36C24124Q0423.docx

VA Connecticut Healthcare System Airflow Testing (Testing & Balancing)

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

VAMC Manchester

718 Smyth Road Manchester NH 03104

POINT OF CONTACT*

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

ADDRESS

POSTAL CODE

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice

DESCRIPTION

Sources Sought Notice

This is a Sources Sought notice only. This is not a request for quotes and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. The Government will not provide any reimbursement for responses submitted in response to this Source Sought notice. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.

If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interest parties must response to that solicitation announcement separately. Responses to this notice are not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation The purpose of this announcement is to perform market research to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS 333415 (Air Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment) SBA size standard 1,250 employees. VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven and Newington Campuses requires complete Airflow Testing of the rooms listed by building and room number. VACHS is currently seeking services for all labor, materials, transportation, parts, and expertise necessary to provide quarterly and annual testing and air balancing required. The full SOW is attached below for reference.

This Sources Sought notice provides an opportunity for respondents to submit their capability and availability to provide the requirement described below. Vendors are encouraged to submit information relative to their capabilities to fulfill this requirement, in the form of a statement that addresses the specific requirement identified in this Sources Sought. Information received from this Sources Sought shall be utilized to facilitate the Contracting Officer’s review of the market base, for acquisition planning, size determination, and procurement strategy.

Submission Instructions: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by 17:00 EST, 17th of April 2024. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to Nathan.Langone@va.gov with Sources Sought # 36C24124Q0423 in the subject line. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

Interested parties should complete the attached Sources Sought Worksheet. Parties may submit additional information related to their capabilities, provided it contains all the requirements contained in the Sources Sought Worksheet. Responses to this Sources Sought shall not exceed 8 pages. In addition, all submissions should be provided electronically in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

Attachment 1 Sources Sought Worksheet

QUALIFICATION INFORMATION:

Company / Institute Name: _______________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: ________________________________________________________________ Point of Contact: _______________________________________________________________ E-mail Address: ________________________________________________________________ Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) #: ___________________________________________________ CAGE Code: __________________________________________________________________ SAM Registered: (Y / N) Other available contract vehicles applicable to this sources sought (GSA/FSS/NASA SEWP/ETC): __________________________________________________________________

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS:

VIP Verified SDVOSB: (Y / N) VIP Verified VOSB: (Y / N) 8(a): (Y / N) HUBZone: (Y / N) Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N) Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N) Small Business: (Y / N) NOTE: Respondent claiming SDVOSB and VOSB status shall be registered and Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) verified in VetBiz Registry www.vetbiz.gov.

BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SDVOSB, VOSB, SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION.

CAPABILITY STATEMENT:

Provide a brief capability and interest in providing the service as listed in Attachment 2 Statement of Work with enough information to determine if your company can meet the requirement. The capabilities statement for this Sources Sought is not a Request for Quotation, Request for Proposal, or Invitation for Bid, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach, but rather the Government is requesting a short statement regarding the company’s ability to provide the services outlined in the SOW. Any commercial brochures or currently existing marketing material may also be submitted with the capabilities statement. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government will not pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.

STATEMENT OF WORK

TESTING AND AIR BALANCING

VA CONNECTICUT HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (VACHS)

VA MEDICAL CENTER WEST HAVEN

VA MEDICAL CENTER NEWINGTON

Maintenance, Repair, and Rebuilding of Equipment – Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Air Circulating Equipment.

BACKGROUND

VA Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven and Newington Campuses requires complete Airflow Testing of the rooms listed by building and room number. VACHS is currently seeking services for all labor, materials, transportation, parts, and expertise necessary to provide quarterly and annual testing and air balancing required.

JUSTIFICATION

Veterans Health Administration (VHA) seeks to continue to improve the operational capabilities by establishing services that result in fewer operational problems, improved communications, increased efficiency within the facility and to improve the quality of services to veterans.

LOCATION OF SERVICES

VA Medical Center West Haven 950 Campbell Avenue West Haven, CT 06516

VA Medical Center Newington 555 Willard Avenue Newington, CT 06111

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Base contract period shall be 06/01/2024 – 05/31/2025. The contract will also contain the provision for (4) annual option years:

Option Year 1: 06/01/2025 – 05/31/2026 Option Year 2: 06/01/2026 – 05/31/2027 Option Year 3: 06/01/2027 – 05/31/2028 Option Year 4: 06/01/2028 – 05/31/2029

QUALIFICATIONS

To be considered eligible for consideration, potential bidders shall have a field service representative located within 200 miles of the West Haven and Newington Campuses of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and have been trained by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) on the specific model of equipment that he/she is being asked to provide services for.

Bidders shall provide upon request, documentation of factory certified service/maintenance training on the specific equipment under the terms of this contract. The Contracting Officer and/or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) specifically reserve the right to reject any of the Contractor’s personnel and refuse them permission to work on the equipment outlined herein, based upon credentials provided.

The service provider shall be either a certified member of AABC, NEBB, or TABB to perform TAB service for HVAC. The service provider shall be a certified firm and have certified professionals on staff. The certification shall be maintained for the entire duration of duties specified herein. If, for any reason the agency loses subject certification during this period, the CO and COR shall be immediately notified, and a corrective action plan submitted for approval. Any agency that has been the subject of disciplinary action by either the AABC, TABB, or NEBB within the five (5) years preceding Contract Award shall not be eligible to perform any work related to this contract.

Service Provider: The service provider shall be either a member of AABC or TABB or an experienced technician of the Agency certified by NEBB. The certification shall be maintained for the entire duration of duties specified herein. If, for any reason, the Specialist loses subject certification during this period, immediately notify the CO and COR and submit another Specialist for approval. Any individual that has been the subject of disciplinary action by either the AABC or the NEBB within the five (5) years preceding Contract Award shall not be eligible to perform any duties related to the HVAC systems, including TAB.

The service provider will be coordinating, scheduling, and reporting all work related activities and will provide necessary information as required by the COR. The responsibilities include:

a. Complete air balancing to design specifications and manufacturers equipment design standards.

b. Shall directly supervise all testing work.

c. Shall sign the testing reports that bear the seal of the TAB standard. The reports shall be accompanied by report forms and schematic drawings required by the TAB standard, AABC, TABB, or NEBB.

d. Shall make special notations of variances from design quantities which exceeds plus or minus ten percent of design specifications.

e. Shall ensure any holes or openings made in duct work to facilitate testing are plugged, sealed, and labeled for intended purpose upon completion of work.

f. Shall supply all labor, material, equipment, tools, supervision and all incidentals to complete Dispersed Oil Particulate (DOP) testing on all HEPA filters in all Air Handlers/Supply/Return/Exhaust noted herein which contain HEPA filters in the supply/return/exhaust and shall be tested in accordance with current ASHRAE standards in addition to Federal Standard 209E, ISO 14644, IEST RP-006.3 and AFM procedural standard AHFB0607. All leaks shall be sealed by acceptable trade practice and retested to ensure that each system meets the acceptable particle count standards as per the herein referenced standards and codes. Testing shall be completed by the total probe scan method, installation pressure drop testing, monitoring for temperature and humidity, room pressurization testing and air exchanges per hour.

g. Follow all testing work through its satisfactory completion; document all findings and results and submit a detailed work order ticket per unit and/or test at end of the day’s work to the COR and VA Contracting Officer. Include the same information in the follow up formal report with clear call outs for findings and recommendations.

All technicians performing actual testing work shall be experienced and must have satisfactory performance on a minimum of three projects comparable in size and complexity to this scope. Qualifications must be certified by the Service Provider in writing. The lead technician and all assigned technicians shall be certified by AABC, TABB, or NEBB.

Test Equipment Criteria: The instrumentation shall meet the accuracy/calibration requirements established by AABC National Standards, TABB/SMACNA International Standards, or by NEBB Procedural Standards for Testing, Adjusting and Balancing of Environmental Systems and instrument manufacturer. Provide calibration history of the instruments to be used for test and balance purposes as part of every formal report for every unit and/or test. .

Submit names and qualifications of TAB specialists a minimum of ten (10) business days prior to starting quarterly and annual testing in writing to the COR and the VA Contracting Officer.

Subcontracting of ay ensuing award of this solicitation shall not be allowed without written permission of the Contracting Officer. Service response on calls from unauthorized personnel could result in non-payment.

SCOPE OF WORK

The contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, and all incidentals to complete the work for the services described in this document including testing, inspections and unscheduled service calls.

Scheduled maintenance shall be completed Monday through Friday outside of regular business hours after 5:00 p.m. and before 6:00 a.m. a minimum notice of three (3) weeks.

No work shall be performed on Government Holidays unless an emergency status has been indicated by the VA Contracting Officer.

Description of Services:

1. Quarterly and Annual Airflow Testing to maintain compliance with:

a. VHA Directive 1116 Sterile Processing Services (SPS) 2023

b. ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170-2017 Ventilation of Healthcare Facilities

c. VHA HEFP HVAC Design Manual Rev November 1, 2022.

2. Semi- Annual HEPA filter testing.

3. Schedule and coordinate areas to be tested with the COR and with a three (3) week notice.

4. Provide complete airflow testing and hard copy report to include air changes per hour for each room and pressure relationship to surrounding spaces for the following spaces (see attachment 1 for floor plans showing the locations of each room).

Week

HVAC Systems to be Air Balanced and HEPA DOP Tested West Haven Campus:

Mechanical Air Handler Unit and Exhaust Equipment Schedule

HVAC Systems to be Air Balanced and HEPA DOP Tested Newington Campus:

Lab AHU #1 and Exhaust Located B2E Basement SPS AHU #2 and Exhaust Located B2E Basement Dental AHU B2C Penthouse Pharmacy AHU C01 and Exhaust Located B2W Basement

Negative Air Machines at West Haven Campus:

VAMC West Haven has (10) negative air machines. The Service provider shall test these machines utilizing the following performance evaluation tests:

1. In-place HEPA filter leak test, airflow volume test, and magnehelic gauge reading, where applicable. Filters shall be tested using aerosol challenge and aerosol photometer downstream filter probe test method. Individual equipment test reports shall be included in final report submittals. Make note on the reports if the filters and/or negative air machines fail to meet the manufacturers requirements for proper operation.

Negative Air Machines at Newington Campus:

VAMC Newington has (06) negative air machines. The Service provider shall test these machines utilizing the following performance evaluation tests:

1. In-place HEPA filter leak test, airflow volume test, and magnehelic gauge reading, where applicable. Filters shall be tested using aerosol challenge and aerosol photometer downstream filter probe test method. Individual equipment test reports shall be included in final report submittals. Make note on the reports if the filters and/or negative air machines fail to meet the manufacturers requirements for proper operation.

5. Unscheduled/Emergency Service Calls Requirements:

a. Unscheduled service calls shall be performed at the direction of the VA Contracting Officer. The vendor and the VA Contracting Officer will agree on the Scope of Work and labor hours prior to the commencement of work.

b. Emergency service and repairs shall be available on a 24 hour per day basis and will be invoiced at the prevailing straight time or overtime contract customer rate.

c. Vendor shall submit the following associated with unscheduled service calls.

1. Labor Hours: Minimum 6 Hours

SUBMITTALS/DELIVERABLES

1. The Service provider shall furnish Certificates of Calibration for all instruments used in conducting the balancing of systems and DOP testing of HEPA filters where applicable including, function, minimum range, minimum accuracy, minimum resolution, manufacturer, model, serial number, frequency of calibration, and date of last calibration.

2. The Service provider shall furnish a detailed written report making special notations of variances from design quantities which exceed plus or minus ten percent of design specifications.

3. The Service provider shall furnish Project Synopsis Detailed Written Report of performance test procedures, Equipment ID, and orientation drawings of each performance test and statistical data analysis with all findings and recommendations clearly called out.

4. The Service provider shall submit two (2) hard copies and electronic copy of all maintenance, testing, and inspection data/reports to the COR within thirty (30) calendar days of completion of work. Billing subject to the receipt and acceptance of testing and reports per service unit.

5. The contractor shall submit any waste manifest documents as applicable with final reports.

6. Work hours and service calls for corrective maintenance shall be as follows:

a. Normal routine service shall occur during normal business hours.

i. 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

b. Correction/Emergency service shall be provided 24 hours, 7 days per week.

i. During this period, corrective, emergency maintenance will be initiated by the VA Connecticut Healthcare System call to the contractor’s service center, which must be acknowledged within 2 hours (per a call back to review details of concerns, suspect causes, and outcomes.)

ii. A fully qualified and competent service technician must be on site at the start of the next first shift on Monday – Friday to address specific concerns.

iii. The equipment and its operation shall be restored to full service within two (2) hours of arriving on the job site, barring extenuating circumstances (e.g., required replacement parts).

1. Full service means that defective parts have been replaced with parts that meet or exceeds the manufacturers original specifications and that the equipment meets or exceeds the manufacturers original performance specifications.

c. Annual preventative maintenance work (90%) or better) shall be completed no less than one calendar month before the end of each annual contract period.

d. Contractor shall cover all costs for preventative maintenance services for labor and materials (e.g. calibrations of gauges, valves, equipment settings, transmitters and controls including shipping, handling, and freight.

e. All labor, materials, parts, and supplies for corrective/emergency maintenance will be paid for by the VA before the material is procured and/or the work is completed, or the contractor may be perceived as proceeding at risk. Contractor shall submit all proposals within two (2) working days of field assessment for determination of issue(s) and acceptance of corrective action plan.

f. Authorization to procure and complete corrective/emergency maintenance work shall be per verbal or written direction of the VA Contracting Officer or per Purchase Order Number issuance upon approval and funding of cost for correction) and upon which the contractor shall provide all labor, parts, and or materials necessary for correction/emergency maintenance work.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Contractor Check-in: All employees of the service provider shall comply with VA Security Management Program and obtain permission of the VA Police and restricted from unauthorized access. Upon arrival, the contractor shall sign-in at Building 15 and receive a temporary identification badge prior to performing services at VA Connecticut Healthcare System. The contractor shall wear visible identification always displaying the name and company ID while on site. All site visits shall be coordinated with the VA COR.

2. Documentation: At the conclusion of each repair and scheduled maintenance visit, the contractor shall provide a written service report indicating the date of service, the model, serial number, and location of equipment serviced, the name of the representative, and the services performed, and parts replaced and labor hours. The reports shall be delivered within five business days.

3. Per VA Directive 1805, smoking vaping, and smokeless tobacco are prohibited on the grounds of VA facilities, including in vehicles. This Directive applies to all Service providers and their employees.

4. No photography of VA premises is allowed without written permission of the contracting officer. Patients and staff are not to be photographed at any time.

5. VA reserves the right to close down or shut down the facilities and order Service provider employees off the premises in the event of a national emergency. The Service provider may return to the site only with the written approval of the VA Contracting Officer.

6. Prior to commencing work onsite, all Service providers and provider personnel shall furnish proof of receipt of required COVID vaccinations and boosters in compliance with current VHA Directives.

7. Prior to commencing work onsite, all Service providers and provider personnel shall furnish proof of receipt of required Tuberculosis testing in compliance with VHA Directive 1131(5), dated June 04, 2021.

8. Parking for Service provider and its employees shall be in designated areas only. Service provider to coordinate with COR.

9. The Service provider shall confine all operations (including storage of materials) on government premises to areas authorized or approved by the VA Contracting Officer. The Service provider shall hold and save the government, its officers, and agents, free and harmless from liability of any nature occasioned by the Service provider’s performance. Working space and space available for storing materials shall be as determined by the COR. Workers are subject to the rules of the Medical Center applicable to their conduct. Execute work in such a manner as to reduce impacts with work being done by others.

10. Billing: Provide COR with a report or statement of work completed and include statements with request for payment. Statement should include service completed and the date each service item was completed. Labor charges shall be billed hourly, and any unused labor totals will be credited back to the VA Medical Center on the next billing cycle, upon receipt of the service report.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. User Responsibility: The contractor shall not be held responsible under the terms of this contract for repairs to equipment necessitated by user abuse and/or misuse of equipment.

2. All work is subject to inspection, review and approval by the HVAC Supervisor, Utility System Supervisor, Chief M&O, Chief Engineer, and/or their designees.