36C24127Q0028_2.docx

Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

GENERAL INFORMATION

NCO1

VAMC Providence 830 Chalkstone Avenue Providence RI 02908

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist Juliette Buchanan Juliette.Buchanan@va.gov 401-273-7100

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

VAMC Central Western MA

421 North Main ST

Leeds MA

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

AMENDMENT NO. 2

SOLICITATION NO. 36C24127Q0028

DATE: 11/6/2026

1. THE SOLICITATION IS HEREBY AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:

a. The following Questions and Answers, submitted by prospective offerors by October 30, 2026, at 4 PM EST, are incorporated into this solicitation.

b. The Government’s responses modify and/or clarify the solicitation.

c. Revision to CLIN 0001 delivery requirement:

Delete: "Initial delivery of Bulk Road Salt, 98% sodium chloride road salt and calcium chloride with CMA ice melt, delivered in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS). Delivery required prior to November 15, 2026” and replace with "Initial delivery of Bulk Road Salt, delivered in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS). The initial 40-ton delivery shall be completed no later than November 23, 2026."

Delete: "Initial delivery to take place prior to November 15, 2026, then as requested between November 15 until April 30th, 2027" and replace with “Initial delivery of 40 tons shall be completed no later than November 23, 2026. Subsequent deliveries shall be provided as requested by the Government between November 15, 2026, and April 30, 2027."

e. Revision to quoter submissions:

Delete “(4) Certifications in accordance with section 7.1.”

f. Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of amendments with their quotation submission. All other terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged. Vendors are reminded to review all other aspects of the solicitation and consider this amendment when preparing their responses.

2. RFI QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

RFI’s for Bulk Road Salt at VA Central Western MA Note: This version consolidates overlapping and duplicate vendor questions Product requirements

1. Please clarify whether CLINs 0001 and 0002 require (a) plain bulk sodium chloride road salt, (b) one pre-treated blend containing sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and CMA, or (c) separate road-salt and ice-melt products. Please confirm that CMA means calcium magnesium acetate and, if a blend is required, provide the required concentrations or an acceptable reference product. Also confirm whether magnesium may be substituted for calcium while maintaining the required overall composition.

a. We do not require plain bulk sodium chloride. B. Yes, we require a blend that is premixed. C. No separate products. CMA is calcium magnesium acetate. We are seeking a blend of 85/15 Blend (85% Sodium Chloride + 15% Calcium Chloride Pellets by Weight. Magnesium can be substituted.

2. Is 98% sodium chloride a minimum acceptance requirement for every delivery measured on a dry-weight basis, or a nominal specification? Please identify applicable standards, including grade, grain size, testing or certificate-of-analysis requirements, and clarify which product is subject to the 4% maximum moisture limit. Would material with a typical sodium chloride content of 95-96% be unacceptable?

We would prefer to adhere to ASTMD 632 which states not less than 95% blend specification. The 4% applies to calcium chloride and CMA products.

3. If road salt and calcium chloride/CMA ice melt are separate products, what quantity of each is required, should they be priced as separate sub-line items, and must the ice melt be delivered in bulk or bags? If bagged or palletized material is acceptable, specify the required bag size and whether the contractor must empty the bags into the salt shed and remove packaging.

No separate products are required. Bagged or palletized material will not be considered.

Quantities and ordering

4. Please confirm the total estimated quantity, the initial required quantity, and the deadline for the initial delivery. May the initial 40 tons be delivered in multiple truckloads before November 15, 2026, and would an initial delivery of approximately 32-35 tons be acceptable?

Initial delivery is 40 tons and must be delivered prior to November 15, 2026. Additional estimated quantity is 200 tons. See Question 5.

5. For CLIN 0002, is any portion of the estimated 200 tons guaranteed? Please state the minimum and maximum quantity the VA may order during the contract period.

The minimum quantity will be 40 tons and maximum is 200 tons. 200 tons is not guaranteed as it will be dependent on this winter season’s weather conditions.

6. For subsequent orders, what are the expected minimum, typical, and maximum quantities per call? May deliveries be structured as full truckloads of approximately 20-25 tons or 30-32 tons?

Minimum subsequent orders will be 20 tons (excluding the initial 40-ton delivery needed), Maximum will be 60 tons per call. We don’t care how it is delivered, we can accommodate a triaxle or a trailer dump.

7. How will additional deliveries be ordered, what notice or lead time will be provided, and what is the ordering period and end date for the 2026-2027 winter season? Please also provide the anticipated award date.

Orders may be placed between November 15, 2026, and April 30, 2027. Contract period runs November 9, 2026, through April 30, 2027. Delivery is expected within 72 hours of notification. We anticipate awarding this contract as soon as possible but cannot give an exact date.

Delivery, access, and acceptance

8. Does the 72-hour delivery requirement mean calendar hours or business hours, and does it include weekends and federal holidays? Are deliveries accepted on weekends or holidays during the 8:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. receiving window, and how should a vendor handle a deadline that falls outside receiving days or hours?

The PWS states delivery is expected within 72 hours of notification. This will be during business hours during the receiving window. Deliveries that fall on weekend or federal holidays would need to be pre-approved and coordinated by the program office prior to delivery.

9. Please provide the exact delivery, unloading, and storage location and describe access to the salt shed adjacent to Building 13. Identify any restrictions involving truck or trailer type, length, gross weight, height, turning radius, or overhead clearance, and confirm whether a standard tri-axle or tractor-trailer dump can access and tailgate-dump at the site.

Delivery location is 421 North Main Street, Leeds, MA 01053, and the salt shed is adjacent to Building 13. Delivery hours are 0800-1430. See question 6.

10. Please describe the required unloading method and each party’s responsibilities. If a conveyor, slinger, or front-end loader is needed to place material inside the shed, will VA personnel and equipment be available, or must the contractor provide them? If palletized deliveries are allowed, will VA unloading equipment be available?

Dumping in the salt shed is the preferred method of unloading, we have all equipment to provide assistance in offloading. Our work hours are 8AM to 2:30 PM.

11. What inspection, acceptance, documentation, and invoicing procedures apply to each delivery?

An invoice must accompany delivery and be signed by a VA representative.

Pricing and acquisition approach

12. What pricing basis and schedule format are required, including whether quotes must be stated as a delivered price per ton inclusive of freight? If there are separate products, may offerors submit separate prices for each?

Offerors must use the pricing template provided on page 3 of the solicitation; Price each line item in price per ton and give both the unit price and total price. Freight/Delivery charges would be included in your quoted prices for each line item.

13. Given the on-call delivery requirement from November 15 through April 30, will the VA treat this requirement as a supply-and-delivery service rather than a straight supply purchase and, if so, adjust the NAICS code and subcontracting certification accordingly?

This procurement will be treated as a supply requirement only.

14. Will the VA require property salting labor or related services in the future? If so, may vendors offer a bundled price for materials, delivery, and application services?

No labor is required.

Small business, source, and certification requirements

15. Has SBA issued, or has the VA requested, an individual or class waiver of the nonmanufacturer rule for bulk road salt or ice melt under PSC 6810 / NAICS 325998? If no waiver applies, must an SDVOSB nonmanufacturer furnish product made by a domestic small-business producer, or will domestically mined product from a large-business producer be acceptable?

The SBA has not issued an individual or class waiver of the nonmanufacturer rule for bulk road salt/ ice melt under PSC 6810 / NAICS 325998. An SDVOSB nonmanufacturer must supply the product of a domestic small-business manufacturer or processor.

16. Will imported road salt be accepted subject to the Buy American evaluation? Please identify the applicable limitation-on-subcontracting/nonmanufacturer clauses, required percentages and calculation basis, and supporting documentation.

Yes, imported salt is permissible because the solicitation includes FAR 52.225-2 Buy American Certificate and states foreign end products may be identified and evaluated under FAR Part 25. Please refer to FAR 25.106 and page 8 of the solicitation for required percentages and calculation basis. The Buy American Certificate must be completed as supporting documentation for foreign end products.

17. Please confirm the applicable NAICS size standard because the RFQ references both 650 and 500 employees. Also confirm whether an offeror’s SDVOSB certification and listing must be complete at the time of offer or whether an offer may be considered while certification is pending, and identify the required eligibility documentation.

Both references are correct but serve different purposes. The procurement NAICS is 325998 with a 650-employee size standard. For a nonmanufacturer, SBA regulations require the nonmanufacturer itself not to exceed 500 employees. An offeror’s SDVOSB certification and listing must be complete at the time of offer. Vendors are required to submit the signed VAAR 852.219-76 Certificate of Compliance. See page 11 of the solicitation.

Evaluation and solicitation instructions

18. Please reconcile the inconsistent evaluation language. Will the VA use comparative evaluation or lowest-price technically acceptable procedures? Is past performance required or excluded, and are alternate quotations permitted?

The solicitation states evaluation will use comparative evaluation under FAR 13.106-2(b)(3). Factors are Technical, Past Performance, and Price. Alternate quotations are not accepted, despite conflicting boilerplate in FAR 52.212-1.

19. The submission instructions reference certifications in section 7.1, but that section could not be located. Please identify the required certifications and where they appear in the solicitation.

Please disregard the reference to section 7.1 as this was a clerical error. Vendors are required to submit the signed VAAR 852.219-76 Certificate of Compliance. See page 11 of the solicitation.

Contract history

20. Is this a new requirement or is there a current or prior incumbent contract? If releasable, please provide the prior contract or award number, contractor, total contract value, delivered unit prices, product descriptions, and actual quantities purchased during the previous two winter seasons.

No incumbent contract exists. Prior purchases were made using the Government purchase card. The Government does not have additional releasable contract, pricing, or quantity information responsive to this question.

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Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation