SWEEPING (1) Wash all trash and cigarette receptacles as needed. Hose off with water inside and outside of container and spray with deodorizer. Monthly or as needed. (2) Replace all trash receptacle plastic bag liners with new liners after emptying trash. Plastic bag liners for the trash receptacle are to be provided by contractor, at no additional cost to the government. (3) Pick up and dispose of all litter and debris on all lawn and sub areas around all buildings, and paved surfaces including parking lots, curbs, islands, walkways and roadways weekly. (4) Dispose of all trash and litter into the VA provided open dumpster. (5) Sweep with mechanical sweeper all paved roads, driveways, gutters, and parking lots bi-monthly on Saturdays after 9 am. (6) Sweep under VA provided dumpsters located in (TBD) weekly while the dumpsters are moved for disposal. Pick up and dispose of trash and litter around these dumpsters weekly. Contact the COTR to determine time that dumpsters are scheduled for removal. (7) Sweep and clean all walkways. There are areas that cannot be swept; they must be washed down monthly. These are the front entrance sidewalk of the clinic, the front covered walkway, and the handicap ramp. These areas must be washed down monthly. g. SPRINKLER SYSTEM (1) Inspect entire sprinkler system and report any deficiencies to the COTR once per month. each week on Friday. (2) Make adjustments to sprinkler heads and irrigation/water control equipment when needed to assure even distribution of water to all sprinkled areas. Adjust controllers to cycle during hours other than between 0700 and 1730 hours. All manually controlled sprinklers shall be operated by the contractor to assure even watering with no 'brown' areas. (3) Open clogged sprinkler heads, remove impediments which inhibit proper distribution and replace all missing, defective, damaged, broken malfunctioning and inoperative sprinkler heads, backflow preventers, valves, timers, and broken sprinkler pipe up to and including (2") two inches, with parts provided by the contractor as often as necessary to properly maintain sprinkled areas to normal. (4) In the event of an outage of any portion of the sprinkler system, the contractor shall provide a temporary means of sprinkling the affected area until the system is restored to normal. h. PRUNING (1) Prune all trees in the developed areas once a year in January. Inspect trees and subs in undeveloped property areas and notify COTR of any need for pruning. Do not prune in undeveloped areas until Purchase Order is issued. (2) Prune all decorative hedges and subs tee times per year in October, April, and July. (3) Pruning shall be accomplished consistent with good horticultural practices and in a manner which ensures that the size and proportions of the trees, subs, hedges, beds and plants are maintained. (4) Remove all fallen branches, fruit and leaves from developed grounds daily, and from the undeveloped areas monthly. 4. SPECIAL WORK REQUIREMENTS: a. Extreme caution shall be exercised when working. Count tools before entering area and upon exiting to ensure no sharp instruments remain behind after the work is completed. No power tools may be used while children are present in the area. Do not leave any plastic bags within children's reach and be sure gates/doors are closed tightly to prevent children from leaving tough open doors/gates. b. All work will be done on an approved schedule by COR. Note: all weekend work is to be started no earlier than 9 am. c. Combustion engine driven blowers shall not be used near the entrance of the clinic d. All landscape maintenance services shall be performed by trained personnel using current acceptable horticultural practices. e. upon the completion of work, the contractor shall leave a signed, legible, written report with the COTR indicating the date and what work was completed during the day. The report form will be provided by the government (See Attachment). If no form is left, it will indicate that no work was accomplished and default or liquidated damages clauses shall be invoked. f. The contractor shall ensure a high standard of work is maintained all year. g. The contractor shall provide labor devoted exclusively to litter and weed removal. h. The clinic front/back entrance at St. Augustine VA Outpatient Clinic to be cleaned when needed. i. Clean as needed, pick-up litter in all paved areas, including parking lots, curbs, walkways, atriums and planter areas. Prune all subs and trees as necessary, but at least annually in February. Pruning shall be accomplished consistent with good horticultural practices and in a manner which ensures that the size and proportions of the trees, subs, hedges, beds and plants are maintained. Weed control all paved and unpaved areas monthly. j. The contractor is to accompany the COTR monthly on a general inspection of the grounds. Problems or corrections shall be corrected as noted solely by contractor unless otherwise specified. k. Contractor is to respond with same day service to any complaint or call by management. l. All personnel employed by contractor shall wear either a company shirt, or hat bearing the company logo. The contractor's vehicles shall bear the company logo. Proper safety equipment is to be worn at all times. m. Replace flowers in the clinic areas as required. Total area of all plantings is estimated to be (TBD) square feet. Submit names/types of flowers to be replanted to COTR for approval before planting. YEAR ROUND COLOR IN THESE AREAS IS THE MAIN CONCERN AND SHALL BE PROVIDED. 5. QUALITY OF SERVICE: The contractor shall have competent, documented experience in the grounds-care business. The contractor must hold a current State of Florida - Landscape Contractor's License. 6. PROPERTY DAMAGE: The contractor shall take all necessary precautions to prevent damage to any government property. The contractor shall report any damages immediately and shall be assessed current replacement costs for property damaged by the contractor, unless corrective action is taken. Any damaged material (i.e., trees, subs, lawn/turf, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, etc.) will be replaced in a timely manner or corrected by the contractor with like materials, at no extra cost to the government, upon approval of the Contracting Officer. 6. ATTACHMENTS: - Check sheet - Aerial site map 7. IDENTIFICATION, PARKING, SMOKING, CELLULAR PHONE USE AND VA REGULATIONS: The contractor's employees shall wear visible identification at all times while on the premises of the VA property. It is the responsibility of the contractor to park in the appropriate designated parking areas. Information on parking is available from the VA Police-Security Service. The VA will not invalidate or make reimbursement for parking violations of the contractor under any conditions. Smoking is prohibited inside any buildings at the VA. Cellular phones and two way radios are not to be used within six feet of any medical equipment. Possession of weapons is prohibited. Enclosed containers, including tool kits, shall be subject to search. Violations of VA regulations may result in a citation answerable in the United States (Federal) District Court, not a local district state, or municipal court. 8. COMPLIANCE WITH OSHA BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS STANDARD: The contractor shall comply with the Federal/California OSHA Blood borne Pathogens Standard. The contractor shall: A. Have methods by which all employees are educated as to risks associated with blood borne pathogens. B. Have policies and procedures which reduce the risk of employee exposure to blood borne pathogens. C. Have mechanisms for employee counseling and treatment following exposure to blood borne pathogens. D. Provide appropriate personal protective equipment/clothing such as gloves, gowns, masks, protective eyewear, and mouthpieces for the employee during performance of the contract. 9. QUALIFICATIONS/CERTIFICATIONS: The contractor shall be qualified and have the required levels of professional and technical experience to perform the work. 10. SAFETY REGULATIONS: All applicable safety regulations shall be observed during all work of this contract. The VA safety officer shall have full authority to see that the contractor obeys all safety rules and regulations relative to the fulfillment of this contract. Provide the necessary barricades/signage where required. 11. SCHEDULING AND HOURS OF WORK: Hours of work. The majority of work and maintenance can be performed during normal business hours. The 10 Holidays observed by the Federal Government are New Years Day, Presidents Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Cistmas Day, or any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday. EVALUATION FACTORS Offers received will be evaluated based on FAR Clause 52.212-2 Evaluation--Commercial Items. The clause will be incorporated into the solicitation and shall read as follows: (a) 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, price and other factors considered. Offerors are reminded that the evaluation process is subjective despite the use of factors as outlined below. Past performance is more important than technical capability. Past performance and technical, when combined, are significantly more important that price. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: 1. Past Performance- To demonstrate satisfactory past performance the Offeror shall provide documentation of satisfactory performance on past or current contracts of a similar type, size, scope and complexity, performed within the last tee (3) years including references, with names and contact information of the references who can verify such past performance. Past performance information of key personnel may be provided if the company has limited or no past performance. In the case of an Offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available, the Offeror will be evaluated as neutral on Past Performance, providing the Offeror supplies a certified statement with their offer that no past performance information is available. Neutral past performance is not negatively scored but may have a negative impact in the overall consideration for award. The Government's approach to evaluating past performance is to check the references provided by the contractor to verify satisfactory past performance as well as data obtained from other sources available i.e. government database, past contract files, etc. The Offeror is cautioned that while the Government will consider data from other sources, the burden of demonstrating satisfactory past performance rests with the Offeror. Past Performance is the most important factor and is more important than Technical Capability. 2. Technical Capability - Technical Capability is defined as the documented capability to meet the minimum requirements of the requirement as specified in this solicitation and the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS). The Offeror's proposal should clearly outline the Offeror's capability to meet the requirements of the performance work statement. Technical Capability is the second most important factor and is less important than Past Performance. 3. Price - All quotes submitted will be evaluated for Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Price. The government will issue award to the Offeror whose quote is the most advantageous to the government but not necessarily the lowest price. If all things are equal, the Offer which is most advantageous to the government may also be the lowest price determined to be reasonable IAW FAR 12.209. Offeror's are encouraged to propose their best price. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposed by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The resulting contract from this solicitation will be a firm fixed price contract. It is not the intent of the government to enter into negotiations. It is incumbent upon the Offeror to submit sufficient information for the Government to determine satisfactory Past Performance, Technical Capability, and Price reasonableness. Failure to submit sufficient information for the government to determine Technical Capability, Past Performance or Price may result in the rejection of your quote. An award will be made on the basis of the lowest evaluated price, including options (IAW 52.212-2(b)), of proposals meeting or exceeding the acceptability standards for non-cost factors. FAR Provision 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. Award shall be made to the responsible Offeror whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous in accordance with Clause 52.212-2 Evaluation -Commercial Items. Offerors must include a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items with this offer. The Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Condition - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The Clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The clauses cited within the clause as indicated below are applicable: FAR clauses 52.209-6, 52.219-6, 52.219-28, 52.222-3, 52.222-19, 52.222-21, 52.222-26, 52.222-36, 52.223-18, 52.225-3, 52.225-4, 52.225-13, 52.233-3, 52.233-4, 52.217-8, and 52.217-9. The clause at FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management, FAR 52.204-13, System for Award Management Maintenance, DFARS 252.204-7003, Control of Government Personnel Work Product, DFARS 252.204-7004 Alt A, System for Award Management Alternate A, DFARS 252.209-7994, Representation by Corporations Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction under any Federal Law - Fiscal Year 2014 Appropriations, DFARS 252.232-7003, Electronic Submission of Payment Requests and Receiving Reports, and DFARS 252.232-7010, Levies on Contract Payments applies to this acquisition. If you are not registered in SAM, an award cannot be made to your company. You may register electronically at http://www.sam.gov. Registering electronically will expedite the registration process acquisition. All questions must be in email form to above address and received by 16:30 on 26 June 2015. Questions from all venders will be answered on a solicitation amendment published no later than 30 June 2015. ****All offers must be received by 16:30 on 2 July 2015 via email to brian.werner1@va.gov **** VA24815Q1514 Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Veterans Integrated Service Network 8
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