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36C10X22R0027 A00001
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 NUMBERE
D 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 amendmen t, 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) 6/6/2022 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
36C10X22R0027 05-16-2022
X X X
The purpose of this amendment is to respond to vendor questions and revise documents.
| No. |
| Document Title/# |
| Page # |
| Paragraph #/ Language Reference |
| Question |
| Answer |
| 1 |
| RFP |
| 82 |
| Section E – Solicitation Provisions |
E.1 FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021) 7. (table) Page Limitations for Volume I – Technical Approach, and for Volume V – Price
| The table mentions Attachment A for both Volume I and for Volume V. Please confirm that Attachment A is to be included in Volume V and not in Volume I. |
| Attachment A is not required for Volume I.This was an error and has been revised: |
Technical Approach: 20 pages (not including Attachment A or resumes)
| 2 |
| RFP |
| 83 |
| Section E – Solicitation Provisions |
E.1 FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021); 7.b. Volume II – Factor 1: Initial Task Order Technical Evaluation
| Please confirm that the number of task orders identified and included in this soliciation is five task orders, and not seven task orders. |
| This is confirmed. There are 5 initial task orders that are included with this IDIQ solicitation. |
| 3 |
| RFP |
| 82 |
| Section E – Solicitation Provisions |
E.1 FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021); 7. (table) Page Limitations for Volume I – Technical Approach Resumes are cited as not being within the page count, but are not discussed anywhere else in the RFP document. Please confirm that resumes are not required in Volume I. If they are required, please confirm how these resumes will be evaluated.
Resumes are required for key personnel as defined by the initial task order PWS. Resumes must meet or exceed the key personnel requirments as noted in the labor category table.
| 4 |
| 5 TOPR included with RFP, Section 12 |
| 12. The TOPRs state, “ …The Government may utilize the Performance Based Service Assessment Survey, provided as Attachment E, or other methods to compare contractor performance to the Acceptable Levels of Performance (ALPs). “ |
| The RFP appears to have no Attachment E. Please provide Attachment E to enable offerors to fully understand the requirements of this effort. |
| There is no Attachment E, this has been revised to Attachment A. |
| 5 |
| RFP - ADMINISTRATION |
| 9 |
| B.3 CONTRACT ; B. Task Order Procedures (6) “The proposals will be evaluated, and award (if any) will be made, in accordance with the process and basis for award set forth in the TOPR.” |
| The government provided the evaluation factors in the IDIQ in order of importance. Please provide the order of importance and weighting at the TOPR level. |
There is no weighting of the TOPRs. Each TOPR will be evaluated as defined by this amendment.
Section E.2 - FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021)
1. Basis for Award
E.2.1 Basis for Award “…There is no option to compete for award of an IDIQ contract while simultaneously opting not to compete in the competitions for one or more of the five specific task orders. …”
Vol II – Factor 1: Initial Task Order Technical Evaluation: The offeror shall submit a Technical Capability volume which shall address in detail how the offeror proposes to perform the work identified in the performance work statements for each of the five task orders identified and included in this solicitation
In Proposal Section E.2.1, the evaluation criteria states that bidders cannot compete for an award on the IDIQ unless they bid for “one or more” of the task orders. In other words, please confirm that bidders may compete for the IDIQ if they also compete for one task order or for more task orders.
The language has been revised as follows: There is no option to compete for award of an IDIQ contract while simultaneously opting not to compete in the competitions for all one or more of the five specific task orders.
| 7 |
| RFP |
| 89 |
| Section E.2 - FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021) |
6. Price Evaluation
E.2 6. The total evaluated price for each offeror will be the total price for the five TOs in the spreadsheet, and the hourly rates in the “base IDIQ” tab will be reviewed for price reasonableness and will become the fixed ceiling hourly rates for each of those labor categories in the base contract.
| Please confirm how pricing will be assessed for offerors bidding on one task or on multiple task orders. |
| This language has been revised per question #6. |
| 8 |
| RFP |
| 82 |
| Section E.1 FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021) |
Section A.7 Table
7. (table) Volume II / Initial Order Technical Approach / multiple file names
| In addition to the Tech.doc/pdf for each task order, the table lists “Tech.doc/pdf” and “TechMatrix.doc/pdf”. Please clarify what offerors are required to include in each of these two files. |
| The word Matrix has been removed. |
| 9 |
| RFP |
| 1 |
| SF1449 – Questions are to be emailed NLT 1PM ET May 24, 2022 |
| Will the government allow for follow-on questions after receipt of answers to questions that are due May 24, 2022? |
| If relevant questions are received, the government will post responses. |
| SAM.gov has indicated there has been a backlog in legal name validations, which is a part of the process for any SAM.gov updates, including adding NAICS codes to vendor accounts. If the Prime is working with SAM.gov to add NAICS code 541715, but this process may not be completed by the time of offer submission, will the VA accept a statement that the NAICS code 541715 is currently in the process of being registered? |
| The contractor must have NAICS code 541715 listed in the SAM.gov registration prior to award. |
| 6.0 TASKS |
| Does VA Innovation have any preferred clinical entities they wish to focus on with the 5 domains (particularly Clinical Decision Support, Ai/ML, and HEOR outcomes) such as: Hospital Acquired Infections, Sepsis, Augmenting clinical workflows between infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship teams, Peripheral Vascular Disease management, or medication benchmark assessment and scoring? |
| No, there are none that are preferred. |
| 6.0 TASKS |
| Can the different domains be combined? Example: Clinical Decision Support and Machine Learning for “clinical topic X” and the resultant measurable HEOR outcomes associated pre-post product launch? |
| Yes. This will be determined and clarified at the task order level. |
| Section 6.2.1 – Innovation in Data Transformation, Advanced Clinical Decision Support |
| Is the intent of the VA to create a new Advanced Clinical Decision Support system that differs in some form from the current commercially available CDSS systems today? If so, what are the features lacking / desired features that the RFP is intended to address? |
| No. This will be determined at the TO level with detailed specifications regarding the statement of objectives for the intended pilot/project. |
| Section 6.2.1 – Innovation in Data Transformation, Advanced Clinical Decision Support |
| Is the VA looking to have a decision support system embedded within either VISTA or Cerner, or is a standalone application required / desired? Is a “standalone” solution acceptable? |
Yes. The initial R&D will occur outside (i.e. in a sandbox environment) but the intent is for any successful tool to move into a live, production environment. It is impossible to know whether a stand alone solution would be acceptable without knowing what that solution is or having testing that solution.
| Section 6.2.1 – Innovation in Data Transformation, Advanced Clinical Decision Support |
| Will this system be hosted within the VA network itself, or is a FEDRAMP approved, remote hosted solution (or similar alternative) within the guidelines of the desired solution? |
| The system for which the R&D will occur is already FedRAMP and hosted within VAEC. |
| Section 6.2.1 – Innovation in Data Transformation, Advanced Clinical Decision Support |
| Will the desired output of the RFP (solution) be implemented at all VA facilities as a requirement, or will this be an option for facilities to implement (will this be a “sole source” agreement for the Clinical Decision Support system?) |
No. The intent of this contract is to support FAR based R&D. Once a solution has been tested and validated, the government will make a determinization on proper scale and any further acquisition will be handled outside of this procurement.
| Section 6.2.1 – Innovation in Data Transformation, Advanced Clinical Decision Support |
| If the Decision Support System is commercially available currently that meets the needs of the VA as per section 6.2.1, will the intellectual property remain with the original creator? |
| The IP of the COTS solution will remain with the "original creator". Data rights and privileges clauses still apply and any new IP that could be deemed as patentable could be shared. |
| Section 6.2.1 – Innovation in Data Transformation, Advanced Clinical Decision Support |
| Are there timeframes for delivery of the Clinical Decision Support system that need to be met? Is there an anticipated solution trial date? Is commercial deployment to be a “phased” approach, or will it be a “system wide” anticipated rollout? |
| This will be determined and clarified at the TOPR level. |
| Since this innovation will be funded by the VA, who would own the IP? |
| This will be project specific and determined at the TOPR level. |
| Since this innovation will be funded by the VA, ) would we be free to commercialize whatever is developed? Would there need to be licensing or other considerations downstream? |
| This will be project specific and determined at the TOPR level. |
| 10.1. GENERAL. Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors, and subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security. |
| Will the VA provide copies of the VA handbook to contractors onsite |
| Yes. |
| Will there be a Non-Disclosure or Confidentially Agreement executed between the Contractor and VA? |
| This will be decided at the task order level. |
| How will this RFP and CRADAS co-exist? |
| Once the IDIQ is awarded, there will be task orders that define the work. This work will not affect the CRADAS that are currently in place. |
| When will the RFP potentially be awarded and first task order issued? |
| September 2022 |
| Will the Task Orders be worked in collaboration with VA and can a Contractor choice not to participate in certain task orders? |
| This will be a business decision of the contractors to not compete at the task order level. |
| Will the government please confirm what NIST 800-171 controls are required? |
| This is project specific and will be defined at the TOPR level. |
| 82 |
| 7. Content Requirement |
| Naming conventions - The prescribed naming conventions for Volume I and Volume II are overlap. Please confirm that Volume I should be: [Offeror Name] Tech.doc/pdf and that TO 1 should be: [Offeror Name] INITIAL 1 Tech.doc/pdf |
| This has been removed and revised. |
| 86 |
| Sample TO response |
| Offerors will be competing in all six competitions simultaneously. There is no option to compete for award of an IDIQ contract while simultaneously opting not to compete in the competitions for one or more of the five specific task orders. - Is it expected that offerors respond to all five sample task orders or is it expected that offerors reply to "at least one or more" of the five sample task orders? |
| Yes. All offorers must respond to all initital task orders. |
| Resumes for the sample TOs |
| Can resumes in response to TOs 1-5 be included as attachments? Will the resumes be excluded from the 10 page limit for the TOs? Or should all of the resumes be included as an attachment to Tech bVol I. |
| Yes, see revised langauge in section E. |
| Work Classification, NAICS Codes |
| NAICS code 541715 is included however it excludes work classified as biotechnology; are other codes such as 541714 Research and Development in Biotechnology applicable to this solicitation as well? |
| No, all contractors must have NAICS 541715 listed in their SAM.gov registration prior to award. |
| Will the government provide the number of TOPRs it expects to release in a contract year so that offerors can understand the 50% proposal response requirement in a more quantifiable way? |
| This will vary depending on funding. The CO plans to publish a list of portential TOPRs after IDIQ award. |
| Will the government confirm that the Small Business goals in the Small Business Plan are for the 5 year IDIQ ordering period and not at the individual Task Order Level? |
| Confirmed. |
| The RFQ documents refer to this being a commercial item procurement, however it is noted that the government will evaluate TOPRs submitted based on FAR Part 15. Since this is a commercial item procurement, FAR Part 15 is not applicable and should not be used for evaluation purposes. Will the government please remove that requirement? |
| No, this will be evlautated within FAR part 15 guidelines. |
| Will the government please confirm that offerors only need to submit a proposal response, to include pricing for the IDIQ & One TOPR based on the language in Section 1. Basis for Award, and not Section 6- Price? |
| The offeror shall submit pricing for the IDIQ and all 5 TOPRs. |
| Are the hours per labor category provided in the pricing template for Task Order 1 and 2 mandatory to be used? Will the government provide similar hours and labor category breakdown for Task Orders 3-5? |
| Yes, the hours provided are mandatory and since TOPRs 3-5 are FFP, hours are not incldued in the pricing. |
| Will the government clarify what volume offerors should include the Reps & Certs clauses? |
| This shall be incldued in Volume V. |
| 37 |
| Attachment C PPQ, Past Performance Questionnaire |
| 76 |
| We are unable to open Attachment C from the solicitation. Can the government please provide a new version of the form? |
| Please open in a different broswer. |
| 38 |
| Digital Twin Task Order, Simulation for 170 medical centers |
| B3 |
| Will VHA provide the existing simulation designs for all 170 medical centers |
| This informtaion does nto exist. |
| 87 |
| Task orders, Contract oversight |
| Will specific CORs be named for each of the 5 task orders? |
| Yes. |
| Immersive Training, Existing training |
| Will VHA provide access to current sexual harassment training programs? |
| Yes, there are training programs in TMS that will be accessible after task order award. |
| 87 |
| Chronic Conditions, Data strategy |
| Does the VA have data sharing agreements in place or will the VA enter into such agreements with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare? Additionally, will VA make claims level data available from its third party administrators? |
| This is project specific and will be determined at the TOPR level. |
| 87 |
| Chronic Conditions, Stakeholders |
| Can VA specify those individuals (by role) or groups it designates as "stakeholders"? |
| In general, stakeholders refers to patient, providers, and caregivers. |
| 43 |
| Care Coordination Payment Model, Costs |
| 87 |
| Can VA identify cost of care through a chargemaster type file for services provided in VA facilities? |
| There are several ways to determine cost of care within the VA system and these do differ in process from how this occurs in the commercial space. |
| 44 |
| Care Coordination Payment Model, Scope |
| 87 |
| How many models are anticipated to be featured in the design and associated deliverables? The task order specifies physical therapy care models. Is physical care the sole focus of this task order? |
| Yes, this is specific to a physical therapy care model. |
| 45 |
| Performance-Based Payment Model, Scope |
| 87 |
| How many models are anticipated to be featured in the design and associated deliverables? The task order specifies care at home models. Is care at home the sole focus of this task order? |
| Yes, this is specific to an at home care model. |
| 46 |
| Performance-Based Payment Model, Scope |
| 87 |
| Are sites considered regions or individual medical centers? |
| Sites could be either a VA Medical Center, Community Based Outpatient Clinic, or other direct care site specified at the TOPR level. |
| Is any portion of the work included in the Task Orders presently being performed. If so can you please the relevant vendors and associated contracts? |
| Not at this time. |
| Personalized Health & Digital Twins, Information request for adv manufacturing, decision support, and digital twins. |
| Does the VA us maintain a product lifecycle management (PLM) system or systems for any of the products, tools, systems, or devices that may be used in the provision of healthcare (i.e., within a facility) or in the course of treatment (e.g., devices provided to patients for care)? If so, will data from those systems be made available to contractors? |
| Yes, however this will be project specific and determined at the TOPR level. |
| Information for digital twins of buildings and facilities |
| Does the VA maintain facility data and information within a Building Information Modeling system or systems? If so, will that information be made available to contractors? |
| No, that information is maintained differently. |
| Standard modeling and simulation |
| Does the VA leverage standard mechanistic or physics models and simulations for treatment and or research? Would those be made available upon request to contractors. |
| Yes to both. |
| 16 |
| Model Validation and Risk Management |
| Does the VA have a standard process for the verification, validation, and accreditation of models used in the course of its operations? If so, could it please provide the processes and modeling standards it uses to conduct VV&A? |
| No. |
| What are the expected number of awardees at the IDIQ level? How many large? How many Small Business? |
| This is a multiple award IDIQ and the number of awards is not set. This will depend on competition and evaluation as Section E defines. |
| To ensure VA has access to specialists in emerging technology in future years, will the Government add FAR 52.216-4 Economic Price Adjustment (EPA)? |
| No. |
| B.1., Orders can be issued any time during five-year ordering period. |
| To ensure consistency across all Offerors, please provide the expected period of performance. |
| This will be a 5 year PoP that starts from date of award. |
| 55 |
| RFP |
| 23 |
| B.4.7.6, When specifying those details at the order level, VA will only use the labor categories and corresponding labor qualifications set forth in the following table. |
| With future unknown Task Orders, there may be a need for a different labor skillset. Will the Government consider adding language to the PWS allowing for additional labor categories to be added should the contractor and Government find them beneficial in execution? |
| Yes, this will be allowed. The proposal must be specfic and describe the labor category being added along with a labor rate for the 5 year period. |
| B.4.7.6 |
| We recommend VA add a more general set of functional area analyst (i.e. Jr., Mid., Sr.) and subject matter expert (i.e. Mid., Sr.) LCATs to the IDIQ to be available for use on Task Orders. This will provide VA more flexibility in acquiring expertise to meet the current Task Order and future VA requirements. |
| See additional labor categories added to amended SOW. |
| 57 |
| RFP |
| 24 |
| B.4.7.6, Senior Program Manager |
| In order to ensure a more competitive bid and more flexibility to provide the expertise in the specialized fields required to perform the SOW requirements, we recommend VA modifies the LCAT to the following: |
- Qualification: History and experience managing complex, healthcare innovation programs with focus on clinical and operational outcomes. Has 10 or more years expertise in biomedical research, healthcare innovation strategy or related experience. Possesses significant knowledge of program/project operations and developing procedures, planning and directing execution of the technical, programming, maintenance and administrative support efforts.
- Years of Experience performing the tasks noted in the qualifications column: no changes
- Education/Certifications: Minimum Masters Degree This has been updated to reflect this.
| 58 |
| RFP |
| 25 |
| B.4.7.6, Innovation Strategist |
| In order to ensure a more competitive bid and more flexibility to provide the expertise in the specialized fields required to perform the SOW requirements, we recommend VA modifies the LCAT to the following: |
- Qualification: Possess a minimum of 10 years’ experience in commercial and government consulting across a number of industries, including healthcare. Expertise in lean business operations, enterprise transformation, and innovation maturity programs. Expertise in dual-use technology and bridging relationships with startups, academic partners, incubators, accelerators, and venture capitalists in support of government agencies.
Previous experience overseeing investments in product incubation and acceleration, hackathons, brand partnerships and tech scouting. Previous experience working across the intellectual property life cycle (prior analysis through potential commercialization opportunities). Expertise in conducting quantitative analysis, modeling and simulation, including industry analysis and benchmarking. Expertise in conducting technology assessments or similar analyses for emerging healthcare solutions
- Years of Experience performing the tasks noted in the qualifications column: 10
- Education/Certifications: No changes This has been revised to 15 years.
| 59 |
| RFP |
| 25 |
| B.4.7.6, Machine Intelligence/AI Strategist |
| In order to ensure a more competitive bid and more flexibility to provide the expertise in the specialized fields required to perform the SOW requirements, we recommend VA modifies the Senior Program Manager LCAT to the following: |
- Qualification: More than 10 years of experience in the life sciences industry or related field with a focus on creating and delivering data science and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to accelerate healthcare innovation. Previous experience leading efforts to aggregate, analyze, and interpret health information, developing new processes, solutions, and information architectures that leverage a variety of data types including medical images, electronic health records, wearable data, and -omics data. Previous experience using data platforms to scale machine learning algorithms through a ModelOps AI platform.
- Years of Experience performing the tasks noted in the qualifications column: 10
- Education/Certification: Minimum Masters Degree – Desired - Doctorate (Ph.D.)
This has been changed to 10 years.
| 60 |
| RFP |
| 25 |
| B.4.7.6, Precision Medicine Platform Strategist |
| In order to ensure a more competitive bid and more flexibility to provide the expertise in the specialized fields required to perform the SOW requirements, we recommend VA modifies the LCAT to the following: |
- Qualification: Ph.D. or Masters in bioinformatics or other research/healthcare related field with 15 years’ experience leading complex federal bioinformatics programs focus on data sharing, semantics and genomics Expertise on utilizing knowledge of genomics and “Big Data” technologies to further Precision Medicine in government sector Expertise in Designs and deploys cloud based genomic analysis platforms in government sector.
- Years of Experience performing the tasks noted in the qualifications column: no changes
- Education/Certification: Masters Degree - Desired Ph.D. (Doctorate) No change has been made here.
| 61 |
| RFP |
| 29 |
| B.4.7.6, Functional Area Expert - Applied Researcher |
| In order to ensure a more competitive bid and more flexibility to provide the expertise in the specialized fields required to perform the SOW requirements, we recommend VA modifies the LCAT to the following: |
- Qualification: No Changes
- Years of Experience performing the tasks noted in the qualifications column: no changes
- Education/Certification: Minimum Masters Degree – Desired - Doctorate (Ph.D.)
No change here.
| 62 |
| RFP |
| 29 |
| B.4.7.6, Functional Area Expert - Healthcare Economist |
| In order to ensure a more competitive bid and more flexibility to provide the expertise in the specialized fields required to perform the SOW requirements, we recommend VA modifies the LCAT to the following: |
- Qualification: No Changes
- Years of Experience performing the tasks noted in the qualifications column: no changes- Education/Certification: Minimum Masters Degree – Desired - Doctorate (Ph.D.)
No change here.
| B.4.7.6 |
| We recommend adding a Project Manager LCAT with the following: |
- Qualification: History and experience managing complex, healthcare innovation programs with focus on clinical and operational outcomes or in a related field. Has 7 or more years expertise in biomedical research, healthcare innovation strategy or related experience. Possesses significant knowledge of program/project operations and developing procedures, planning and directing execution of the technical, programming, maintenance and administrative support efforts.
- Years of Experience performing the tasks noted in the qualifications column: 7
- Education/Certifications: Bachelors Degree See revised labor categories for additions.
| C.3, FAR 52.219-9 |
| On page 41, FAR 52.219-9 is not checked, but on page 74 it is stated to be included in the RFP. Also, 852.219-9 is checked. |
Please confirm FAR 52.219-9 is applicable.
This has been checked and added in the amendment.
| C.9 - C.12, FAR 52.227-14 |
| In the event the Prime and/or Subcontractor will utilize and/or deliver contractor owned intellectual property as part of their solution (for example, COTS elements that are part of the solution), how would VA like the Contractor to assert their rights within the proposal? Is a data rights assertions letter required as part of the proposal submission, and if so, what volume would this be included? |
| This will be project specific and determined at the TOPR level. |
| E.1.A.7, Technical Approach: 20 pages (not including Attachment A or resumes) |
| No instructions or evaluation criteria are provided for resumes. Please confirm resumes are not requested as part of Volume I OR provide instructions and evaluation criteria. |
| See revisions in the amendment. |
E.1.A.7, Volume I: Technical Approach: 20 pages (not including Attachment A or resumes) Volume V: None for Attachment A
| Please confirm Attachment A Price Schedule should only be submitted as part of Section V. |
| Confirmed and revised in amendment. |
| E.1.A.7, TechMatrix.doc/pdf |
| No instructions or evaluation criteria are provided for “TechMatrix.doc/pdf." Please confirm this is not requested OR provide instructions and evaluation criteria. |
| Removed. |
| E.1.A.7. Volume II |
| Please confirm this volume should be submitted as individual, separate TOPR documents. |
| Confirmed. |
E.1.A.7, Volume I [Offeror Name] Tech.doc/pdf Volume II [Offeror Name] Tech.doc/pdf
| Please confirm "[Offeror Name] Tech.doc/pdf" is only requested as part of Volume I. |
| Confirmed and revised language. |
| E.1.A.7.b, ...successfully perform the work set forth in the performance work statements for each of the seven task orders identified and included in this solicitation... |
| Please confirm there are five Task Orders associated with this solicitation. |
| Confirmed and revised language. |
| 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards (AUG 2018) (41 U.S.C. Chapter 67). |
| A review of the education and experience requirements of the labor categories associated with this solicitation indicates roles that normally exceed the personnel pay and benefits protection requirements of the Service Contract Act (SCA). If the SCA does apply, will the Government provide the applicable Wage Determination to allow offerors to account for those costs in pricing provided? |
| If the contractor believes these apply, they should submit them with the proposal. |
| E.1.A.c, Volume IV- Factor 3: Socioeconomic Considerations |
| Page 84 Does the government prefer Offerors submit all pages of the teaming agreements and mentor protégé agreements, or will the first page and signature page from those agreements suffice? |
| All pages. |
| E.2.1.5, Volume IV- Factor 3: Socioeconomic Considerations |
| Page 84 Paragraph three (3) states, “In order to receive credit under the evaluation factor or sub-factor, the Offeror must provide with its proposal a copy of a signed letter issued by the VA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization approving the Offeror’s Mentor-Protégé Agreement.” |
According to the Congressional Research Service article (updated March 11, 2022), the VA Mentor Program is not active.
Will the Government accept a signed letter from the Small Business Administration verifying an Offeror's Mentor-Protégé agreement with a SDVOSB? If not, will the Government provide a point of contact at the VA to whom Large Businesses may send their Mentor Protégé agreements for review and approval in order to receive the Large Business credit?
Yes.
| E.2.1.5, 5. Socioeconomic Considerations |
| Page 88 states, “Non-Veteran owned firms that subcontract 7% or more of the contract value to a SDVOSB or 10% or more of the contract value to VOSB will also receive evaluation credit.” Please confirm the stated percentages account for cumulative use of multiple SDVOSBs and VOSBs respectively. |
| Yes. |
| E.2.1.5, 5. Socioeconomic Considerations |
| Page 88 states, “Non-Veteran owned firms that subcontract 7% or more of the contract value to a SDVOSB or 10% or more of the contract value to VOSB will also receive evaluation credit.” Is this credit in addition to the Mentor Protégé credit referenced on page 84? |
| Yes. |
| 77 |
| TOPR1 |
| 12 |
| The Government may utilize the Performance Based Service Assessment Survey, provided as Attachment E... |
| Please provide Attachment E. |
| This was an error, see attachment A and revised language. |
| 78 |
| TOPR1 |
| 9 |
| Key Personnel |
| Please confirm resumes should be submitted for Key Personnel and do not count towards the 10-page limit. |
| Confirmed, see revised langauge. |
| 79 |
| TOPR1 |
| 2 |
| The Contractor shall prepare the enhanced and developed simulation system for future planning of transitioning from the ETIL test environment to servers located behind VA firewall for enterprise-wide use. |
| Please confirm the contractor is to support obtaining the Authority to Operate (ATO) and that implementation of the IT systems required for enterprise-wide use is not within scope. |
| Confirmed. |
| 80 |
| TOPR1 |
| 9 |
| Key Personnel |
| Please confirm all updated LCATS provided in Volume I (reference question 5 re: B.4.7.6) are available for use on this TOPR. |
| Key personnel will be and is defined at the task order level. Please refer to initital task orders for this information. |
| 81 |
| TOPR1 |
| 5, 11 |
| 5. The tasks under this PWS shall be performed remotely. |
11. The Government will provide adequate physical work space for up to three contractor personnel and will furnish the following: desk, encrypted laptop, phone, …
| Please confirm there are no on-site requirements. |
| This will be project specific and determined at the TOPR level. |
| 82 |
| TOPR2 |
| 12 |
| The Government may utilize the Performance Based Service Assessment Survey, provided as Attachment E... |
| Please provide Attachment E. |
| This was an error that has been revised. |
| 83 |
| TOPR2 |
| 9 |
| Key Personnel |
| Please confirm resumes should be submitted for Key Personnel and do not count towards the 10-page limit. |
| Confirmed. |
| 7.1, Key Personnel |
| Please confirm all updated LCATS provided in Volume I (reference question 5 re: B.4.7.6) are available for use on this TOPR. |
| Key personnel will be and is defined at the task order level. Please refer to initital task orders for this information. |
| 7.1, The Contractor shall develop, configure and install the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Training Environment prototype to be used for testing and validation. |
| Will training content be provided to serve as the basis for the prototype or is authoring the training content for the prototype an additional requirement under this effort? |
| This will be provided upon award. |
| 7.4, The report shall also include an itemized list of all Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) deliverables and their current Section 508 conformance status. |
| Please confirm that 508 compliance only applies to the reports and deliverables such as Immersive Technology for Sexual Harassment Empathy Training Design File, Pilot Evaluation Plan, Pilot testing checklist and End-User Feedback Report, and Pilot Benefits and Impact Report. |
| 508 compliance should always apply. |
| 9, Key Personnel |
| Please confirm all updated LCATS provided in Volume I (reference question 5 re: B.4.7.6) are available for use on this TOPR. |
| Key personnel will be and is defined at the task order level. Please refer to initital task orders for this information. |
2, Functionality for individual and/or group education and training sessions
Customizable experiences considerate of factors related to social determinants of health, geographic region, and appropriate sexual harassment-related considerations
| How many concurrent users are intended to participate in the same virtual experience? |
| Less than 10. |
| 4, The period of performance (PoP) is 12 months from date of award, with one 12-month option period. |
| So that all Offerors apply the same escalation rate, please provide the expected date of award. |
| September 2022. |
| 9, Key Personnel |
| Please confirm resumes should be submitted for Key Personnel and do not count towards the 10-page limit. |
| Key personnel will be and is defined at the task order level. Please refer to initital task orders for this information. |
| 4, The period of performance (PoP) is 12 months from date of award, with one 12-month option period. |
| So that all Offerors apply the same escalation rate, please provide the expected date of award. |
| September 2022. |
| 9, Key Personnel |
| Please confirm resumes should be submitted for Key Personnel and do not count towards the 10-page limit. |
| Key personnel will be and is defined at the task order level. Please refer to initital task orders for this information. |
| 9, Key Personnel |
| Please confirm all updated LCATS provided in Volume I (reference question 5 re: B.4.7.6) are available for use on this TOPR. |
| Key personnel will be and is defined at the task order level. Please refer to initital task orders for this information. |
| 4, The period of performance (PoP) is 12 months from date of award, with one 12-month option period. |
| So that all Offerors apply the same escalation rate, please provide the expected date of award. |
| September 2022. |
| 9, Key Personnel |
| Please confirm resumes should be submitted for Key Personnel and do not count towards the 10-page limit. |
| Key personnel will be and is defined at the task order level. Please refer to initital task orders for this information. |
| 9, Key Personnel |
| Please confirm all updated LCATS provided in Volume I (reference question 5 re: B.4.7.6) are available for use on this TOPR. |
| Confirmed. |
TOPR1
TOPR3
TOPR4
TOPR5
| ODCs, No Other Direct Costs included. |
| Please confirm the government will allow for necessary ODC's (e.g. hardware, software, data subscriptions, etc.) to deliver the requirements for TOPRs 1, 3, 4, and 5 as in TOPR 2. |
| At this time, VA does not anticipate ODCs on these TOPRs. If this changes, a modifcation may be required after PoP start. |
TOPR 2
Attachment A Tab "TOPR #2", B.3 Performance Work Statement FFP Task 7.2 "Demonstration of Prototype Tool for Prevention of Sexual Harassment (FFP)" with three deliverables:
A. Prototype Evaluation Meeting Agenda; B. Prototype Evaluation Meeting Minutes; and C. Prototype Evaluation Meeting Materials.
These deliverables are not listed in the TOPR #2 CLINs in Attachment A.
| Please confirm the three deliverables will be added to Attachment A for the Base Period (or removed from the Performance Work Statement). |
| This is hereby revised, see revised Attachment A for details. |
Tab "TOPR #3", B.3 Performance Work Statement Section 7.5 states "Task 7.5.1 deliverables and deliverable 7.5.2.1 shall be optional under the base year ... these same tasks and deliverables shall remain requirements under a 12-month option period."
In Attachment A Tab "TORP #3", CLINs 1003, 1005, 1007 and 1009 are listed for Option Period, but only Optional CLIN 0036 is listed for the Base Period.
| Please confirm deliverables 7.5.1.2, 7.5.1.3 and 7.5.2.1 will be added to Attachment A for the Base Period (or removed from the Performance Work Statement). |
| This is hereby revised, see revised Attachment A for details. |
Tab "TOPR #4”, B.3 Performance Work Statement Section 7.5 states that "Task 7.5.1 deliverables and deliverable 7.5.2.1 shall be optional under the base year ... these same tasks and deliverables shall remain requirements under a 12-month option period."
In Attachment A Tab "TORP #4", CLINs 1003, 1005, 1007 and 1009 are listed for Option Period, but only optional CLIN 0036 is listed for the Base Period.
| Please confirm whether 7.5.1.2, 7.5.1.3 and 7.5.2.1 deliverables will be added to Attachment A for the Base Period (or removed from the Performance Work Statement). |
| This is hereby revised, see revised Attachment A for details. |
Tab "TOPR #5”, B.3 Performance Work Statement Section 7.5 states that "Task 7.5.1 deliverables and deliverable 7.5.2.1 shall be optional under the base year". It also states that "these same tasks and deliverables shall remain requirements under a 12-month option period."
In Attachment A Tab "TOPR #5", CLINs 1003, 1005, 1007 and 1009 are listed for Option Period, but only optional CLIN 0036 is listed for the Base Period.
| Please confirm whether 7.5.1.2, 7.5.1.3 and 7.5.2.1 deliverables will be added to Attachment A for the Base Period (or removed from the Performance Work Statement). |
| This is hereby revised, see revised Attachment A for details. |
| Please confirm the pre-set 10 pt TNR font in Attachment B meets the font size requirement outlined in E.1.A.4. |
| Confirmed. |
| Please confirm Offerors may submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan format previously accepted by the VA (such as on TN4G) instead of Attachment D. |
| All offerors shall submit an Attachment D. |
| Attachment C |
| PPQ document appears to be corrupted and will not open. Will the government provide that document directly? |
| Attachment C is provided. |
| Could the government please confirm that bidders must submit a proposal against the IDIQ and ALL five TOPRs in order to be considered for award? There is no situation where a bidder could bid against the IDIQ and 2 of the 5 TOPRs, correct? |
| All offorers must submit proposals to all 5 TOPRs. |
| Could the government confirm it will accept past performance from a subcontractor if that subcontractor performed more than 20% of the work on the past performance example / reference? |
| Yes. |
| Will the government confirm that awardee(s) will be granted access to the necessary data and analytic platforms and systems in order to perform the work? |
| Yes. |
| Will the government confirm that awardee(s) will be granted access to the necessary data and analytic platforms and systems in order to perform the work? |
| Yes. |
| What is the anticipated duration of a typical task order? How is that anticipated to change by phase (design vs develop vs test vs evaluate vs all the above), if at all? How is that anticipated to change by task category / group (eg. Precision Medecine vs AI/ML)? |
| This will be project specific and determined at the TOPR level. |
| Could the government confirm it will accept past performance from both members of a joint venture? |
| Yes. |
| Is the government anticipating process re-design / work flow re-design support to be provided alongside the development of specific technical solutions? |
| This will be project specific and determined at the TOPR level. |
| Could the government confirm it will allow past performance if the contractor was a subcontractor on the past performance reference? |
| Yes. |
| Is the government anticipating communications support to be provided alongside the development of specific technical solutions? |
| No. |
| Is the government anticipating change management, training and/or or technology adoption support to be provided alongside the development of specific technical solutions? |
| No. |
| Is the government anticipating post-implementation operations and maintenance support to be provided alongside the development of specific technical solutions? |
| No. |
| How much program management or coordination support should be anticipated as part of any particular task order? |
| This will be project specific and determined at the TOPR level. |
| Is there a preference for solutions that have been validated in a federal environment? |
| No. |
| Is there a preference for solutions that have been validated in a commercial environment? |
| No. |
| What are the key measures of success for the overall AVAIL effort? |
| Excellence in Veterans' outcomes and expereince. |
| Would the government confirm that past performance from a subcontractor is acceptable? |
| Yes. |
| 121 |
| RFP |
| 24 |
| LCAT Table |
| Will the Government allow Contractors to substitute education for experience (e.g 2 additional years of experience for a candidate with a Bachelors rather than a Masters)? |
| No. |
| 122 |
| RFP |
| 82 |
| Instructions to Offers |
| Volume II - Are resumes required for Key Personnel for each TOPR? |
| Yes. |
Does the VA anticipate/envision awarding several awards for both small and large businesses (e.g., 5-10 awards each)? Can you please specify?
No.
| 124 |
| RFP |
| 15 |
| 6.1.2 |
| For precision oncology - is there interest in tying this in to ClinicalTrials.gov or incorporating data into one of the world's largest CRO for recruitment for oncology clinical trials in order to provide cutting edge cancer treatment to their members? |
| This will be project specific and determined at the TOPR level. |
Multiple
| In all the sections that mention API solutions integration, for the integration data residing on external systems is the VA looking to have data pushed to the various VA platforms or is the VA looking to be able to pull data from external systems through APIs? |
| Both. |
| 126 |
| RFP |
| 18 |
| 6.3 |
| Is the VA looking to acquire the "Hardware and/or wearable" medical devices as part of this IDIQ? |
| This will be project specific and determined at the TOPR level. |
| 127 | |
| RFP | |
| 18 | |
| 6.3.1 | |
| For the On-demand synchronous care solutions |
No. The vendors are not providing clinical personnel.
| Is the VA looking to host vendor-developed Digital Health solutions on premises on VA servers or can they be hosted in a cloud environment? If on a cloud environment, does it have to be a FedRamp environment? and Digital care-backed clinical decision support solutions, are vendors providing the clinical personnel to support these platforms or are the digital health platforms connecting patients to existing VA clinicians? |
| It could be both, it depends on the solution. If cloud based, this could fall under VAEC and not require FedRAMP. |
| 129 |
| RFP |
| 21 |
| 6.5 |
| In accordance with 6.5 and Task Category 5, can VA please clarify or elaborate further with respect to analysis, testing and evaluation of value-based care models; will these activities be conducted on existing VA value-based care models only or is VA also considering a hybrid approach of existing and potentially new models or alternatives? |
| The evaluation is only occurring on the pilot being conducted. |
| 16 |
| 6.2.2 |
| In accordance with 6.2.2 Task Group 2.2 AI/ML- and with regards to synthetic data, is the use, testing, and evaluation of existing VA models only and/or developing new ones? Furthermore, regarding AI/ML solutions and using specific metrics such as operational, clinical, and financial, can VA please provide more specifics or preferred quantitative metrics parameters? |
| This will be project specific and determined at the TOPR level. |
| E.2 |
| Can the VA forecast a timeline when the next set of task order(s) will be released after the IDIQ contracts and first five initial Task Orders have been awarded? |
| Not at this time. |
| 24 |
| 7.6 |
| Can the contractor propose additional labor categories? |
| Yes. |
TOPR Key Personnel
| TOPR 1-5, RFP p.24 |
| Can the contractor propose additional IDIQ labor categories (from RFP Section 7.6 ) for a Task Order in a TOPR response and related TOPR Pricing worksheet (Attachment A)? |
| Yes. |
| 134 |
| RFP |
| 86 |
| E.2 |
| Per Section E.2 2 FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION, it appears that the VA will award Task Order Proposal Request (TOPR) numbers 1 through 5 as part of this solicitation to a subset of contractor(s) who are awarded an IDIQ contract. Can you please confirm? |
| Yes. |
| Of the five initial TOPRs that will be awarded as a result of this solicitation, how many TOPRs does the VA anticipate awarding to small businesses? to large businesses? |
| This solicaition is open market, thus all bsuiness sizes are welcome to compete. |
| 82 |
| A.7 |
| Will the VA consider revising Volume III to propose a "maximum of four" Past Performance references given the scope of the task areas that are covered? |
| No. |
| 82 |
| A.7 |
| Will the VA exclude a (1) Compliance Matrix and (2) Cover Letter from the Technical Approach page count? And as part of this question, excluding Items 1 and 2, would the VA consider extending the page count to 25 pages given the scope of the task areas that must be covered. |
| Yes, see revisions. |
| 76 |
| D |
| Can the VA please provide a copy of "D.3 Attachment C PPQ"? The link to the document in the original solicitation did not work. |
| Yes. |
| 31 |
| B |
| Does the VA anticipate the need for contract personnel to access to national security programs per 10.2 (c)? |
| This will be project specific and determined at the TOPR level. |
| 84 |
| E.7.c |
| As small business offerors are exempt from providing Small Business Subcontracting plans, can the government provide clarity on Attachment D and the necessity for the table on Page 84? |
| The subcontracting plan is not required for smal bsuinesses. The table on page 84 is required for all bsuinesses that plan to partner with other SDVOSB or VOSB businesses. |
| 88 |
| E |
| What is the definition of "some consideration" in the phrase "Non-Veteran Offerors proposing to use SDVOSBs or VOSBs as subcontractors will receive some consideration under this evaluation factor" |
| This is an agetiveal rating that will be used in the evaluation. |
| 88 |
| E |
| If a Small Business Prime proposes to use and SDVOSB or VOSB as a subcontractor, what is the evaluation criteria and how should the Small Business Prime assert this in the Proposal (assuming the Small Business Prime is exempt from providing the Subcontracting Plan as outlined in Attachment D)? |
| This will be noted as some credit as only SDVOSB/VOSB promes receive full credit. |
| 83 |
| A.7.a |
| For Volume I Technical Approach, is the VA looking for a specific Proposal outline for each Task Area or would the following proposal sections comply: |
1. Understanding of the Requirement
2. Task Area Approach
3. Specific Methodologies and Industry Standards This is the offeror’s business decision.
| 83 |
| A.7.b |
| For Volume II Initial Order Technical Approach, is the VA looking for a specific Proposal outline, or would the following proposal sections comply: |
1. Executive Summary
2. Understanding of the Requirement
3. Technical Capability to Achieve Performance Work Statement
3.1 Technical Approach
3.2 Detailed Proposal to Perform the Work
3.3 Specific Methodologies to Accomplish Task
This is the offeror’s business decision.
| General |
| Is there a file size limit for emailing the response documents? |
| Yes, please prepare to submit mupltiple emails if file size is large. |
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