Industry Q_A Government Responses - 36C24126R0001.pdf

36C24126R0001 National Prescription Eyeglasses Manufacturing Industry Questions with Government Responses

1. How does VA envision optician services being provided at VA facilities once the national fabrication contract is in place (e.g., VA-employed opticians, separate contracts, GSA vehicles, or other mechanisms)?

1.1. VA intends to utilize VA employed opticians or third-party opticians obtained through available national strategic contracts, GSA contracts, or open market sources based on individual market research at the local levels.

2. To that end, there are multiple references to “VA Opticians” in the solicitation, which can be interpreted as the plan is to move contractor employees to VA employees. Is this the plan?

2.1. “VA Opticians” refers to any optician staffed by the VA through direct employment or contracted by VA to provide Veteran care.

3. Is it accurate for us to communicate to our opticians that VA intends to continue offering optician services to Veterans?

3.1. Yes. VA will ensure continuity of services for our Veteran beneficiaries.

4. Is there a planned timeline or transition window for when contractor-provided optician services at VA sites must cease under the new national contract?

4.1. Optician Services will be discontinued by the incumbent contractors if they receive a national award at the time of performance beginning at the facility. The Go-Live

Schedule will be coordinated between the incumbent contractor, the new contractor (if applicable), the Network Contracting Office Contracting Officer, and the National

Contracting Officer to ensure continuity of services for Opticians and implementation of the national manufacturing contract.

5. Are there specific milestones (e.g., award date, regional go live dates) that you recommend we reference when discussing timing with our staff to avoid confusion or premature changes?

5.1. No. When national awards are announced VA will work with incumbent contractors, their respective contracting and program office personnel, and national awardees to establish timelines for any transitions that may be required.

6. Would VA be willing to provide a brief, high-level statement or FAQ language about optician services under the new model that contractors can share internally, so we are all aligned in messaging and can reassure staff that VA is planning for continuity of care?

6.1. Yes. Please contact your current Contracting Officer for information on the FAQ. This may not be immediately available, but they will provide information when it becomes available.

7. How does the VA intend to award delivery orders from the National Contract IDIQs? (1)

Please confirm if multiple contractors will be serving each Region or does the VA anticipate to award one Regional delivery order per contractor? (2) Are the Regional delivery orders the award for the whole region or the individual glasses orders placed by the VA? (3) What objective evaluation criteria will VA use to award orders for a Region?

7.1. (1) & (2) Multiple national contracts will be awarded. One award (single award) will be issued per Region. At least two contractors will receive national awards and at least two contractors will receive separate Regional awards.

7.2. (3) Because national awardees will be technically acceptable price will be used to award Delivery Orders for each Region.

8. Will competition for delivery orders every five years be limited to existing national contract

IDIQ holders? (1) What will the competition entail? (2) Why is this included if option periods are already included in this solicitation?

8.1. (1) A solicitation to all national contract holders.

8.2. (2) Delivery Orders will have a five-year performance period (base year with four, one-year option periods). The Government is required to provide fair opportunity for follow-on requirements in accordance with FAR Part 16.

9. Please confirm offerors should include Section B- continuation of SF 1449 and

Acknowledgements of amendments behind the SF 1449 and will these also be excluded from the page count?

9.1. Yes. These documents are excluded from the page count. See Additional Instructions

For Proposal Submission Section 7.1.1.4.

10. Page 63 item 3 mentions the ORCA document that is located in SAM. Please confirm if a copy of the ORCA document is required to be submitted with the proposal?

10.1. Electronic submission is sufficient.

11. (1) Within the Provisions/Clauses Completion section on p64, please confirm that items mentioning online submission refers to a general SAM submission or if there is another online submission required. (2) Secondly, will copies of the SAM submissions be required to be submitted with the proposal?

11.1. (1) This is correct.

11.2. (2) Electronic submission is sufficient.

12. Within the Provisions/Clauses Completion on p64, for the sections that don’t require signature, please confirm if the contractor should submit completed forms either through

SAM (online) or due with proposal.

12.1. FAR 52.209-7 is an online submission. All other clauses are required with submission of a proposal.

13. Within the Provisions/Clauses Completion on p64, please confirm if 6.3, 6.3.1, 6.4, and 6.4.1 should be submitted through online SAM submission or due with proposal.

13.1. See amendment.

14. Please confirm if offerors should use Attachment F for filling in and submitting VAAR

852.219-76, or if they should use pages 57-59 in the solicitation.

14.1. The attachments have been made into fillable forms for completion. Complete and submit Attachments. If selected for award the contractor will be required to certify (sign) the award document.

15. Within section 8 on P66 please confirm that for sections 8.3-8.6 the offeror is only expected to provide a brief statement confirming that they can meet the requirements or if an additional narrative write up is required?

15.1. Statement(s) that cover all requirements within this section is acceptable.

16. Within the Matters Related to Responsibility Determinations on page 66, section 8.1-8.2 please confirm if offerors who provide proof of cash, equipment and facilities on hand instead of letters of credit, will be rated more favorably?

16.1. No. This requirement is to assist in a favorable Responsibility Determination and is not an evaluation factor.

17. Please confirm how Matters Related to Responsibility Determination will be evaluated, they aren’t specifically addressed on page 82 section 52.212-2 EVALUATION.

17.1. This requirement is to assist in a favorable Responsibility Determination and is not an evaluation factor.

18. It seems that FAR clause FAR 9.104-3(a) includes several options to prove financial resources “Acceptable evidence normally consists of a commitment or explicit arrangement, that will be in existence at the time of contract award, to rent, purchase, or otherwise acquire the needed facilities, equipment, other resources, or personnel.” (1) Will the VA please be more specific on which items they would like included with the proposal to prove financial resources, or the ability to obtain financial resources and provide examples such as bank statements, building locations, equipment, lines of credit, leases etc.

18.1. (1) No. Submit any documentation you feel relevant to assist in a favorable

Responsibility Determination.

19. Page 66 section 10.2 and 10.3 request the manufacturer part number and manufacturer description for each frame. Can this be clarified to more accurately request, for example, the manufacturer frame name, all colors available, and all sizes available? We are unsure here what manufacturer part number and description mean.

19.1. This section is for the sample kit submitted and only requires documentation for the frames submitted for technical evaluation.

19.2. Manufacturer Part Number is what part number would be used to order the item (i.e.

SKU or UPC or another identifier). Description should include size, shape, bridge type, gender, frame material, hinge type, and rim type at a minimum.

20. The Technical Acceptability Standard 1 – Sample Frame Kit, Complete Eyeglass Samples, and Lens Offerings says that frame kits shall “meet or exceed” all stated requirements to be considered acceptable. Does “or exceed” mean that more than the stated 52 required sample frames can be sent, or does the VA want exactly 52 styles sent based on the requirements?

20.1. VA requires 52 frames for evaluation. Meet or exceed refers to the quality, not the quantity.

21. If more than one contractor offers the same frame in their kit, how will VA determine which contractor receives the order triggered by a veteran selecting that frame? Will preference be based on price, capability or another mechanism?

21.1. Regions will only have one contractor performing manufacturing.

22. Page 67 section 10.5 lists “Certification of ANSI Z80.5” for all frames. What exactly is expected for this certification?

22.1. VA has removed references to ANSI Z80.5 and updated them to ANSI/ISO 7998 / 8624

/ 12870 - Optics Set. Provide documentation that products meet these standards.

23. (1) Section 14.3 on page 68 mentions end of life date for the equipment. Please define what end of life date means? (2) Please also confirm if the VA is looking for the end of life date for current equipment or a projection of which equipment will reach end of life dates during the contract. It is outside of customary commercial practices to forecast the end of life dates outside of standard accounting such as balance sheet schedules and OEM recommendations.

23.1. (1) End of life is the end of serviceable life prescribed by the OEM for the equipment.

23.2. (2) VA is requesting the end-of-life date for the equipment and capital improvement plans if the equipment has or will reach its’ end of life prior to award of the national contract.

24. Section 14.5 on page 68 mentions preventative maintenance plans for the equipment.

Please be specific on which information the VA would like to see for preventative maintenance plans as offerors conduct daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly maintenance tasks.

24.1. Documentation of the manufacturers preventive maintenance requirements and proof of preventative maintenance being completed.

25. Section 14.6 on page 68 mentions OEM preventative maintenance schedules for the equipment. Please be specific on the information the VA would like to see for OEM preventative maintenance schedules. Alternatively, would the VA consider removing this item since the offeror’s preventative maintenance already enables them to comply with the acceptable quality levels of the performance requirement summary in section 5.

25.1. See question 24.

26. Section 17 on page 68 mentions “The offeror shall provide a narrative describing its specific experience providing prescription eyeglass manufacturing services.” Please confirm what information specifically the VA requires as a narrative in addition to the items detailed in section 17.1 on past contracts.

26.1. The information detailed in Section 17.1 is the minimum requirement.

27. Please confirm if section 21. Other Than Certified Pricing Data on page 70 counts toward the page limits, as it is not listed on the excluded pages in section 7.1.1 on page 65.

27.1. See amendment.

28. Please confirm how the VA defines capabilities for the purposes of the evaluation factors.

Does this mean current equipment, staffing, financial resources, and which is rated higher?

28.1. The information detailed in Section 18 is the minimum requirement.

29. Within the FACTOR 2, SUBFACTOR 1 – CAPABILITIES evaluation factor on page 84, it mentions current capabilities shall be a minimum of 1,600 complete eyeglasses manufactured per day to be eligible for an award supporting Regions 1 through 4. (1) Please confirm if current capabilities need to exceed 6,400 cumulative complete eyeglasses manufactured per day to bid on regions 1-4 complete (1,600 per region 1,2, 3, and 4), or if the offeror just needs to exceed 1,600 pairs per day to be eligible for all cumulatively for award? (2) Please also define capabilities of manufacturing complete eyeglasses daily, does this need to be something offerors do currently or have plans to do? (3) Is it just a representation that an offeror can meet the standard, or whether there is an immediate capability to meet VA’s needs? If not, then would that offeror be evaluated under Factor 2, Subfactor 2?

29.1. (1) The minimum is 600 eyeglasses per day to be considered for a national award. The minimum is 600 eyeglasses per day to then be considered for a Region 5 award. The minimum is 1,600 eyeglasses per day for each separate Region 1 through 4.

29.2. (2) Capabilities are current capabilities.

29.3. (3) See amendment.

30. Section 1.3 on page 8 mentions “VA is developing a Go-Live Schedule that will be provided at time of award notification. This schedule will provide information on transition from existing contract vehicles to performance under the national contract.” (1) Please provide more information on the intended duration of the contract terminations and transition periods, including contracts with opticians where VA will determine what their staffing plans can be. Will VISNs execute their own plans? Will it be on a Medical Center by Medical

Center basis? Will VA begin integration where a Medical Center staffs up or will VA wait until the entire VISN/region can begin to integrate? What happens if VA is unable to replace opticians in a timely fashion? Staffing currently takes a long time to get through for internal hiring and/or award of new contracts to meet the requirements. Without knowing the specific dates on when the regions will go live, we are unable to properly forecast the cost of operations and price discounts in the price proposal. (2) Will discounts apply to partial awards of new locations added? (3) With the five year base period, will the beginning be from the award of contract or when the region is fully integrated to begin the base term of the contract?

30.1. (1) VA will ensure continuity of care for our Veterans. Detailed plans will be discussed at the time of award announcements.

30.2. (2) If by partial awards you mean VISN by VISN rollout, yes.

30.3. (3) The period of performance begins when performance begins. See SOW Section

1.3.

31. Will the VA consider re-inserting optician services (fitting and dispensing eyeglasses) to the eyeglass manufacturing contract as a separate line item as anticipated on the CCN RFI

36S79726Q0001, and customary with commercial practices to enable the go-live schedule to transition to be a non-issue?

31.1. No. Optician Services is a medical service that is not incidental to manufacturing of eyeglasses.

32. (1) With regard to the prohibition of a contractor participating in the optician services contracts which may be awarded in the future, what is the standard VA is using to determine

“affiliation for the purposes of the prohibition (see p. 7, B.2,1.1)?” (2) Would it not be simpler to have dispensing services included in this contract as suggested in 24.b above?

32.1. (1) Eyeglass manufacturing contractors and their employees.

32.2. (2) No. Optician Services is a medical service that is not incidental to manufacturing of eyeglasses.

33. The language in section 2.4.1.3 and all other sections mentioning high index is slightly ambiguous. Can “… and high index with refraction values from 1.60 to 1.74” be changed to

“…and high index with index of refraction values from 1.60 to 1.74”? The phrase “refraction value” could be interpreted as the prescription measurements, so the recommended language is just slightly clearer without needed context.

33.1. See amendment.

34. Section 2.4.1.6 has language that may cause confusion. Can this be changed to “Shall block

100% of UVA and UVB rays if lenses are photochromatic or polarized” or some variation of this? For example, tinted or blue filter lenses do not guarantee 100% UVA and UVB blocking, and the language of “clear” is confusing when considering these other add-on types.

34.1. See amendment.

35. Can VA confirm if the language in section 2.4.1.13 is meant to state that there should be no add-on charge to VA for balance lenses? Otherwise, for example, this can be interpreted that a contractor would be required to provide half of a manufactured pair of lenses at no charge when still manufacturing a balance lens—by billing a CLIN at .5 quantity, for example. The CLINs are for “Complete eyewear,” so the full price should be billed even if a balance lens is present, and this requirement simply states that no additional charge should be added to balance a lens, correct?

35.1. Yes. Balance lenses shall be provided at no additional charge to the price of a pair of complete eyeglasses.

36. Can VA confirm that section 2.4.1.15 is meant to be interpreted that a contractor MUST provide brand name products when ordered by VA, unless that brand name product combination is simply unavailable to be manufactured? For example, in plain language: if an order is received with “substantiated medical documentation to support medical necessity” written for transitions lenses, the contractor should provide Transitions brand lenses under the relevant CLIN? Same scenario for, say, Varilux progressives. If the order says Varilux, the contractor must provide it under the relevant CLIN, correct? We are aware of no

“medical necessity” or alternate medical diagnosis documentation for branded items, so clarification here is very important to make clear what VA expects of the contractor.

36.1. See amendment.

37. Again regarding section 2.4.1.15, can the sentence “If an order is received citing brand names without note of approval, notify the facility POC and local PSAS to correct the order” be removed? Section 1.1 states that the contractor “shall not add or substitute components or alter the beneficiaries’ prescription in any way…” With no optician services being provided by the contractor, the lab will simply receive an order and be required to fill it as written by the VA. We see it as an inherently governmental function to verify or double-check any

“substantiated medical documentation to support medical necessity” as the contractor will not have access to or knowledge of those medical documentation or medical necessity requirements, or what a “note of approval” would look like here. In this way it seems proper to interpret the “note of approval” as receiving a valid, manufacturable request to make eyewear under this solicitation, which would make the language quoted above for removal unnecessary and confusing if left in.

37.1. See amendment.

38. Sections 2.4.1.16.3, 2.4.1.17.3, and 2.4.1.18.3 should be removed as they are unnecessary.

We interpret their inclusion to mean that all SV/Bifocal/Trifocal must be “Clear”, which would directly contradict the requirement to also match all other requirements in 2.4.1 or provide any add-ons.

38.1. See amendment.

39. Section 2.4.1.19.1 appears to be missing the Trivex material. Can this be included, as there are line items for Trivex progressives on the price schedule?

39.1. See amendment.

40. The salient characteristics of progressive lenses listed under 2.4.1.19.7 states lenses shall meet or exceed the requirement of “Conventional lenses”, and all examples listed in

2.4.1.19.9 are conventional lenses. Can it be clarified that digital progressives do “exceed” this requirement, and the contractor would not be required to use conventional progressive lenses as opposed to digital progressive lens technology?

40.1. See amendment.

41. Section 2.4.1.20.6 lists a Premium progressive salient characteristic of “Lab-made lenses”.

Please define lab-made lenses.

41.1. See amendment.

42. Transitions GenS is listed in both sections 2.4.1.22.4 and 2.4.1.23.5. We believe this should be removed from one of those categories, as they reference two different CLINs on the price schedule. Our recommendation would be to remove from 2.4.1.23.5.

42.1. See amendment.

43. Section 2.4.1.23 lists that a salient characteristic of “PREMIUM PHOTOCHROMATIC TYPE

2” is that the lenses transition while in vehicle if exposed to UV light. The examples listed in

2.4.1.23.5 reference four different products that are used in four different ways, with substantial cost differences between the items. Based on previous solicitation drafts, we believe it is VA’s intention to offer Premium Photochromatic Type options for all listed examples. Our recommendation would be list Transitions XTRActive as the only example for

Premium Photochromatic Type 2; create a Premium Photochromatic Type 3 with Transitions

XTRActive Polarized as the only example and an additional salient characteristic of

“Dynamic Polarization when exposed to UV light”; and a Premium Photochromatic Type 4 with Transitions Drivewear as the only example and an additional salient characteristic of

“Always-on polarization” and the removal of the salient characteristic of returning to a clear state, as Drivewear lenses do not return to a clear state. Is this acceptable?

43.1. No.

44. Section 2.4.1.36 states that all frames must be “light in weight and maintain durability and strength.” How is this measured? If it is not being measured, can this requirement be removed?

44.1. No. This is a description, not an evaluated factor.

45. Section 2.4.1.36 states that styles “must be fashionable and consistent with what is available at retail eyeglass stores.” Can this please be defined or removed? The frame kit requirements are evaluated explicitly on a pass/fail basis based on the evaluation factors listed later in the solicitation, and this language seems ambiguous and open for interpretation during evaluation and unrelated to any evaluation factors on the frame requirements list.

45.1. See amendment.

46. Section 2.4.1.38.4 for plastic frames states that all plastic frames “shall have spring hinges”.

This requirement is not listed for metal, but the frame requirements listed elsewhere state spring hinges are necessary in all categories. Can this be added into the metals section as well for clarity?

46.1. See amendment.

47. We interpret the language of “Other barrel hinges and hinge-less designs are not acceptable” as, plainly, all frames (other than safety frames) must have spring hinges. Is this correct?

47.1. Yes.

48. Section 2.4.1.42.3 on page 17 mentions “The contractor shall ensure frames are available for manufacturing within the required timelines in Section 2.4.8. Shipping. The contractor is responsible for obtaining frames at their expense.” (1) What frames have been removed from the offerings of VA in both VISNs offerors still have to acquire to support the VA labs in

VISN 10/12 and 20, that are no longer on contract? (2) What are the quantity estimates for older and discontinued frames that the offeror will have to stock? (3) Current frame vendors to VA have indicated there are additional frames used by the VA labs, in addition to those listed in the solicitation on Attachment D. (4) Please confirm Attachment D includes all frames being used currently, removed but still required to be provided by the offeror, and any frames that are anticipated to be used by the VA labs in VISN 10/12 and 20 so offerors can adequately price and determine stock for offering on Region 5.

48.1. (1) and (4) The frame list provided in Attachment D was obtained immediately prior to the solicitation. Any changes and usage will be provided at time of award.

48.2. (2) See 2.4.1.42.1.

48.3. (3) Please provide that information of additional frames for the team to verify.

49. The VA Optical Lab frame kits included in Attachment D do not seem to match the requirements of the solicitation in the frame requirements breakdown starting on page 20.

Are the VA labs not required to match these frame requirements or will the contractor be responsible for also providing potential frame kits to the VA lab locations to bring the requirements up to the same standard?

49.1. At this time VA Optical Manufacturing Labs are not required to provide the same frame offerings.

50. For purposes of response submission, should the contractor provide frame kit documentation matching the requirements beginning on page 20, or should all documentation provided only match the sample kit requirements for evaluation beginning on page 71? Should all frame documentation provided for the solicitation response be based the 85 frame list for post-award or the 52 frame evaluation list?

50.1. For evaluations submit only the 52 frames. The 85 frames will be coordinated post award.

51. All frame description categories in the frame kit requirements list spring hinges as a requirement except Women’s Titanium semi-rimless, and Safety. Safety has been established elsewhere to not require springs, but we believe the Women’s Titanium semi-rimless section on pages 23 and 74 should have this added back in. Is this correct?

51.1. See amendment.

52. Safety frame requirements on page 23 and 74 say all safety frames but be provided with removeable side shields. We believe this language needs to be changed to match the language in section 2.4.1.39.2, which states all safety frames must have either “detachable side shields or wrap/goggle style), consistent with other past solicitation clarifications.

52.1. See amendment.

53. Section 2.4.2 states that a “shipping notification shall be sent to the Veteran upon shipment if VA provides an email address for the Veteran.” This is currently capable due to the use of the contractor portal including a field for email address if provided. We do not believe there is a field or column for Veteran email address in the 4sight template that will be used on this solicitation. Will that be added?

53.1. VA will discuss internally.

54. Section 2.4.2 mentions “Verification of prescription and delivery shall be sent to the VA.” Can

“verification of prescription” be defined?

54.1. See amendment.

55. Will VA consider removal of the subsections within 2.4.4. (2.4.4.1-2.4.4.8) as long as contractors meet the requirements and acceptable quality levels of the performance requirement summary in section 5?

55.1. No.

56. Can the language of section 2.4.5 be updated to match B.3 section 3.1 on page 37 regarding what cases must be used for safety eyeglasses? Section 2.4.5 appears to be missing the clarification language of “If a hard case is not possible due to the size of safety eyeglasses with side shields attached, a slip-in style case will be provided that can accommodate the eyeglasses with the side shields attached.”

56.1. See amendment.

57. We interpret section 2.4.7.1.2 to define any orders as containing “specialty lenses” for the purposes of reporting as any order that includes an add-on CLIN, which in the current price schedule are CLINs 0007 and all subCLINs through 0011 and all subCLINs. Is this correct?

57.1. Yes.

58. Section 2.4.7.5 says the contractor “may include information about retail services offered…”

Can retail services be clearly defined?

58.1. The contractor may provide information about any retail services offered by their company or a partner company in their shipment to the Veteran (i.e. brochure, pamphlet, etc.).

59. Section 2.4.8 lays out restrictions on advertisements and communications with veterans.

Currently, some veterans receive a shipment notification email with their eyewear tracking number and a follow-up email after delivery with the customer satisfaction survey

(mentioned in this solicitation in section 4.1.2.3). Does section 2.4.8 preclude a contractor from sending the satisfaction survey to veterans as a standard follow-up to their pair of eyewear, should the email address issue be solved?

59.1. No. Section 4.1.2.3 requires the contractor to administer a survey.

60. In section 2.4.10 the language “Consisting of each eye size with multiple bridge sizes” is confusing. Can this be removed? It appears the intent here is for the contractor to coordinate specifically with the local facilities to see what will be needed in their frame kits based on space requirements, etc. Forcing each kit to contain every eye size combination of a style would balloon a sample kit to 2-3x what the local facility may require.

60.1. Frames must be within the range specified, not each size within the range.

61. Section 2.4.10.2 says “the contractor may provide more in each category based on coordination with the Regional and VISN CORs,” but “not to exceed the number of frames in each of the following categories.” How can more be provided but not in excess of the stated numbers?

61.1. The number of frames within the “Frame Kit” chart in Section 2.4.10.3 are the minimums for each style. The details in Section number of frames in 2.4.10.2 for men’s, unisex, women’s, and safety are the maximum for each category.

62. Please clarify that 2.4.10.2 means that all frame kits in VA locations provided under this contract will be exactly 85 frames—no more, no less.

62.1. Correct.

63. Please clarify section 2.4.10.3. Does this mean that if a description states that a frame should be provided in “52m-56m” the frame kit must include explicitly a 52 and a 56, or one of every size in the range (52, 53, 54, 55, 56)? If it must match the 52 and 56, the list should be adjusted to request specifically a 52 and 56, for example, as the range is irrelevant. If the range applies, the minimum requirement will require many more than 85 frames to be offered.

63.1. Frames must be within the range specified, not each size within the range.

64. Section 2.4.14 on page 25 mentions “Space constraints may exist at some VA Optical

Shops. Contractor should provide a catalog (electronic or paper) advertising offering available to the VA.” In the event of two or more offerors are awarded contracts within the same region, how will space be allocated between the contractors?

64.1. See questions 7 and 8 regarding Delivery Orders.

65. Section 2.4.14 on page 25 mentions “All facilities within the defined areas of the national requirement shall be provided with new display racks and trays as defined in this section.”

(1) Please confirm how many display racks are required per region. (2) Would the VA consider using existing display racks as this could be an unnecessary cost to the government. (3) We suggest adding a CLIN to the price schedule for display racks.

65.1. (1) There are approximately 900 VA Medical Centers, including CBOCs. Not all

CBOCs have Optical services so the actual number may be less.

65.2. (2) No.

65.3. (3) No.

66. Section 2.5.1 on page 27 mentions “All time-sensitive calls or e-mails shall be answered or responded to no later than 1 hour after being placed by the VA. The only time-sensitive calls or emails are anticipated are for safety issues.” (1) Please provide examples of safety issues that the contractors will need to respond to within one hour. (2) Will the VA change this language to say the response time applies during business hours?

66.1. (1) Examples are listed within the paragraph.

66.2. (2) See amendment.

67. Section 2.5.2.1.1 states that “VA will not enter orders into a contractor portal” but “The contractor may use the portal to create the standard formatting for CPRS for ingestion by the contractor into their system.” Can this be clarified? To be clear, the contractor portals that are used now to enter orders will no longer be used in any way? If so, what is the need for

CPRS ingestion and how will that ultimately link to the 4sight file sent to the contractor?

67.1. Correct, contractor portals will not be used for order entry. VA will coordinate with awardees to establish a standard template.

68. Can the requirement to not enter orders into a contractor portal be removed or reconsidered? Existing opticians and techs at VA locations nationwide have experience already using contractor portals, their use is standard across the optical industry, and removing this option in this solicitation eliminates a large amount of error-handling and convenience for the veteran. For example, vendor portals can notify in real-time of prescription entry errors, backordered items, or patient history, and make sure that information is accurate on the 4sight file used.

68.1. No.

69. Section 2.5.2.2 states that every add-on must have a medical necessity condition listed within the RX note, and the contractor must notify/reject the order if that is not present. What medical necessity conditions will the contractor be looking for? Will it be one for every add-on, or do certain conditions apply to multiple add-ons? How is the contractor to know?

69.1. See amendment.

70. Please confirm that the orders received by the contractor are not to be altered in any way. If that is the case, will the government remove the medical necessity language from paragraphs 2.5.2.2 and 2.4.1.15, as this is an inherently governmental function, and contractors should just fill the prescription as ordered? We do not see an accurate, appropriate, or acceptable way for the contractor to “double check” the doctor’s orders based on medical conditions we cannot link to specific line items.

70.1. See amendment.

71. Because section 2.5.2.3 requires the contractor to notify of any open market item, what criteria will the VA use to determine whether new items entering the commercial marketplace over the 10 years of the contract will require amendments to be included as line items, or left open market?

71.1. Section 4.6 details technological advances. The Contracting Officer has discretion to approve or deny any modification requests.

72. What are the “local purchasing or contracting procedures” mentioned in 2.5.2.3? Would a contractor be prevented from being the manufacturer of open market orders with the local facility?

72.1. Local purchasing or contracting procedures are established by the Federal Acquisition

Regulation. The contractor will not be prevented from being the manufacturer for open market orders.

73. Section 4.1.4.1 mentions that balance lenses should be included in the line item usage report to the national team. Since balance lenses are to be provided at no additional charge

(pending the response to our question above), should this just be removed? This would be a difficult thing to track and report accurately if there is no associated CLIN.

73.1. No. This information is required to obtain accurate data on eyeglasses prescription and any/all materials ordered.

74. Can section 5.4.2 be updated to remain consistent with the language in section 2.4.7? This should say “…eyeglasses shipped” instead of “…eyeglasses delivered.”

74.1. See amendment.

75. On the price schedule (all relevant tabs), we assume CLIN 0011AA needs to have “Single

Vision or Multifocal” removed. As Multifocal is used elsewhere in the SOW and clarified to be

“other” than progressive or bifocal (2.4.1.5) this is confusing. We believe it would be more appropriate and consistent with other CLINs on the schedule to simply state “Anti Reflective

Coat”. Is this acceptable?

75.1. See amendment.

76. On the price schedule (all relevant tabs), can “CR39” be removed from the description of

CLIN 0011AF? We assume this CLIN is not intended to be only offered in CR39 materials, as that would make other materials “open market”. All other lens add-ons for CLIN 0011 and its subCLINs seem to leave this off to indicate all materials.

76.1. See amendment.

77. On the price schedule (all relevant tabs), we assume CLIN 0011AI should have “Multifocal” removed from the description. As Multifocal is used elsewhere in the SOW and clarified to be “other” than progressive or bifocal (2.4.1.5) this is confusing. We believe it would be more appropriate and consistent with other CLINs on the schedule to simply state “Add powers over 4.0”. Is this acceptable?

77.1. See amendment.

78. On the price schedule (all relevant tabs), can the description of CLIN 0011AG be changed to refer to “eye frames greater than 58”? Otherwise this can be interpreted that any lens blank used over 58mm in diameter incurs an extra charge, and all commercial lens blanks are larger than 58mm. Oversize charges in the industry refer to needing an oversized lens blank

(typically 80mm) when the FRAME is over size 58, so this language can be clearer.

78.1. See amendment.

79. Just for confirmation, OCONUS Shipping listed on CLIN 0013 is specific to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, correct? There will be no OCONUS shipping required other than to those three destinations?

79.1. Correct. See amendment for additional shipping requirements.

80. Within the price schedule ceiling price tab, please confirm if the offeror is to complete this tab with the maximum price offered among all of the regions they are bidding on, or if this is to be the sum of all the unit prices from the individual regions the offeror is bidding on?

80.1. This is the maximum price the contractor will offer for all CLINs, not a cumulative price.

It does not necessarily have to be the same price as the highest region price.

81. Is the offeror allowed to bid different pricing in different regions that they bid on?

81.1. Yes.

82. Within the price schedule discount tab, please confirm if the discount can be tentative based on the award of multiple regions, for example if multiple regions are awarded then the discount becomes effective?

82.1. If that is a prerequisite to the discount provide that in the submitted proposal.

83. Are multiple offers per contractor encouraged per region, or will only one offer per contractor per region be evaluated?

83.1. Only one proposal per offeror will be evaluated.

84. Within Attachment B Other than certified pricing data, please confirm what price elements should go into the manufacturing price line item and lens price line item, as this is not standardly requested for commercial items.

84.1. See amendment.

85. (1) May VA consider permitting a partial submission of the completed frames, with the remainder to be delivered as a second batch at a later date? (2) Alternatively, would VA be amenable to extending the submission deadline unless it is absolutely necessary to adhere to the original schedule?

85.1. (1) No. A complete submission must be submitted for evaluation. (2) No. VA is conducting in-person evaluations that have been prescheduled. All submissions must be delivered in accordance with the solicitation.

86. Where can I find information regarding how optician services for Veterans will be handled since they will no longer be included in the Eyeglass Manufacturing Contract?

86.1. There is no publicly available information. If/when information becomes available it will be issued under a separate Procurement Instrument Identifiers (PIID) as a separate requirement.

87. Regional Delivery Orders: Please confirm whether each Regional Delivery Order will be awarded to a single contractor covering multiple VISNs, and whether a contractor may be eligible for award in more than one region.

87.1. See questions 7 and 8.

88. Interaction Between National IDIQ and Regional Delivery Orders: Could the VA clarify how national IDIQ awards will operate concurrently with Regional Delivery Orders?

Specifically, how will workload be distributed between contractors holding national IDIQs and contractors awarded delivery orders?

88.1. An IDIQ is an unfunded contract vehicle to establish terms and conditions with no performance requirements until an order is issued. Delivery Orders require performance. Award of a national contract does not guarantee award of a Delivery

Order.

89. Lens Manufacturer Part Numbers (Technical Acceptability Standard 1): Technical

Acceptability Standard 1 requires submission of Manufacturer Part Numbers for all lens offerings. For larger laboratories, compiling part numbers for all lens products may encompass thousands of individual SKUs. Would the VA consider modifying this requirement—such as permitting categorical descriptions, grouping by lens type, or submitting representative samples—in lieu of a comprehensive part-number list?

89.1. The offeror shall submit all lenses used to manufacture eyeglasses with the requested information. See amendment for clarification.

90. Preventative Maintenance Plans (Technical Acceptability Standard 2): Could the VA clarify the expected level of detail for preventative maintenance documentation? Is the VA seeking original OEM preventative maintenance documentation for each piece of equipment, or may offerors provide consolidated written maintenance plans summarizing internal procedures and schedules?

90.1. See Additional Instructions for Proposal Submission Section 14.6.

91. Estimated Safety Eyeglasses Volume: Can the VA provide estimated annual order volume for prescription safety eyeglasses by region?

91.1. See CLIN 0007AC on Attachment A – Price Schedule.

92. Safety Side Shield Requirements: Prescription safety eyewear may utilize screwed-in or slide-in side shields, each offering different advantages. Could the VA clarify its intended use case for safety eyewear under this contract and indicate whether it has a preferred side-shield style for national standardization?

92.1. See sections 2.4.1.34 and 2.4.1.39 for safety eyewear requirements.

93. Frame Kits in VISN 10/12/20 (Region 5): Will optical shops in VISN 10/12/20 still require the 52–85 frame display kit as described in the solicitation? If so, how should this kit be used given that these VISNs already maintain established frame lines through their in-house laboratories?

93.1. No. See Section 2.4.1.42 for VISN 10/12 and 20 requirements.

94. Optical Shop Equipment in VISN 10/12/20: Do VISN 10/12/20 optical clinics already possess frame displays, trays, repair kits, and similar shop equipment, or will contractors be responsible for supplying these items?

94.1. No. See Section 2.4.1.42 for VISN 10/12 and 20 requirements.

95. Frames for VISN 10/12/20 Overflow Jobs: For overflow prescriptions in VISN 10/12/20, how will frames be provided to the awarded contractor? Will the VISN in-house labs ship the patient’s selected frame to the overflow fabrication lab, or will contractors be required to stock all VISN-approved frames independently?

95.1. Section 2.4.1.42 for VISN 10/12 and 20 requirements.

96. Estimated Annual Prescription Volume by Region and Lens Type: Can the VA provide historical or projected counts for single vision, lined bifocal, trifocal, progressive, premium progressive, and specialty lenses?

96.1. See CLINs 0001-0006 on Attachment A – Price Schedule.

97. Definition of “Specialty Lenses”: Could the VA provide a list or examples of what is considered a specialty lens for pricing and turnaround time compliance?

97.1. See section 2.4.7.1.2. of the Statement of Work.

98. Frequency of Balanced Lens Requests: Balanced lenses must be provided at no cost. Is the VA able to share estimated historical usage to help contractors accurately plan capacity?

98.1. The VA is unable to obtain or provide this information.

99. Transition Period Expectations: Will transition periods be standardized across regions, and may transition activities begin prior to the stated effective date?

99.1. See section 1.3 of the Statement of Work.

100. Quality Control Reporting Format: (1) Does the VA have a preferred format for monthly QC reporting, and (2) should a sample QC report be included in the proposal?

100.1. (1) See section 4.1.2.2 for minimum requirements. (2) Offerors should submit documents in accordance with the Instructions to Offerors and the Basis for Award.

101. Patient Notification Requirements: Is patient notification required to be performed directly by the contractor, and are automated notifications (email or SMS) acceptable?

101.1. Automated notifications are acceptable.

102. Use of Subcontractors for Specialized Lens Types: Would the VA permit the use of specialized subcontractors for uncommon lens types, provided the contractor remains compliant with VAAR 852.219-76 limitations on subcontracting?

102.1. Yes. The contractor shall comply with VAAR 852.219-76 and FAR 52.225-1.

103. Prescription Transmission Platforms: Will all VISNs transmit orders through 4-Sight, or will any continue using VistA/CPRS or other systems during the transition?

103.1. Contractors with existing contracts will use their defined ordering process. When the new awardee begins performance they will use 4-Sight as defined.

104. Page 8 states: “The contract performance period is ten years, inclusive of a five-year base period and one, five year option period. Delivery Orders will have a one-year base period and four one-year option periods for a total period of performance of 5 years.

Delivery Orders may be recompeted for the subsequent five-year performance period. VA will allow the new contractors up to 60 calendar days after the delivery order award for the new contractor to ramp up or transition in. Once a Delivery Order is awarded and the actual transition time needed is known, VA will issue a modification, revising the contract's periods of performance.” Question: When you say “Delivery Orders may be recompeted” are you saying that the IDIQ contract holders will compete for the delivery orders? If so, what will that consist of? How will the VA determine who receives the delivery orders?

104.1. See questions 7 and 8.

105. Page 5 states that invoices will be submitted weekly; however, Section 4.5.2 references a monthly invoice submission. Question: Please clarify which invoicing schedule will govern the contract—weekly or monthly?

105.1. See amendment.

106. Section 2.5.2 Ordering indicates that the preferred ordering format is 4-Sight, yet

Attachment C appears to be a basic Excel form containing only patient demographic information. There does not seem to be a section for prescription details, lens specifications, or other required clinical information. This same section also states that orders will be transmitted to the contractor via encrypted email. Question: To ensure we can properly receive and process orders, could you please provide a sample of the actual order email or the full 4-Sight output file that the VA will send? This will help us verify that all necessary prescription data is included and that the information will map correctly to our laboratory system.

106.1. Expand columns L and M for full details.

107. FAR 52.209-7 INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS. Question:

Is FAR 52.209-7 INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS required to be submitted with proposals or just completed in SAM.gov?

107.1. See Additional Instructions For Proposal Submission Section 6.1.

108. Attachment E – TAS Complete Submission of Proposal Template does not include FAR

52.240-91 SECURITY PROHIBITIONS AND EXCLUSIONS or FAR 52.240-90 SECURITY

PROHIBITIONS AND EXCLUSIONS REPRESENTATIONS. Question: Should these provisions/clauses be combined with VAAR 852.219-76 VA NOTICE OF LIMITATIONS ON

SUBCONTRACTING and submitted as one file or should each attachment be submitted separately?

108.1. See amendment.

109. It is not clear if/how expansion plans are being used in determining eligibility to compete for Regions 1-4 or Region 5. Can the VA please clarify if and how expansion plans would factor into that determination? Do the contracted companies need to have a certain production capacity by a certain date in their expansion plans to be deemed acceptable?

109.1. See amendment.

110. Can the VA please clarify the plan for recompete opportunities within the 10-year contract timeline? Section 1.3 indicates that there is a recompete opportunity at the 5-year mark, but it is not clear if that is a recompete for regions between the initial participants admitted to the national contract, or an option for new companies to be added onto the national contract, or both. Will there be opportunities for companies on the national contact have opportunities to recompete across regions outside of the 5-year recompete (at one of the one-year option periods)? This is important to understand as it may impact the scope of future expansion plans that companies may pursue.

110.1. See questions 7 and 8.

111. Will there be one contractor assigned per region, or can a region potentially be split between multiple contractors by VISN?

111.1. See questions 7 and 8.

112. Will all Regions have the same Frame Kit? Or will the Frame kits vary by Region and

Supplier?

112.1. See SOW Section 2.4.1.41 and Section 2.4.10.

113. For Region 5, we are assuming that the contractor will be required to independently source the frames in provided frame kit, is this correct? Or will the frames be provided by the

Region through another contract vehicle that is used to source them for the internal lab?

113.1. The contractor will be required to independently source the frames in provided frame kit from VISNs 10/12 and 20. See SOW Section 2.4.1.42 for details.

114. What is the anticipated rollout schedule (dates) for each Region? How will existing frame manufacturing contracts be treated to align with the transition to the new national contract vehicle?

114.1. This will be provided at the time of award.

115. If a Contractor is out of compliance on Quality/Delivery requirements, will they have a

Cure period to correct? If yes, how many days/weeks?

115.1. Any compliance issues are situationally dependent, and any corrective action will be performed in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

116. How will the training of the VA Optical Staff be conducted? What is the expected role of the Contractor in the training, if any?

116.1. VA will provide internal training and ordering processes internally. The Government may request assistance in standardizing ordering format if necessary.

117. What educational and training aids are required to be supplied to the Optical Shops?

Product or Pricing information and Options?

117.1. Product information. Pricing information will be provided internally to appropriate personnel.

118. Can the VA provide a copy of the current Veteran Satisfaction questionnaire for reference?

118.1. This will be provided at the time of award.

119. On page 10, Section 2.3, there was a mention of HIPAA compliance. How will sending the information from Attachment C - 4-Sight Template affect compliance?

119.1. Any transmission of PHI/PII will be in accordance with agency procedures.

120. On page 20, Section…