36C24127Q0022_Questions_and_Answers_Amendment.pdf

Solicitation No. 36C24127Q0022 | Questions and Answers

Department of Veterans Affairs | Amendment Attachment

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Solicitation No. 36C24127Q0022 Janitorial Services for New Hampshire Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs)

Question 1 Would the VA consider past-performance references from a proposed first-tier subcontractor as part of the prime contractor's technical and past-performance evaluation?

Answer 1. The solicitation requires the offeror to provide three references for similar work and to demonstrate at least one janitorial services project within the last four years of similar scope and complexity. The Government will evaluate quotations in accordance with the evaluation criteria contained in the solicitation.

Question 2 Are commercial, medical facility, state government, and local government janitorial contracts acceptable references, or must all references involve federal government contracts?

Answer 2. References are not required to be federal contracts. The solicitation states that acceptable experience includes successful performance in occupied commercial, healthcare, or administrative facilities.

References should be similar in scope and complexity to the requirement and include contact information, a brief description of the work completed, and a contract number, if relevant.

Question 3 Will the VA consider documented individual janitorial experience performed at a federal military installation, even when that experience was gained while working for another company?

Answer 3. Individual experience may be included in the offeror's staffing plan, technical approach, and capability statement. The Government will evaluate quotations in accordance with the evaluation criteria contained in the solicitation.

Question 4 Does the solicitation permit an SBA-certified SDVOSB prime contractor to team with a qualified janitorial subcontractor that is not itself SDVOSB-certified, provided the arrangement complies with FAR 52.219- 14 and applicable SBA limitations on subcontracting?

Answer 4. Yes. An SDVOSB prime contractor may use subcontractors, including subcontractors that are not SDVOSBs, provided the contractor complies with FAR 52.219-14, VAAR 852.219-75, and all applicable subcontracting limitations and solicitation requirements.

Question 5 Are there minimum staffing levels or labor-hour requirements for each of the four clinics?

Answer 5. No minimum staffing levels or labor-hour requirements are specified in the solicitation. Offerors are responsible for proposing a staffing and scheduling plan sufficient to meet all requirements contained in the Statement of Work.

Question 6 Can the VA provide information regarding the incumbent contractor, historical staffing levels, and previous contract number, if available?

Answer 6. The current contract number is 36C24122F0066. The total awarded value for the base period and all four option periods is $809,425.29. The base-year award was made on November 17, 2021. The Government is not providing incumbent staffing levels, staffing hours, or other contractor staffing information. Offerors shall prepare quotations based on the requirements and information contained in the solicitation.

Question 7 Are site visits or virtual walkthroughs available before quotations are due?

Answer 7. No site visits or virtual walkthroughs will be provided. Offerors shall prepare quotations using the information contained in the solicitation and Statement of Work.

Question 8 Please confirm the applicable Service Contract Labor Standards wage determinations for each facility.

Answer 8. See Question and Answer 14. The applicable Service Contract Labor Standards wage determinations are identified therein.

Question 9 Please confirm the correct address and ZIP code for the Tilton CBOC.

Answer 9. The correct address is Tilton CBOC, 630 West Main Street, Tilton, NH 03276. The ZIP code listed in the solicitation as 13276 is incorrect. The correct ZIP code is 03276. The solicitation is amended accordingly.

Question 10 Please confirm any special personnel credentialing or installation-access requirements for the Portsmouth location.

Answer 10. The Statement of Work advises that the Portsmouth CBOC is located on a military installation.

Entry is monitored by the U.S. Air Force Air National Guard. Contractor personnel must comply with applicable installation-access and credentialing requirements. The awarded contractor must complete and return the required security form within seven days of receipt. The form must include all employees, including alternate personnel, who will require facility access. All contractor personnel must display required security identification while in the facility.

Question 11 Please confirm whether all daily cleaning must occur within 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Answer 11. The Statement of Work states that all work is to be performed during normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Contracting Officer, Contracting Officer's Representative, and Facilities staff reserve the right to limit or reschedule access as necessary. Forty-eight hours' notice will be provided for unscheduled events.

Question 12 The technical evaluation requires at least one similar janitorial project within four years under Corporate Experience. May the owner's documented janitorial experience performed as an employee of another company be considered as key-person experience toward this requirement, or must the project have been performed by the quoting legal entity? If not, would a qualifying teaming arrangement be considered, subject to applicable SDVOSB requirements?

Answer 12. The solicitation requires the offeror to provide at least one janitorial services project within the last four years of similar scope and complexity under the Corporate Experience factor. Individual experience may be included in the technical approach, staffing plan, and capability statement. Any proposed teaming or subcontracting arrangement must comply with all applicable solicitation requirements, including FAR 52.219-14 and VAAR 852.219-75. The Government will evaluate quotations in accordance with the evaluation criteria contained in the solicitation.

Question 13 For the three past-performance references, may references for the owner's prior janitorial employment be provided, clearly identified as individual rather than company performance, or must all three relate to contracts performed by the quoting company?

Answer 13. The solicitation requires the offeror to provide three references for work similar in scope and size to the requirement. References must include contact information, a brief description of the work completed, and a contract number, if relevant. The Government will evaluate quotations in accordance with the evaluation criteria and submission requirements contained in the solicitation.

Question 14 Is a specific Service Contract Labor Standards wage determination applicable to each of the four sites?

If so, please identify the applicable determinations or amendment.

Answer 14. Yes. The following Service Contract Labor Standards wage determinations apply based on the county of performance for each location:

• Portsmouth CBOC, Rockingham County, New Hampshire: Wage Determination No. 2015-4013, Revision 34, dated May 13, 2026.

• Conway CBOC, Carroll County, New Hampshire: Wage Determination No. 2015-4021, Revision 34, dated May 13, 2026.

• Tilton CBOC, Belknap County, New Hampshire: Wage Determination No. 2015-4023, Revision 34, dated May 13, 2026.

• Somersworth CBOC, Strafford County, New Hampshire: Wage Determination No. 2015-4017, Revision 34, dated May 13, 2026.

The solicitation is amended to incorporate the applicable wage determinations identified above.

Question 15 Please confirm the Tilton CBOC ZIP code. The Statement of Work lists 13276.

Answer 15. The ZIP code listed in the solicitation is incorrect. The correct address is Tilton CBOC, 630 West Main Street, Tilton, NH 03276. The solicitation is amended to replace 13276 with 03276 wherever it appears.

Question 16 Please confirm whether all daily cleaning must occur within 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at each clinic and whether site visits are available before quotations are due.

Answer 16. The Statement of Work states that all work is to be performed during normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Contracting Officer, Contracting Officer's Representative, and Facilities staff reserve the right to limit or reschedule access as necessary. Forty-eight hours' notice will be provided for unscheduled events. No site visits or virtual walkthroughs will be provided. Offerors shall prepare quotations using the information contained in the solicitation and Statement of Work.

Question 17 Have any locations, cleaning areas, service frequencies, or other material requirements changed from the current contract?

Answer 17. Offerors shall prepare quotations based on the requirements identified in the solicitation and Statement of Work. The Government is not providing information regarding prior contract requirements or changes from a previous contract.

Question 18 Does the 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. service window require continuous janitorial presence at each clinic, or may the contractor propose task-based shifts within that window? Are there required response times for spills and unscheduled cleaning at each location?

Answer 18. The solicitation does not require continuous janitorial presence at each clinic and does not prescribe minimum daily staffing hours. Offerors shall propose staffing and task-based schedules sufficient to complete all required services during the performance window identified in the Statement of Work. The solicitation does not establish specific response-time standards for spills or unscheduled cleaning.

Question 19 The Statement of Work states that VA will furnish standard cleaning supplies and equipment, while the pricing instructions require inclusion of supplies, chemicals, and equipment in the contractor's pricing.

Please clarify which items are Government-furnished and which items are contractor-furnished.

Answer 19. The Common Use Items section of the Statement of Work governs the furnishing of supplies and equipment. The VA will provide standard supplies, including sanitizers, hand soap, toilet paper, hand towels, trash liners, cleansers, surface cleaners, floor cleaners, window cleaners, and gloves. The VA will also provide routine cleaning equipment identified in the Statement of Work, including mops and brooms. The contractor is responsible for supplies or materials specific to contractor-owned equipment. Cleaning agents and materials not supplied by the VA must comply with applicable Federal and VA requirements. A list of contractor-furnished cleaning agents and materials must be submitted to the Contracting Officer's Representative for review before use at any VA facility. Offerors shall account for all contractor-furnished items necessary to perform the Statement of Work in their proposed prices. The solicitation does not specifically identify floor finish, floor stripper, or floor pads as Government-furnished items. Offerors shall include any contractor-furnished materials necessary to perform the required services in their proposed pricing.

Question 20 Please identify the equipment available at each clinic, including vacuums, carpet extractors, floor machines, and window-cleaning equipment, and responsibility for maintenance, repairs, replacement, and replenishment.

Answer 20. The solicitation does not provide a location-by-location inventory of Government-furnished equipment. Offerors shall prepare quotations based on the requirements contained in the solicitation and Statement of Work. The contractor is responsible for contractor-owned equipment and for the supplies and materials specific to that equipment.

Question 21 Please clarify the required floor-waxing and buffing frequency and how the weekly 'wax as needed' provision relates to the annual floor-care requirement.

Answer 21. The Statement of Work identifies waxing under the weekly task schedule as an 'as needed' task and states that waxing is typically an annual task, although traffic may require it more frequently. The annual task schedule also requires waxing and buffing of all non-carpeted floors. Accordingly, waxing and buffing must be completed annually and additionally when needed based on traffic and floor conditions.

Question 22 May carpet extraction, floor refinishing, and other disruptive work be scheduled after hours or on weekends with prior approval? Are there exterior-window heights or access conditions requiring special equipment?

Answer 22. The Statement of Work generally requires services to be performed during normal business hours.

If work would interfere with normal or emergency facility operations, the contractor must suspend the work, notify the Contracting Officer's Representative, and coordinate an alternate schedule outside normal operating hours. Any work outside normal operating hours must be coordinated with and approved by the Government.

The solicitation does not identify exterior-window heights or specific access conditions requiring specialized equipment.

Question 23 Please confirm that red-bag medical waste handling, exam-table disinfection, and lab-area cleaning are excluded from the contractor's scope. Are sharps handling, terminal cleaning, isolation-area cleaning, or other specialized infection-control services required beyond the tasks expressly listed in the Statement of Work?

Answer 23. The Statement of Work expressly states that red-bag medical waste will be handled by others.

Clinical staff are responsible for cleaning and disinfecting exam tables and laboratory areas. The solicitation does not identify requirements for sharps handling, terminal cleaning, isolation-area cleaning, or other specialized infection-control services beyond the tasks expressly identified in the Statement of Work.

Question 24 What transition or onboarding activities must be completed between award and the start of service?

Answer 24. The contractor must complete and return the required security form within seven days of receipt.

The form must include all employees and alternate personnel who will require access to the facilities. A post-award kickoff meeting will be scheduled no later than five business days after award. The meeting will be conducted by telephone and will include the Contracting Officer, Contracting Officer's Representative, contractor point of contact, and other relevant personnel. The contractor must also satisfy the applicable security, identification, access, staffing, and quality-control requirements contained in the Statement of Work.

Question 25 Please confirm that each monthly CLIN covers all four clinics and whether a supporting cost breakdown by location and option year is required.

Answer 25. The solicitation contains one monthly CLIN for Janitorial Services for New Hampshire CBOCs for the base period and one monthly CLIN for each option period. Each CLIN covers services at all four locations.

Offerors shall complete the pricing schedule for the base period and each option period and provide the complete price breakdown required by the solicitation instructions. The solicitation requires totals for each line item, each option year, and an overall total evaluated price.

Question 26 Will the referenced QASP and Past Performance Sheet in Section D be provided separately?

Answer 26. No. The Government does not intend to provide a separate Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan or Past Performance Sheet as part of this solicitation. The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan referenced in the Statement of Work is a Government contract-administration and performance-surveillance document that will be used to monitor contractor performance after award. Offerors shall submit the information required by the solicitation, including Corporate Experience, Technical Approach, Capability Statement, and three references.

Question 27 Please confirm that the October 21, 2026, questions deadline is 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Answer 27. Yes. The deadline for submission of questions was October 21, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Question 28 Would the VA consider comparable janitorial experience and professional references from a qualified subcontractor or teaming partner when evaluating a newly established prime contractor that does not independently possess the required project history? If so, are there specific documentation or teaming requirements that must be satisfied for that experience to be considered?

Answer 28. The solicitation requires the offeror to provide at least one janitorial services project within the last four years of similar scope and complexity and to provide three references for work similar in scope and size to the requirement. The Government will evaluate quotations in accordance with the evaluation criteria contained in the solicitation. Any proposed teaming or subcontracting arrangement must comply with all applicable solicitation requirements, including FAR 52.219-14 and VAAR 852.219-75. Offerors are responsible for submitting sufficient documentation with their quotations to demonstrate their ability to perform the solicitation requirements successfully.

Question 29 Would the Government consider the owner's documented prior employment experience when evaluating the corporate experience requirement? Additionally, would fewer than three comparable corporate references make a quotation technically unacceptable?

Answer 29. The solicitation requires the offeror to provide at least one janitorial services project within the last four years of similar scope and complexity under the Corporate Experience evaluation factor and to provide three references for work similar in scope and size to the requirement. Individual experience may be included in the offeror's technical approach, staffing plan, and capability statement. The Government will evaluate quotations in accordance with the evaluation criteria and submission requirements contained in the solicitation.

Offerors shall provide the three references required by the solicitation.

Question 30 Are floor plans available showing flooring types, restrooms, fixtures, and cleaning areas?

Answer 30. No. The Government is not providing floor plans, room schedules, facility drawings, or additional facility layouts. Offerors shall prepare quotations based on the information provided in the solicitation and Statement of Work.

Question 31 How many cleaning hours per day are currently being performed at each location?

Answer 31. The Government is not providing incumbent staffing information, incumbent staffing hours, or current contractor performance data. Offerors shall prepare quotations based on the requirements contained in the solicitation and Statement of Work and shall propose a staffing and scheduling plan sufficient to perform all required services.

Question 32 Does the Government require a dedicated on-site custodian (day porter) at each CBOC for the full operating day to respond to spills, restroom needs, and other as-needed cleaning?

Answer 32. No. The solicitation does not require a dedicated on-site custodian or continuous on-site coverage at any location during normal business hours. Offerors shall propose a staffing and scheduling plan sufficient to meet all Statement of Work requirements during the performance period.

Question 33 If full-day coverage is not required at every site, please identify which sites require a full-time on-site custodian and the expected visit frequency and duration for the remaining sites.

Answer 33. The solicitation does not identify any location requiring a full-time on-site custodian, nor does it prescribe visit frequencies or minimum visit durations. Offerors shall propose an approach sufficient to satisfy the Statement of Work requirements.

Question 34 What is the required response time for spills, bodily-fluid cleanup, restroom issues, and other unscheduled cleaning requests during clinic hours?

Answer 34. The solicitation does not establish specific response-time requirements for spills, bodily-fluid cleanup, restroom issues, or other unscheduled cleaning requests.

Question 35 Who is authorized to direct as-needed cleaning requests, the CBOC Manager or COR, and how will those requests be communicated to contractor staff?

Answer 35. The Statement of Work identifies the COR and Office Manager(s)/CBOC Manager(s) as points of contact for contract performance matters. The CBOC Manager may communicate directly with janitorial staff regarding special instructions or convey relevant information within the terms of the contract. The COR remains the Government's primary point of contact for routine contract-administration matters.

Question 36 Is the contractor required to provide coverage for on-site personnel during breaks, lunch periods, leave, and absences so that coverage is continuous during clinic hours?

Answer 36. The solicitation does not require continuous staffing coverage during clinic hours and does not prescribe staffing levels for breaks, lunches, leave, or absences. Offerors are responsible for proposing staffing sufficient to perform all required services in accordance with the Statement of Work.

Question 37 Please provide square footage by floor type, including VCT, LVT or sheet vinyl, ceramic tile, and carpet, at each site.

Answer 37. The Government is not providing a breakdown of square footage by floor type. Offerors shall prepare quotations based on the information provided in the solicitation and Statement of Work.

Question 38 Page 17, Past Performance, states 'Refer to Past Performance sheet in Section D.' There is no Section D and there is no Past Performance Sheet included in the solicitation. Will one be provided?

Answer 38. No. The Government does not intend to provide a separate Past Performance Sheet. Offerors shall submit the past performance information required by the solicitation, including three references for work similar in scope and size to the requirement. The reference to a Past Performance Sheet in Section D is removed from the solicitation.

Question 39 There is no SF 1449 included with this solicitation. Will one be provided?

Answer 39. No. This requirement was issued as a combined synopsis/solicitation in accordance with FAR Subpart 12.6. Offerors shall submit quotations in accordance with the instructions contained in the solicitation. A completed SF 1449 is not required for quotation submission.

Question 40 The square footage shown in the solicitation differs from square footage identified under the current contract for the same locations. What has changed?

Answer 40. The current contract is Contract No. 36C24122F0066, awarded on November 17, 2021, with a total awarded value of $809,425.29 for the base period and all four option periods. Offerors shall prepare quotations based on the square footage, locations, and requirements identified in the current solicitation and Statement of Work. The Government is not providing additional information regarding prior contract measurements or the basis for differences between prior and current square-footage estimates.

Question 41 FAR 52.212-1, item iii, states 'Prices posted from this Combined Synopsis solicitation on page 2.' Does the Government mean Page 4?

Answer 41. Yes. The pricing schedule is located on Page 4 of the solicitation. The reference to Page 2 is corrected to Page 4.

Question 42 FAR 52.212-1, item iv, states 'Complete Price Breakdown.' Is the Government requesting a Cost Proposal Worksheet?

Answer 42. No. The Government is not providing or requiring a separate Cost Proposal Worksheet. Offerors shall provide the complete price breakdown required by the solicitation and sufficient detail to support their proposed pricing.

Question 43 Page 17, paragraph 1.a, states 'Complete line items on Page 4 of this solicitation.' Is Page 4 the correct reference?

Answer 43. Yes. Offerors shall complete the pricing line items located on Page 4 of the solicitation.

END OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS