36C10F26Q0100.docx

Special Notice Special Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

Office of Construction and Facilities Management (00CFM3B) 425 I Street NW Washington DC 20001

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Officer Gerald Brusaw gerald.brusaw@va.gov 224-428-3135

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

Request for Information (RFI) West Los Angeles, California, Department of Veterans Affairs, West Los Angeles VA Medical Center (WLAVAMC), Veterans Canteen Service (VCS): Temporary Retail Grocery Operations for the North Campus Introduction This Request for Information (RFI) notice is issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Facilities Acquisition (OFA), Office of Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) to all interested vendors regarding temporary commercial retail facilities in support of Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) operations on the North Campus, West Los Angeles VHA Campus located in Los Angeles, CA.

The purpose of this RFI is to gather information from industry for acquisition planning and market research only. This notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal, Invitation for Bid, or Request for Quotation, and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract, and respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this notice.

Background and Description The Department of Veterans Affairs, West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, on behalf of VCS, must ensure continuity of retail grocery operations for the Veteran population residing on the North Campus because the existing VCS operation in Building 306 is scheduled for closure due to planned construction.

To maintain uninterrupted service, the Government is assessing the most effective business approach for providing temporary facilities at the west end of Parking Lot 9, between Eisenhower Avenue and Grant Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90049. The Government is seeking industry feedback regarding whether it would be more advantageous to lease a trailer-based temporary solution, purchase a trailer-based temporary solution, or consider another commercially available and supportable business model that would best meet schedule, operational, maintenance, and lifecycle needs.

The Government is specifically interested in capabilities, risks, recommended contracting approaches, schedule considerations, and rough order of magnitude information associated with the provision of the following temporary assets:

· One portable walk-in cooler.

· One portable walk-in freezer.

· One modular retail/grocery building.

· Associated delivery, installation, utility connection, maintenance support, and end-of-use removal or disposition services, as applicable.

Minimum operational requirements The temporary solution shall include a portable walk-in cooler with minimum interior dimensions of 8 feet by 20 feet, a portable walk-in freezer with minimum interior dimensions of 8 feet by 10 feet, and a modular retail/grocery building of approximately 900 square feet with checkout areas, gondola shelving, refrigerated and freezer merchandisers, an enclosed office, ADA-compliant features, HVAC, and required security systems.

The current draft scope contemplates a 24-month term with the option to extend up to 36 months total, delivery and full operational readiness within 60 calendar days after award, Government-furnished utility access, contractor final utility connections, 24/7 support, and quarterly maintenance records.

Requested Information Interested firms are requested to submit a brief capabilities package and responses to the questions below.

Company information Please provide the following:

1. Firm name, UEI, headquarters location, and primary point of contact, including email address and phone number.

2. Business size and socioeconomic status, if any.

3. Brief description of the firm, years in business, and core capabilities relevant to temporary, modular retail, refrigerated units, and federal or healthcare installations.

4. Relevant past performance for projects of similar size, scope, complexity, and operating environment.

Capability and business model questions

1. Based on the described requirement, what business model does your firm recommend as the best overall course of action for the Government: lease, purchase, or another approach? Please explain the rationale, principal advantages, disadvantages, and major assumptions supporting your recommendation.

2. If the Government were to lease the required assets, what lease structures are commercially available for this type of requirement? Please address typical base periods, option structures, maintenance responsibilities, replacement terms, early termination provisions, end-of-term removal obligations, and any common commercial terms the Government should consider.

3. If the Government were to purchase the required assets, what acquisition and support model would you recommend? Please address manufacturing or sourcing timelines, delivery and installation, warranty coverage, expected useful life, maintenance support, repair responsibility, storage or relocation considerations, and end-of-use disposition considerations.

4. Does your firm recommend that the Government acquire the walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer, and modular retail/grocery building as one integrated requirement or as separate line items or contract components? Please explain the operational, pricing, and schedule impacts of your recommendation.

5. What are the primary cost drivers that differentiate leasing from purchasing for this requirement, including mobilization, installation, utility connection, maintenance, insurance, removal, refurbishment, and lifecycle support?

6. Please provide a non-binding rough order of magnitude pricing estimate, or pricing range, for each of the following business models, to the extent your firm can support them:

· Lease of the complete solution for 24 months.

· Lease of the complete solution for 24 months with potential extension to 36 months.

· Purchase of the complete solution.

· Alternative commercial structure.

Please identify assumptions, exclusions, and pricing validity periods.

7. What schedule is realistically achievable for delivery, installation, inspection support, and full operational readiness for the complete solution? Please identify long-lead items and any recommended Government actions needed to achieve occupancy within 60 calendar days after award.

8. What utility, site, and installation information should the Government provide in a future solicitation to reduce ambiguity and improve pricing accuracy? Please address electrical loads, water, sewer, natural gas, pad or surface conditions, crane or rigging access, tie-downs, and permitting interfaces.

9. What technical specifications in the draft scope should be clarified, revised, or prioritized to improve competition and still meet operational needs? Please identify any specifications that are unusually restrictive, commercially uncommon, or likely to increase cost or schedule risk.

10. What warranties are typically available for purchased trailers, modular buildings, refrigeration units, suppression systems, HVAC, security systems, and installed equipment? How do those warranty protections compare to a full-service lease structure?

11. Are there any cybersecurity, monitoring, or data-protection considerations associated with intrusion detection, CCTV, panic alarms, or other connected systems that the Government should address in the solicitation and resulting contract?

12. When establishing a temporary VCS, what considerations should be made regarding utility connections, and what factors related to population clusters and utility availability should guide the selection of the site’s location?

13. What contract type or pricing structure would industry recommend for this effort to produce the most efficient and economical result for the Government while preserving adequate performance accountability?

14. Please provide any additional recommendations that would help the Government obtain the most efficient, economical, resilient, and operationally effective solution for providing temporary retail grocery services to the Veteran population at WLAVAMC.

Response Instructions Responses should be concise and tailored to market research purposes. Interested firms should submit a capability statement and responses to the questions above in electronic format, along with any brochures, specification sheets, or other descriptive literature the firm believes would assist the Government in evaluating available solutions.

To facilitate Government review, respondents are encouraged to organize submissions using the following sections:

· Company information.

· Relevant experience.

· Recommended business model.

· Technical approach.

· Schedule considerations.

· Rough order of magnitude pricing.

· Risks and assumptions.

· Additional recommendations.

Proprietary information, if any, should be clearly marked. The Government may use responses to inform acquisition strategy, refine requirements, and determine the most appropriate business and contracting approach for a potential future procurement.

Notice This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not bind the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract. The Government may choose not to respond to individual submissions, may use the information received to support market research and acquisition planning, and may contact respondents for clarification as needed.

Special Notice