36C24224Q0887.pdf

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice

*= Required Field Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice

SUBJECT* Bread Subsistence for the Samuel S. Stratton VAMC - Base + 4 Option Years

GENERAL INFORMATION

CONTRACTING OFFICE’S ZIP CODE* 12203

SOLICITATION NUMBER* 36C24224Q0887

RESPONSE DATE/TIME/ZONE 08-27-2024 16:00 EASTERN TIME, NEW YORK, USA

ARCHIVE 10 DAYS AFTER THE RESPONSE DATE

RECOVERY ACT FUNDS N

SET-ASIDE

PRODUCT SERVICE CODE* 8920

NAICS CODE* 311812

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS

Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 2 (NCO 2) 20 Madison Avenue Ext.

Albany NY 12208-3410

POINT OF CONTACT* Contracting Officer Myra F. Green Myra.Green2@va.gov

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

ADDRESS

Samuel S. Stratton VA Medical Center 113 Holland Ave Albany NY

POSTAL CODE 12208

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL https://vaww.visn2.va.gov/albany/index.asp URL DESCRIPTION New York/New Jersey VA Health Care Network AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS Myra.Green2@va.gov EMAIL DESCRIPTION Contracting Officer / POC

DESCRIPTION

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products and commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, “Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Products and Commercial Services,” as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested, and a written solicitation document will not be issued.

This solicitation is issued as an RFQ. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2024-05.

This solicitation is unrestricted.

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 311812, with a small business size standard of 1,000 Employees. The FSC/PSC is 8920 – Bakery and Cereal.

The Network Contracting Office 02 located at 20 Madison Avenue Ext., Albany, NY 12203, in support of VISN 02 Samuel S. Stratton VA Medical Center at 113 Holland Avenue, Albany, NY 12208 has a requirement for a variety of fresh bakery products stated in the attached document.

All questions regarding this solicitation shall be submitted via email to Myra F. Green (Contracting Officer) at Myra.Green2@va.gov no later than 12:00 P.M. EST on August 20, 2024.

All quotes regarding this solicitation shall be submitted via email to Myra F. Green (Contracting Officer) at Myra.Green2@va.gov no later than 4:00 P.M. EST on August 27, 2024.

All interested companies shall provide quotations for items listed on Section D of the Statement of Work.

Statement of Work for Bread and Bakery Products

Veterans Integrated Service Network 2 (VISN 2) VA Upstate New York Healthcare System

1. OVERVIEW: The Contractor shall provide bread and bakery products to one (1) VA Medical Center facility (hereafter referred to as the VA) located at the following location:

Samuel S. Stratton VA Medical Center 113 Holland Ave Albany, NY 12208

The VA intends to award a firm, fixed price contract for the provision of bread and bakery products. The quantities listed in the attached Pricing Schedule are estimated requirements for the Nutrition & Food Services. The Contractor shall be a United States (US) Vendor and a US citizen.

2. SCOPE OF WORK:

A. General: The scope of this requirement involves providing bread and bakery products, which conform to the specifications outlined and referenced herein to the VA’s Nutrition & Food Services, located at the address shown in paragraph 1 above.

B. Quantities: The quantities listed in the attached Pricing List represent the estimated quantities that will be ordered over the base period and option years. The actual quantity ordered may vary from this estimate but shall not exceed the total estimated quantity for the base and four (4) option years without the prior written approval of the Contracting Officer.

C. Period of Performance: The period of performance for the provision of bread and bakery products shall be a base period from October 01, 2024, through September 30, 2025, with the possibility of four (4) one-year option periods from October 01, 2025, through September 30, 2029. The decision to exercise one or more of the option years rests solely with the Government.

D. The following items shall be delivered to the VA Medical Center, 113 Holland Ave, Albany, NY 12208. Requirements are for the period 10/01/2024 through 9/30/2025:

VAMC Albany, NY Base Year - October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025

Item

Description Quantity Unit Unit Cost

Total Cost

1 WHITE BREAD LOAF, 24 OZ 650 LF

2 ROLLS, HOTDOG, WHITE, 34 OZ, 16/PK 60 PG

3 ROLLS, HAMBURGER, WHITE, 34 OZ, 16/PK 450 PG

4 WHOLE WHEAT LOAF, 24 OZ 3000 LF

5 PB TEXAS TOAST, LOAF, 17 SLICES 450 LF

6 ENGLISH MUFFINS, 12PK, 24 OZ 150 PG

TOTAL AGGREGATE PRICE BASE PERIOD:

VAMC Albany, NY Option Year 1 - October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026

Item

Description Quantity Unit Unit Cost

Total Cost

1 WHITE BREAD LOAF, 24 OZ 650 LF

2 ROLLS, HOTDOG, WHITE, 34 OZ, 16/PK 60 PG

3 ROLLS, HAMBURGER, WHITE, 34 OZ, 16/PK 450 PG

4 WHOLE WHEAT LOAF, 24 OZ 3000 LF

5 PB TEXAS TOAST, LOAF, 17 SLICES 450 LF

6 ENGLISH MUFFINS, 12PK, 24 OZ 150 PG

TOTAL AGGREGATE PRICE OPTION YEAR 1:

VAMC Albany, NY Option Year 2 - October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027

Item

Description Quantity Unit Unit Cost

Total Cost

1 WHITE BREAD LOAF, 24 OZ 650 LF

2 ROLLS, HOTDOG, WHITE, 34 OZ, 16/PK 60 PG

3 ROLLS, HAMBURGER, WHITE, 34 OZ, 16/PK 450 PG

4 WHOLE WHEAT LOAF, 24 OZ 3000 LF

TOTAL AGGREGATE PRICE OPTION YEAR 2:

VAMC Albany, NY Option Year 3 - October 1, 2027, through September 30, 2028

Item

Description Quantity Unit Unit Cost

Total Cost

1 WHITE BREAD LOAF, 24 OZ 650 LF

2 ROLLS, HOTDOG, WHITE, 34 OZ, 16/PK 60 PG

3 ROLLS, HAMBURGER, WHITE, 34 OZ, 16/PK 450 PG

4 WHOLE WHEAT LOAF, 24 OZ 3000 LF

TOTAL AGGREGATE PRICE OPTION YEAR 3:

VAMC Albany, NY Option Year 4 - October 1, 2028, through September 30, 2029

Item

Description Quantity Unit Unit Cost

Total Cost

1 WHITE BREAD LOAF, 24 OZ 650 LF

2 ROLLS, HOTDOG, WHITE, 34 OZ, 16/PK 60 PG

3 ROLLS, HAMBURGER, WHITE, 34 OZ, 16/PK 450 PG

4 WHOLE WHEAT LOAF, 24 OZ 3000 LF

TOTAL AGGREGATE PRICE OPTION YEAR 4:

VAMC Albany

Base Year October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025, $

Option Year 1 October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, $

Option Year 2 October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, $

Option Year 3 October 1, 2027, through September 30, 2028, $

Option Year 4 October 1, 2028, through September 30, 2029, $

Total Aggregate Price Base + 4 one-year options $

3. RECOGNIZED FEDERAL HOLIDAYS:

January 1 New Year’s Day 3rd Monday – January Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 3rd Monday – February Presidents Day Last Monday – May Memorial Day June 19th Juneteenth Day July 4 Independence Day 1st Monday - September Labor Day 2nd Monday – October Columbus Day November 11 Veterans Day 4th Thursday – November Thanksgiving December 25th Christmas Day

Contractor shall not be required to deliver products on national holidays as listed above and any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday.

4. DISASTERS / EMERGENCIES:

The Contractor must be able to always ensure delivery to the VA, inclusive of disasters, and/or any other emergency condition. The VA may place a special order in preparation for, or in response to, a disaster or emergency. For anticipatory situations, such orders will be placed 24 hours or less in advance. In an emergency, the Contractor will be notified with the amount and type of products required by the VA that shall be delivered within 24 hours of order placement.

The order may be placed for larger quantities than the normal weekly order. The Contractor shall provide both the Contracting Officer and the COR with its designated point of contact and contact information for emergency orders.

5. SPECIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS:

A. The delivered products shall meet the specifications as listed in the attached Pricing Schedule document and comply with all applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sales of the products with the commercial marketplace. All deliveries shall conform in every respect to the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C) and regulations, promulgated hereunder.

B. Contractor's Certification. By submitting an offer, the contractor certifies that the product offered meets the specified salient characteristics and requirements of the Federal Hospital Subsistence Guide (DOD/DLAH4235.1) conforms to the producer's own specifications and standards, including product characteristics, manufacturing procedures, quality control procedures, and storage and handling territories, or possessions; and is sold in the commercial market. The Government reserves the right to determine proof of such conformance prior to the first delivery from point of origin and any time thereafter, up to and including, delivery at destination as may be necessary to determine conformance with the terms of the contract.

6. ALTERNATE ITEMS, PACKAGING, and PACKING:

A. Offers may propose alternate items, packaging, or packing. Offerors shall clearly indicate, in their offer, the quantity, packaging size, unit or other different features upon which the offer is submitted. Evaluation of the alternate item will be made against a common denominator (i.e., weight, package quantity, etc.). Offers are reminded that the alternate item must meet all the requirements of the Government specifications.

B. Environmental Standards. Should the contractor manufacturer and provide company brand bread and roll products, the contractor should utilize, if possible, recycled materials for containers if they meet the FDA sanitary standards for the specified commodity. List recycled materials for containers if they meet the FDA sanitary standards for the specified commodity.

7. PRODUCT QUALITY AND FRESHNESS:

A. Product conformance. The fresh or frozen bread provided shall meet the salient characteristics of the CID cited, conform to the producer's own specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices, and be the same fresh or frozen bread offered for sale in the commercial market. The Government reserves the right to require proof of such conformance.

B. Quality assurance. When required, the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS), U.S.

Department of Agriculture, shall determine the quality assurance of the fresh or frozen bread according to the requirements of the CID or applicable standards or specifications. The fresh or frozen bread shall be examined or analyzed in accordance with applicable provision in the CID, solicitation, contract, or purchase order, and, when applicable, the United States Standards for Condition of Food Container Manual (USDA, eff. 10/2013) in effect on the date of the offer.

C. Age requirement. Fresh bread shall be delivered less than 24 hours old upon arrival at the receiving point. Failure to comply with this provision will be considered grounds for default of contract.

D. All products furnished under this contract shall be processed and packed under sanitary conditions in strict accordance with guidelines provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), using the best commercial practices that are standard for the industry. All containers shall be clean, sound, and securely covered or sealed to provide adequate protection from dirt, filth, or contamination. All ingredients shall be clean, sound, wholesome, and free from evidence of rodent or insect infestation. Failure to comply with this provision will be considered grounds for default of contract.

E. Ingredients for fresh or frozen bread shall consist of flour, water, salt, yeast, emulsifiers or stabilizers, and other ingredients appropriate for the type of bread specified in the schedule of items. The fresh or frozen bread shall include mold inhibitors of proper levels as allowed by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

F. Enriched flour. When the bread is enriched, the wheat flour used for the bread shall conform to the U.S. Standards of Identity for Enriched Flour (21 CFR 137.165) and shall be milled from a variety of hard and/or soft wheat.

G. Appearance and color. The fresh or frozen bread shall have a uniformly brown crust characteristic of the product. The fresh or frozen bread shall have a typical volume, characteristic grain, and be evenly baked without evidence of foreign odors or flavors, burnt, scorched, stale, rancid, or moldy. The delivered fresh or frozen bread shall not be crushed or damaged.

H. Unless otherwise specified in the item specification or solicitation, marking shall be in accordance with best commercial practice.

I. Any commercial or additional labeling, as specified, which complies with the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and regulations promulgated there under, is acceptable.

J. Products manufactured to metric dimensions will be considered on an equal basis with those manufactured using inch-pound units, providing they fall within the tolerances specified using conversion tables contained in the latest revision of Federal Standard No. 376B. If a product is manufactured to metric dimensions and those dimensions exceed the tolerances specified in the inch-pound units, a request should be made to the Contracting Officer to determine if the product is acceptable. The COR, in accordance with the Contracting Officer, will accept or reject the product.

K. Additional packaging, packing, and/or marking requirements can be found in the Addendum to 52.212-4, Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items.

8. INSPECTION OF PLANTS:

An inspection may be made of the premises and employees of the bidders, prior to making an award and conditions found will be considered in awarding a contract. Inspection may also be made at any time during the life of the contract and, if it is found that the contractor is not complying with specifications, deliveries will be rejected, and the products covered by this contract will be procured on the open market. Any excess cost occasioned by this action will be charged against the contractor account.

THE BIDDER CERTIFIES THAT (CHECK ONE):

Within the past six months no inspection of the physical facilities of this plant has been conducted by any agency of the Federal Government.

OR

An inspection of the physical facilities of the plant was conducted by the

____________________________agency on ___________________ and this plant was ACCEPTED/REJECTED for furnishing its product to the Federal Government.

9. SOURCE OF MANUFACTURE:

Items supplied under this contract are required to originate from a sanitarily approved source.

The supplier must identify the source of manufacture on the primary container or in the accompanying shipping documents. The identification on the primary container may consist of either the manufacturing plant name and address or a manufacturing plant code. When the manufacturing plant is identified on the shipping documents accompanying the delivery, the plant shall be identified by its complete name, address, and plant code. Preference will be given to locally sourced vendors.

10. ORDERING:

A. The VA Upstate New York Healthcare System facilities shall place orders no less than 2 workdays prior to required delivery date, upon delivery at the receiving location, items ordered shall be less than 24 hours of age. Orders shall not be placed more than 5 days prior to required delivery date, with the Government reserving the right to adjust orders 24-hours prior to scheduled delivery. Orders will be placed by the COR or his/her designee. Each order will show ship to and bill to addresses and purchase order number (if required).

B. Quantities shown on previous pages represent the quantities estimated to be ordered over the delivery period. Quotes will be evaluated based on the estimated quantities. Actual quantities ordered may vary among the line items.

C. The items listed in this contract are required subsistence items for the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Medical Center at the address listed in paragraph 1 of this document. Products and deliveries are to be in accordance with the terms, conditions, and schedules noted herein. The period of performance is a base period of October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024, with four (4) one-year option periods from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2028. Prices quoted will be F.O.B. destination.

CUSTOMER SERVICE POINT OF CONTACT: The Contractor shall provide a designated point of contact and toll-free number (if applicable) for resolution of customer service problems to include at a minimum delivery of damaged or incorrect items.

Contractor Point of Contact:

(Name) (Title) (Telephone Number) (Fax Number) (E-mail Address)

11. PACKING LIST:

There shall be a packing list enclosed with any shipments made under this contract. The packing list shall show the following as a minimum: Contractor’s name and address; VA Purchase Order Number (if one is provided); the VA Facility and Service placing the order; the items shipped;

and quantity.

12. RETURN POLICY:

Offerors shall clearly indicate their return policy with their quote. Defective product or incorrect product shipped by Contractor error shall be replaced at no cost to the Government. Product shipped by Government error may be returned subject to the Contractor’s normal return policy.

Offerors shall provide the name and telephone number for reporting delivery/product problems for each VA location.

13. UTILIZATION OF CONTRACT:

Delivery orders will be issued on an as-needed basis.

14. DELIVERIES AND INVOICING:

A. Deliveries shall occur up to four times per week between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., excluding federal holidays. Requests for deliveries on different days and/or at a different time shall be submitted to and approved by the Contracting Officer and his/her designee in writing.

B. Deliveries and invoicing for the Nutrition and Food Services must be accomplished separately at the Nutrition & Food Services Departments at the respective facilities listed in paragraph 1 of this document. Invoices must contain at a minimum the purchase order and itemized list of products delivered, unit prices, and total price.

C. While performing under this contract, all vehicles used by the Contractor shall be locked and the keys removed when not in use. This is intended to protect the Contractor’s property as well as the safety of patients and staff at the medical centers.

D. While performing under this contract, all vehicles used by the Contractor shall have temperature tracking systems in place on the refrigerated trucks to ensure they are being maintained in accordance with federal safety & sanitation guidelines.

E. Invoices shall be issued to the VA Financial Service Center and to the Chief, Nutrition and Food Services. Invoices shall be identified with proper delivery order number (purchase order number) and shall reflect all deliveries made against the delivery order. End of the month deliveries shall not be billed against the following month delivery order.

F. Invoices shall be submitted weekly and shall include the following per FAR Clause 52.212- 4(g):

• Contractor’s business name and address

• Contractor’s Tax Identification Number (TIN)

• Invoice date

• Date(s) of services provided

• Contract number

• Total amount billed

• Purchase Order number

NOTE: Failure to include the above information may result in delay of payment. Invoices will be returned to the Contractor for completion if there are any omissions.

15. PAYMENTS:

Payments under this contract shall be made by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) by the VA Finance Services Center. See Clause 52.232-34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—Other than Central Contractor Registration for further information.

16. EVALUATION CRITERIA:

The Government will award to the responsible offeror whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, that are most advantageous to the Government, with past performance and price considered, prices being rated higher than past performance.

Past Performance: The offeror must provide documentation of three (3) references for verification purposes of past performance which demonstrate the company's ability to meet the qualifications herein, inclusive of point of contract information and current phone numbers.

17. CONTRACTING OFFICER (CO):

The Contract Specialist (CS) named below is responsible for the overall administration of the contract.

Myra Florisa N. Green Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 2 20 Madison Avenue Ext.

Albany, NY 12203 (518)626-5450

The awarded Contractor(s) is advised that only the Contract Specialist, acting within the scope of the contract and his/her duties and responsibilities and, after advice and consultation with the Contracting Officer, has the authority to make changes which effect contract prices, quality, quantity, delivery terms and conditions, term of contract. In no event shall any understanding or agreement, contract modification, change order, or other matters in deviation from the terms of this contract between the Contractor and a person other than the Contracting Officer, be effective or binding upon the Government. All such actions must be formalized by the proper contractual document executed by the Contracting Officer.

18. CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR):

The following individuals have been designated as the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to monitor and certify receipt of services rendered under these contracts:

Brittany Barnard, RDN Supervisory Dietitian of Food Operations, Nutrition & Food Services Samuel S. Stratton ,/.l,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;qwVA Medical Center

113 Holland Ave Albany, NY 12208

The contract type is firm-fixed price, FOB Destination. The Government will award to the responsible offeror whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, that are most advantageous to the Government, with past performance and price considered, prices being rated higher than past performance. All future information about this acquisition, including solicitation amendments, will also be distributed through this site. Interested vendors are responsible for monitoring this site to insure they have the most-up-to-date information about this solicitation. All quotes must be received by 27 August 2024 at 4:00 p.m. EST. Quotes must be emailed to the address below.

Payment will be made using electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).

NOTE: Offerors must be registered and current in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov to be considered for award. Any offeror that submits a quote for the facility named above and is not registered in SAM will be considered ineligible.

The point of contact for all information regarding this solicitation is:

Myra Florisa N. Green Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 2 20 Madison Avenue Ext.

Albany, NY 12203

The anticipated award date is 09/01/2024.

The period of performance are:

Base Year 10/01/2024 – 09/30/2025 Option Year 1 10/01/2025 – 09/30/2026 Option Year 2 10/01/2026 – 09/30/2027 Option Year 3 10/01/2027 – 09/30/2028 Option Year 4 10/01/2028 – 09/30/2029

Place of Performance/Place of Delivery

Address: Samuel S. Stratton VA Medical Center 113 Holland Avenue Albany, NY 12203

The full text of FAR provisions or clauses may be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html.

The following solicitation provisions apply to this acquisition:

1. FAR 52.212-1, “Instructions to Offerors–Commercial Products and Commercial Services”

2. FAR 52.212-3, “Offerors Representations and Certifications–Commercial Products and

Commercial Services” http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html

Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) website located at https://www.sam.gov/portal in accordance with FAR 52.212-3, “Offerors Representations and Certifications–Commercial Products and Commercial Services.” If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required.

The following contract clauses apply to this acquisition:

• FAR 52.212-4, “Contract Terms and Conditions–Commercial Products and Commercial Services” (November 2023)

• FAR 52.212-5, “Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or

Executive Orders – Commercial Products and Commercial Services” (May 2024)

All quoters shall submit the following:

Pricing for items listed on Section D of the Statement of Work.

All quotes shall be sent to Myra F. Green via e-mail at Myra.Green2@va.gov.

Award will be based upon a comparative evaluation of quotes in accordance with the Simplified Acquisition Procedures of FAR 13. Comparative evaluation is the side by side pairwise comparison of quotes based on factors resulting in a Contracting Officer decision for the quote most favorable to the Government. Options will be evaluated at time of award.

The following are the decision factors:

Price

The award will be made to the response most advantageous to the Government.

Responses should contain your best terms, conditions.

The following provision is incorporated into 52.212-1 as an addendum to this solicitation:

FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021)

(a) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and small business size standard. The NAICS code(s) and small business size standard(s) for this acquisition appear elsewhere in the Request for Quote (RFQ). However, the small business size standard for a concern that submits a quote, other than on a construction or service acquisition, but proposes to furnish an end item that it did not itself manufacture, process, or produce is 500 employees if the acquisition—

(1) Is set aside for small business and has a value above the simplified acquisition threshold; or https://www.sam.gov/portal

(2) Uses the HUBZone price evaluation preference regardless of dollar value, unless the quoter waives the price evaluation preference; or

(3) Is an 8(a), HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned, economically disadvantaged women-owned, or women-owned small business set-aside or sole-source award regardless of dollar value.

(b) Submission of Quotes. Submit signed and dated quotes to the office specified in this Request for Quote (RFQ) at or before the exact time specified. Quotes may be submitted on letterhead stationery, or as otherwise specified in the RFQ. As a minimum, quotes must show—

(1) The solicitation number;

(2) The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of quotations;

(3) The name, address, and telephone number of the quoter;

(4) Terms of any express warranty;

(5) Price and any discount terms;

(6) "Remit to" address, if different than mailing address;

(7) A completed copy of the representations and certifications at Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b) for those representations and certifications that the quoter shall complete electronically);

(8) Acknowledgment Request for Quotation amendments;

(9) Past performance will not be considered in simplified acquisition procurements.

(10) Quote should include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Quotes that fail to furnish required representations and certifications, information requested in (1) to (9), and accept the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

(c) Period for acceptance of Quotes. The quoter agrees to hold the prices in its quote firm for 30 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of quotes, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.

(d) Product samples. When required by the solicitation, product samples shall be submitted at or prior to the time specified for receipt of quotes. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, these samples shall be submitted at no expense to the Government, and returned at the sender’s request and expense, unless they are destroyed during testing.

(e) Multiple Quotes. Quoters are encouraged to submit multiple quotes presenting alternative line items (provided that the alternative line items are consistent with FAR subpart 4.10), or alternative commercial products or commercial services for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation. Each quote submitted will be evaluated separately.

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_212_3 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_212_3 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-4#FAR_Subpart_4_10

(f) Late submissions, revisions, and withdrawals of quotes.

(1) Quoters are responsible for submitting quotes so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in this solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation, the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated Government office on the date that quotes are due.

(2) Any quotation received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of quotes is "late" and may not be considered unless it is received before purchase order issuance and the Contracting Officer (CO) determines that accepting the late quotation would not unduly delay the acquisition.

(3) If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that quotations cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of quotes by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude a notice of an extension of the closing date, the time specified for receipt of quotes will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume.

(g) Issuance of Purchase Order. The Government may issue a purchase order to one or more quoters as identified in the Request for Quote (RFQ). Therefore, the quoter’s initial quote should contain the best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government may reject any or all quotes if such action is in the public’s best interest. The Contracting Officer (CO) may issue a purchase order to other than the quoter with the lowest priced quotation.

(h) Multiple awards. The Government may issue a purchase order for any item or group of items of a quotation, unless the quoter qualifies the quotation by specific limitations. Unless otherwise provided in the Schedule, quotations may not be submitted for quantities less than those specified. The Government reserves the right to issue a purchase order for a quantity less than the quantity quoted, at the unit prices quoted, unless the quoter specifies otherwise in the quotation.

(1) Availability of requirements documents cited in the solicitation.

(i) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29, and copies of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained for a fee by submitting a request to- GSA Federal Supply Service Specifications Section Suite 8100 470 East L’Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20407 Telephone (202) 619-8925, Facsimile (202) 619-8978.

(ii) If the General Services Administration, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Veterans Affairs issued this solicitation, a single copy of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained free of charge by submitting a request to the addressee in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this provision. Additional copies will be issued for a fee.

(2) Most unclassified Defense specifications and standards may be downloaded from the following ASSIST websites:

(i) ASSIST ( https://assist.dla.mil/online/start/).

(ii) Quick Search ( http://quicksearch.dla.mil/).

(3) Documents not available from ASSIST may be ordered from the Department of Defense Single Stock Point (DoDSSP) by-

(i) Using the ASSIST Shopping Wizard ( https://assist.dla.mil/wizard/index.cfm);

(ii) Phoning the DoDSSP Customer Service Desk (215) 697-2179, Mon-Fri, 0730 to 1600 EST;

or

(iii) Ordering from DoDSSP, Building 4, Section D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, Telephone (215) 697-2667/2179, Facsimile (215) 697-1462.

(4) Nongovernment (voluntary) standards must be obtained from the organization responsible for their preparation, publication, or maintenance.

(j) Unique entity identifier (UEI). Applies to all quotes that exceed the micro-purchase threshold, and quotes at or below the micro-purchase threshold if the solicitation requires the contractor to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).) The quoter must enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its quote, the annotation "Unique Entity Identifier" followed by the unique entity identifier that identifies the quoters name and address.

The quoter also must enter its Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) indicator, if applicable. The EFT indicator is a four-character suffix to the UEI. The suffix is assigned at the discretion of the quoter to establish additional SAM records for identifying alternative EFT accounts (see FAR subpart 32.11) for the same entity. If the quoter does not have a UEI, it should contact the entity designated at www.sam.gov for UEI establishment directly to obtain one.

The quoter should indicate that it is a quoter for a Government contract when contacting the entity designated at www.sam.gov for establishing the UEI.

(k) [Reserved]

(l) Requests for information. The CO will not notify unsuccessful quoters that responded to this Request for Quotation (RFQ). However, quoters may request information on purchase order(s) resulting from this solicitation with the CO.

(End of Provision)

To facilitate the award process, all quotes must include a statement regarding the terms and conditions herein as follows:

"The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition."

OR

http://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml;jsessionid=114A3287C7B3359E597506A31FC855B3 http://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml;jsessionid=114A3287C7B3359E597506A31FC855B3 https://assist.dla.mil/wizard/index.cfm https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-32#FAR_Subpart_32_11 http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

"The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:"

Quoters shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s), if any.

Submission of your response shall be received not later than 4:00 PM EST on August 27, 2024 at Myra.Green2@va.gov.

Late submissions shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212- 1(f).

Any questions or concerns regarding this solicitation should be forwarded in writing via e-mail to the Point of Contact listed below.

Point of Contact Myra Florisa N. Green Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 2 20 Madison Avenue Ext.

Albany, NY 12203 Phone: (518)626-5450 E-Mail: Myra.Green2@va.gov