36C10X22Q0246 0001 (released).pdf

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO. 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office. is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30 PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

(Type or print) (Type or print)

(Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code)

(If other than Item 6)

(Specify type of modification and authority)

(such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

1 11

0001 08/24/2022

36C10X

Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs

5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703

36C10X

Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs

5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703

To all Offerors/Bidders

36C10X22Q0246

08-18-2022

X

X X

The purpose of this amendment is to:

1) provide all questions received in response to the solicitation and VA's answers, and

2) update Section B.2 Performance Work Statement (changes in blue text) accordingly.

There are no other changes. All other terms and conditions remain the same.

Lindi Sylvester Contracting Officer

36C10X22Q0246 0001

Table of Contents

A.1 Solicitation Questions and Answers

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

A.1 Solicitation Questions and Answers

The following questions were received for the subject Request for Quotes (RFQ); answers are provided.

1. Is there an existing contract providing services?

ANSWER: Yes, there are current services being provided.

2. Is there an incumbent? If so, please provide the name of the incumbent, contract amount and, contract number?

ANSWER: Yes. The incumbent is RW Lonestar Security, LLC; Contract/Order number is GS-03F-033BA VA118A-18-F-0806. Contract value, etc. is available on FPDS.gov.

3. If existing, how many personnel and what is the tenure of these personnel?

ANSWER: The Government does not have this information.

4. Incumbent

a. Is there a current contract for the work being solicited?

ANSWER: See response to Question 1.

b. If so, please provide that awarded contract number or task order number (not the incumbent GSA contractor number).

ANSWER: See response to Question 2.

c. Please provide the name of the incumbent contractor and when the contract is ending.

d. Please provide the annual contract amount.

e. Is the level of effort being performed under the current contract fundamentally the same as what will be required to fulfill the new contract? If not, please explain how the work will be different under this solicitation.

ANSWER: Yes, the work required in this solicitation is essentially the same as the previous contract.

f. Is the incumbent eligible to bid on this solicitation?

ANSWER: Yes, any eligible small business contractor may provide a quote.

5. Will the government pay for overtime? If so, will rates be negotiated on a case by case bases?

ANSWER: No, overtime will not be paid. This contract must be priced and invoiced on a firm fixed price basis, not hourly.

6. What is approximate Contract Start date?

ANSWER: Period of performance start date is October 3, 2022 (see Section 3.1 of the PWS (RFQ Section B.2)).

7. Can a subcontractor be used for services?

ANSWER: Yes, however see subcontracting limitations described in VAAR clause 852.219-74 (RFQ Section C.7). Also, all requirements of the PWS, including NAID certified or satisfying standards of VA Directive 6371 for non-NAID-certified, apply to any subcontractor(s).

8. Will you accept an electronic signature?

ANSWER: Yes, electronic signature is acceptable for the SF1449 and any SF30s.

9. P. 7, 4.0. This mentions plastic wrappings. Plastic cannot be shred along with paper or it will contaminate the load, causing it to be rejected for recycling and sent to landfill, contrary to VA policy. Could you please clarify what is meant by plastic wrapping, and if any plastics can be separated from the paper and destroyed separately?

ANSWER: Yes, there is no plastic that is thrown in with the shredding material, CDs are removed from any hard case or plastic wrapping that are found.

10. Please confirm that tapes, hard drives, CDs or other non-paper media will not be placed in the shredding bins since they cannot be shred along with paper and may special attention that requires off-site destruction. Will any non-paper media destruction be part of the weekly recurring service, or will such items be handled via purges?

ANSWER: The current provider accepts CDs to be shredded which meets AITC’s needs. No hard drives are thrown into shred bins, as there is a media disposal policy in place for those.

11. P. 8, 3rd paragraph. This states “shall provide up to 45 bins”. Are 45 bins the requirement or is it fewer?

ANSWER: AITC requires up to 45 as stated in the PWS. (It is noted that a minimum of 35 bins lowest amount required to feasibly run operations normally.)

12. Will any changes in the scope of the contract, such as bin quantity or service frequency, be handled via contract modification?

ANSWER: Yes, any changes in contract scope or requirements will be handled via a contract modification executed by the Contracting Officer.

13. P. 8, 4th & 5th paragraphs, and D.3 Attachment C. NAID does not require paper to be de-inked or pulped. Will adherence to VA Directive 6371, and an industry standard NAID-approved Certificate of Destruction be sufficient for this requirement?

ANSWER: Industry standard NAID approved certificate will meet our requirement.

14. P. 8, Deliverables, B. It is normal for VA shredding contracts to provide the final COD with the monthly invoice. Will this be acceptable rather than providing a final COD every week?

ANSWER: This would be acceptable.

15. Please provide clarification on the price/cost schedule sheet. It states there's "up to 45 bins (95 gallons) to be shredded onsite weekly". The paper also states the "quantity is 12". Does this mean 540 bins need to be shredded each week?

ANSWER: No, the VA estimates nine bins will be emptied per week (not to exceed 468 bins emptied per year). The Contractor is required to provide up to 45 secure bins (95 gallon) to AITC collect and store materials to be shredded, but not all bins are picked up for shredding each week. See Section 4.0 Specific Tasks and Deliverables of the PWS (RFQ Section B.2) for complete task requirements. The Price/Cost Schedule CLINs are listed with a quantity of 12, unit is Monthly (MO).

16. P. 11, Price Schedule. This includes the statement “Not-to-exceed 468 bins emptied per year.” which is an average of 9 bins serviced weekly. Assuming 45 bins are provided, that means only 20% of the bins on average will be serviced each week.

a. What will the other 36 bins be used for?

ANSWER: AITC has bins placed throughout the building, but not all get picked up every week if there is not shredding paperwork in them. They are in place for whichever entity is near each area.

b. If they are not going to be serviced, does the VA want the extra bins to be priced as a rental fee?

ANSWER: See response to Question 16.a above. Contractors are encouraged to submit its best pricing available and may submit pricing in a different format/CLIN structure than what is listed in the solicitation’s Price/Cost Schedule.

c. Will the VA track the progressive count of bins serviced in order to avoid exceeding 468 total as the end of the contract year approaches?

ANSWER: Yes, all bins emptied are tracked monthly.

17. Will the bins to be serviced be presented to the driver at the dock or a central area, or will the driver walk the facility to check every bin?

ANSWER: Drivers must check into the building through security (loading dock). Bins will be there on the loading dock ready for the service every week/pickup.

18. P. 44, E3. (e), (1). Is VA Directive 6371 the guiding document for the work being awarded?

ANSWER: Yes

19. Please confirm that classified information will not be presented for destruction.

ANSWER: AITC is not aware of the bins being used for classified information. It is expected that Personally Identifiable Information (PII) will be included in the materials to be shredded in the bins.

20. Since both production and shipping have been impacted by supply chain slow down and labor shortages caused by the pandemic, it can take several weeks to ship, and install the required number of containers. How quickly will containers need to be delivered post-award?

ANSWER: AITC would require at least 20 bins delivered immediately at the start of the Period of Performance. The remaining bins could be provided within a few weeks after start date if there are shortages/shipping delays.

21. Accessibility

a. Our collection containers cannot negotiate steps, are freight elevators available to move containers between floors at the AITC?

ANSWER: No need for going inside the AITC building other than the driver checking in through security at the loading dock. All bins will be present at the loading dock and there is a ramp to the alleyway where shredding truck currently parks.

b. Please confirm if there is a loading dock, and is there a ramp to the ground?

c. Is there sufficient and appropriate parking for our truck for the time it will take to perform the work?

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1.0 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

To protect personal identifiable information (PII) of the veteran and sensitive information of the Government. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Austin Information Technology Center (AITC) has need for on-site document shredding services on a weekly basis from a NAID Certified, bonded, and insured contractor (including subcontractors or third parties) and can provide reasonable physical safeguards for the temporary paper records throughout the destruction process or a non-NAID-certified contractor (and its subcontractors or third parties) who can satisfy the standards outlined in the Minimum Standards for Information Destruction listed in VA Directive 6371 Appendix A (see Attachment A).

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

In the performance of the tasks associated with this Performance Work Statement, the Contractor shall comply with the following:

1. 44 U.S.C. § 3541, “Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002”

2. Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Publication 140-2, “Security

Requirements For Cryptographic Modules”

3. FIPS Pub 201-2, “Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and

Contractors,” August 2013

4. 10 U.S.C. § 2224, "Defense Information Assurance Program"

5. 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended, “The Privacy Act of 1974”

6. 42 U.S.C. § 2000d “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”

7. OMB Circular A-130, “Managing Federal Information as a Strategic Resource,” July

28, 2016

8. VA Directive 6371, “Destruction of Temporary Paper Records”

9. VA Handbook 6500, “Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems –

Tier 3: VA Information Security Program,” March 10, 2015

10. VA Handbook 6500.1, “Electronic Media Sanitization,” November 03, 2008

11. VA Handbook 6500.2, “Management of Breaches Involving Sensitive Personal

Information (SPI)”, October 28, 2015

12. VA Handbook 6500.3, “Assessment, Authorization, And Continuous Monitoring Of

VA Information Systems,” February 3, 2014

13. VA Handbook, 6500.5, “Incorporating Security and Privacy in System Development

Lifecycle”, March 22, 2010

14. VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security,” March 12, 2010

15. VA Handbook 6500.8, “Information System Contingency Planning”, April 6, 2011

16. VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management, February 26, 2009

17. VA Handbook, 6300.1, Records Management Procedures, March 24, 2010OMB

Memorandum M-06-18, Acquisition of Products and Services for Implementation of HSPD-12, June 30, 2006

18. National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST 800-88 Guidelines for Media Sanitation.

19. OMB Memorandum M-07-16, Safeguarding Against and Responding to the Breach of Personally Identifiable Information, May 22, 2007

20. VA Directive 0058, “VA Green Purchasing Program”, July 19, 2013

21. VA Handbook 0058, “VA Green Purchasing Program”, July 19, 2013

22. Federal Records Act, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 31

23. Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. §552

24. NSA/CSS 02-01-Z, Evaluated Products List for High Security Crosscut Paper

Shredders.

25. NSA/CSS 02-02-M, Evaluated Products List for High Security Disintegrators.

26. 36 CFR 1220.18 Subpart A, General Provisions, General Definitions.

27. 41 CFR Part 101 - 45, Sale, Abandonment, or Destruction of Personal Property.

3.0 PERFORMANCE DETAILS

3.1 PERFORMANCE PERIOD

The period of performance (PoP) shall be a 12-month base period with four 12-month option periods. Any options will be exercised at the discretion of the Government.

Base Period: October 3, 2022 – October 2, 2023 Option Period 1: October 3, 2023 – October 2, 2024 Option Period 2: October 3, 2024 – October 2, 2025 Option Period 3: October 3, 2025 – October 2, 2026 Option Period 4: October 3, 2026 – October 2, 2027

Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO).

3.2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Tasks under this PWS shall be performed at:

Austin Information Technology Centner (AITC) 1615 Woodward St.

Austin TX 78772

In the event of a disaster at this location an alternate facility may be identified within 20 miles from the AITC.

4.0 SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall provide all labor and equipment required to properly shred VA documents to the standard of unreadable and unreconstructable. This standard includes paper that is pulped, macerated, shredded, or otherwise destroyed to a degree that definitively ensures that they are not readable or reconstructable to any degree. An initial shred shall be performed on site in accordance with NAID size standards. Additional processing may be performed offsite in order to meet the standard. The shred material may contain small amount of non-paper material including carbon paper, staples, and plastic wrappings and ensure that PII and other VA sensitive information is handled and stored in a secure manner until it undergoes final destruction. The Contractor shall provide documentation that the contractor (or subcontractor or third party) who accepts custody of the temporary paper records from a VA facility and transports them to the final destruction location is either:

a. A NAID certified, bonded, and insured contractor (and its subcontractors or third parties) and can provide reasonable physical safeguards for the temporary paper records throughout the destruction process; or

b. A non-NAID-certified contractor (and its subcontractors or third parties) who can satisfy the standards outlined in the Minimum Standards for Information Destruction listed in VA Directive 6371 Appendix A.

If one or more subcontractors (or third parties) handle VA temporary paper records before final destruction, then the contractor shall provide documentation that all parties including have sufficient reasonable safeguards for the temporary paper records, to the same standards required of the primary contractor, throughout the destruction process.

If the final destruction is completed by a subcontractor or third party, then the written certification of destruction shall either be completed by this third party, or by the Contractor with assurance from the third party that final destruction was completed. The contractor shall also be responsible for disposal of all shredded materials with an approximate volume of 100,000 lbs. of material per year.

The Contractor shall provide secure containers (bins) to collect and store materials to be shredded. The bins shall have wheels, be capable of holding an average of 220 lbs. (95 gallon) and possess locking mechanisms and locks that can be opened with a master key. The contractor shall provide up to 45 bins at the AITC.

All shredding shall take place at the VA facilities listed at paragraph 3.2 and shall be witnessed by a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or a VA employee authorized to witness destruction of sensitive material. The contractor shall sign a “Certificate of Destruction” provided by the Government to document that the material has been de-inked and pulped in accordance with NAID requirements. A sample is provided as Attachment B.

Additionally, the contractor shall provide a “Final Certificate of Destruction” documenting the final processing/recycling of all truck materials were processed in accordance with required standards. A sample is provided as Attachment C.

The contractor shall provide service weekly at the AITC. In the event a week’s collection needs to be canceled or rescheduled due to VA’s needs, the COR will notify the Contractor. The Government estimates nine bins will be emptied per week (not to exceed 468 bins emptied per year).

These deliverables may be provided in hard copy to the COR at time of onsite service.

Deliverables:

A. Contractor signed Certificate of Destruction, weekly at time of onsite service B. Final Certificate of Destruction, weekly for previous week’s materials/service or monthly with invoice for previous month’s materials/service

5.0 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

5.1 SECURITY AND PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS

The C&A requirements to not apply and a Security Accreditation Package is not required. The contractor shall adhere to all security information outlined in Section C.3 VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy Language.

5.2 METHOD AND DISTRIBUTION OF DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall deliver documentation in electronic format, unless otherwise directed in this solicitation/contract. Acceptable electronic media include: MS Word 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Excel 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS PowerPoint 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Project 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Access 2000/2003/2007/2010, MS Visio 2000/2002/2003/2007/2010, AutoCAD 2002/2004/2007/2010, and Adobe Postscript Data Format (PDF).

5.3 PERFORMANCE METRICS

The table below defines the Performance Standards and Acceptable Performance Levels for Objectives associated with this effort

Performance Objective Performance Standard Acceptable Levels of

Performance

Quality of Service

1. Provides all technical needs defined in this PWS, including 45 functional bins, weekly service and complete document destruction

Submits complete and accurate deliverables (Certificates of Destruction) to COR after completion of onsite shredding services

100% adherence to performance standard will result in a Satisfactory or higher rating.

One or more incidents of non-adherence will impact performance ratings.

Schedule and Timeliness

1. Adheres to weekly cadence required;

schedule established with

COR.

Notifies COR two business day in advance if pick-up date/time needs to change

100% adherence to performance standard will result in a Satisfactory or higher rating.

One or more incidents of non-adherence will impact performance ratings.

Communication and Responsiveness

1. Communicates regularly with COR for service and invoicing. Communicates with CO for contract administration as needed.

Notifies COR two business days in advance of potential problems.

100% adherence to performance standard will result in a Satisfactory or higher rating.

One or more incidents of non-adherence will impact performance ratings.

The COR will utilize a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) throughout the life of the contract to ensure that the Contractor is performing the services required by this PWS in an acceptable level of performance. Performance that falls below the acceptable performance levels may result in negative past performance ratings or impact the Government’s decision to exercise option periods.

The Government reserves the right to alter or change the surveillance methods in the QASP at its own discretion. A Performance Based Service Assessment will be used by the COR in accordance with the QASP to assess Contractor performance.

5.4 FACILITY/RESOURCE PROVISIONS

The contractors shall be accompanied by the COR or a VA employee authorized to witness destruction of sensitive material at all times onsite services are provided; contractor personnel shall not access VA facility unescorted. The contractor shall adhere to the requirements outlined in Section C.4 Additional VA Requirements, Consolidated.