QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS .pdf

Questions and Answers Site Visit Conducted 10/08/2024 at 8:00 AM

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation 36C24224Q1015 100% Total Small Business Set-Aside.

1. Will the vendors be responsible to dissemble equipment?

Answer: Vendors are required to dissemble equipment as instructed in the SOW and indicated on the equipment and furniture inventory list.

2. During the walk-through numerous cloth chairs were discovered will the VA be keeping this type of furniture?

Answer: All clothed chairs will be disposed of. As instructed on the furniture list, all furniture documented as discard must be disposed in the dumpster provided by the vendor.

3. Will weekends be authorized to remove any and all equipment & furniture?

Answer: Yes. As stated in the SOW, weekends will be available for both clinic.

4. Are the vendors responsible for removing any and all electronics such as CPUs, printers & monitors?

Answer: No. The vendor shall not remove any and all electronics such as CPU, printers, and monitors. This will be handled by VA staff.

5. Will the VA staff remove personal belongings, or will that fall on the responsibility of the vendor?

Answer: All personal belongings will be removed by VA staff. The vendor shall not remove any personal belongings.

6. Once we clear all required areas where should the remaining furniture that needs to be placed in the garbage/trash be located?

Answer: All furniture that is garbage/trashed will be indicted on the inventory list to be disposed of into dumpster. Vendors shall not confuse or include equipment with this instruction.

7. How will the vendors know what will be staying at this facility?

Answer: On the inventory list, all equipment and all furniture are labeled according to their final disposition. The final disposition is either discard, Storage, Lyons, East Orange, or CBOCS.

8. Who is supplying the boxes or supplies to clear off space?

Answer: The vendor must supply all necessary materials, boxes, and supplies to ensure that equipment and furniture is free from any scratches and damages. Materials and supplies will not be used for personal use or move.

9. Will the vendors be responsible for removing the refrigerators in the pharmacy Department?

Answer: The vendor shall be responsible for removing the refrigerators and freezers and delivering them to their destination, as indicated in the revised equipment inventory list.

10. Who will be responsible for removing the controlled substance in the pharmacy?

Answer: The vendor shall not touch and will not be responsible for removing the any controlled substance in pharmacy. The VA Staff and Police will be responsible.

11. Who will be providing dumpster and discarding service? If Vendors are providing this service, can they park the dumpsters at both sites, Brick and Brick Annex?

Answer: Yes. As stated in the SOW, the vendor must provide dumpsters. The revised SOW will include details of each dumpster. One dumpster for Annex and one dumpster for Brick. Each dumpster will be 20 yard each. Dumpster can be delivered as early as 10/18 and shall be located in the back of the building for James J. Howard Brick Clinic and for Annex the location of the dumpster should be in the rear of the building near the generator.

12. In supply room 210 will it be the vendor responsible for dismantling all racks for this section/department?

Answer: All racks in the supply room will be dismantled and discarded by the vendor.

13. Will the pick-up and delivery be implemented on the same day?

Answer: Equipment should be delivered same day. If there is a VA Center or CBOC assigned to it, then it should be delivered to its designated location as instructed in the inventory list.

14. What are the estimated dates for delivery?

Answer: The equipment and furniture that are not going straight to storage must be delivered to their final disposition as stated on the inventory list.

15. Will any section need to be prioritized for this requirement?

Answer: All Equipment must be prioritized first for disassembling and put at the loading dock no later than 10/23/2024. There is another vendor that will be picking up equipment and all equipment must be disassembled before the required date.

16. Will the gun vault will need to be uninstalled and relocated to Toms River?

Answer: The gun safe is 600 lbs. and it is bolted to the ground at Brick VA clinic.

Our VA NJHCS FMS team will unbolt the gun safe from the ground and the vendor/mover support is needed to relocate the gun safe, to Lyons (bldg. 9). Due to the weight of the safe, this support is needed to do so, safely.

17. What is the square footage of Brick and Brick Annex?

Answer: Approximately 42,691 square feet.

18. What is the ratio between discarded and re-purposed items?

Answer: For Furniture the rough ration is 2 to 1. For equipment is 94 to relocate and 72 to dispose. See Master List for more information.

19. For the re-purposed furniture that do not go to "Off-site Storage", do they go straight to a specific destination at East Orange, Lyons, and clinics or to a staging area?

Answer: For the re-purposed furniture that do not go to "Off-site Storage", they go to specific destinations, with rooms number listed on the Master Inventory List (Furniture).

If the disposition is listed at "Lyons ID Storage", they go to a storage area with most of them are being seating and loose tables. The clinic names have been identified. We will provide specific room numbers prior to delivery date.

20. Do Vendors need to tag furniture that go to specific destinations?

Answer: Yes, specific furniture item(s) has been assigned on the Master Inventory List (Furniture) with a specific destination to assure fit. Vendors will need to tag the destinations or provide similar method to assure the intent.

21. Do furniture that are to be delivered to a final destination needs re-assembling services?

Answer: Yes, all furniture, mainly desks that arrive at new destination needs re-assembling services, unless otherwise noted on the chart.

22. How will the vendors know what will be staying at this facility?

Answer: A VA representative has been going to each department and color-coding each item that will be discarded, moved, stored, or left behind. Please follow that key if any questions need to be addressed, please contact the POC for that section.

23. We do not intend to re-purpose any of the contractor-built built-in millwork (lower and upper cabinets). Do these cabinets need to be removed from the walls?

Answer: At the Annex and Brick Clinic cabinets must be uninstalled and discarded -dumped. The VA FMS Team will unbolt from the ground; however, the vendor will discard the millwork lower and upper cabinets.

24. For the furniture items that are identified to go to "Off-site Storage" in disposition destination, movers will be responsible for relocation to final location(s) to be identified by the VA at a future date. The number of moves out of storage to new locations will not exceed two per month.

Answer: Interior Design to get the office numbers, mileage will not change. Office numbers and coordination of delivery will occur in advance.

25. Offices will be issued boxes; employees will load boxes and move items from SME/Toms River.

Answer: Employees will be issued boxes; they will fill in their own supplies and these will be moved by the Toms River vendor: SME.

26. Please confirm the following items we are not to handle:

1) No IT equipment to be handled by movers in anyway.

Answer: Correct. IT items will not be handled by vendor.

2) Artifacts and Art to be handled by VA resources.

Answer: Correct. Artifacts and Arts will be handled by VA Staff.

3) Personal Work areas to be packed and moved by VA resources.

Answer: Correct. All personal items will be packed by VA Staff.

4) Medicine and Medical Supplies to be packed and moved by VA resources.

Answer: Correct. All medicine and medical supplies will be handled by VA Staff.

5) Audiology Booths are not to be removed.

Answer: Correct. Audiology booths are not to be removed.

6) Millwork is not to be removed.

Answer: At Annex and Brick clinic millwork must be uninstalled and discarded. Refer to question 23. The VA FMS Team can unbolt from the ground; however, the vendor will discard.

7) Wood workstations in Call Center and in Administrative Area will not be removed.

Answer: Wood workstations in call center and administrative area will not be removed by the vendor.

27. When can we move the Annex location weekday or weekend?

Answer: Annex will be available on weekdays and weekends during the performance period of the move.

28. Are there any restrictions accessing the space in a multi-tenant building?

Answer: None.

29. All equipment is to be delivered to staging areas per today’s meeting, correct?

Answer: No.

30. Nothing to be stored in climate-controlled storage per today’s meeting, correct?

Answer: Climate-controlled storage is designated for equipment only. Furniture can be stored in non-controlled temperature.

31. Furniture to move to other locations, mover storage and to be disposed of on-site, correct?

Answer: Yes

32. Locations are based on the furniture and equipment inventories provided, correct?

Answer: As stated in the inventory list for equipment and furniture.

33. If coordination is too much for deliveries to happen at time of move out in Brick, NJ will they go into storage for later date delivery?

Answer: Yes.

34. Who is providing packing materials for the VA staff to move themselves?

Answered in question 5.

35. Access and Scheduling:

Will we have 24-hour access to the clinic and annex?

Answer: No, only available from 0800- 1630 (8-430pm) Monday through Sunday.

Weekends must be scheduled with Point of Contacts. As stated in the SOW.

On which date can we place the dumpster at the clinic?

Answer: This can be delivered either Friday 10/18 or Saturday 10/19 behind the building. However, the dumpster for Annex clinic must be removed by 10/26/2024.

36. Equipment Relocation:

Please confirm that medical equipment must be moved out and staged by 10/23.

Answer: Yes

Is it correct that the Annex Physical Therapy equipment will be relocated on 10/23?

Answer: Yes. The relocation of equipment located in the docking station will be relocated by another vendor.

For equipment in the Annex, are we required to disassemble, bubble wrap, and deliver it to Lyons?

Answer: Yes, as for some items identified on the excel spreadsheet (Note: FMS will assist in the optical chairs, removing electrical).

37. Scope of Work:

Is providing a cleaning crew part of our responsibilities?

Answer: No. The vendor will not be responsible of cleaning the facility. However, the vendor must clean after themselves.

Does our scope include small demolition of millwork cabinets?

Answer: See question 23

38. Project Requirements:

What are the insurance requirements for this project?

Answer: The VA owned equipment is high-cost equipment. All equipment that is damaged by the vendor must be replaced or repaired depending on what is feasible.

39. Additional Information:

Can you please provide the updated equipment list addendum that includes the additional inventory items not listed in the current inventory list?

Answer: Revised inventory list for equipment and furniture provided.

40. Please confirm working hours and dates from this project.

Answer: This is found in the SOW.

41. What is the timeline for the relocation (including packing, loading, transport, and unpacking)?

Answer: the estimated performance period for this procurement is 10/18 to 10/31, (Phase

1) additional transport of storage will happen at a later time (Furniture move out from storage to clinic will occur in Phase 2) as stated in the SOW.

42. Please confirm all items moved to other VA locations will be placed in their final locations.

Answer: Yes, the final list for furniture will be available at the time of award.

43. Please confirm if the medical equipment to be disassembled will be handled by the manufacturer?

Answer: No, equipment will be dissembled by VA staff.

44. Please confirm if removal of any medical equipment will involve hazardous materials?

Answer: None of the medical equipment are considered hazardous.

45. Please confirm if removal of items from mover storage will be handled in (1) mobilization?

Answer: No, it will be done on two mobilizations per month until completion.

46. Given the medical equipment involved in this move, what type of insurance coverage is required for the move?

Answer: The VA owned equipment is high-cost equipment. All equipment that is damaged by the vendor must be replaced or repaired depending on what is feasible.

47. Are there any specific government policies regarding liability and insurance?

Answer: The one that your company has.

48. Are there any special instructions for the handling of sensitive or confidential materials?

Answer: No. All sensitive and confidential materials will be handled by the VA staff only.

49. Will final mile furniture be delivered day after loading in Brick into cleared space at new location?

This question was further explained. What I mean is once we load up the furniture for delivery to either Lyons or East Orange will we be able to deliver either same day or next day into the designated final locations at the VA sites?

Answer: Yes

We know this project requires the space to be cleared and broom swept by 10/31. The delivery of furniture to Lyons or East Orange can occur later in the week using origin as a staging area if needed.

The main issue is there is a big difference in delivering furniture into a cleared area ready to receive it versus having to pack up and remove existing furniture that may still be in the space.

Answer: All furniture and equipment that states disposition Lyons or East Orange may be delivered directly to the Centers as Lyons and East Orange VA Medical centers can store the items. However, equipment that states CBOCs as their disposition must be deliver to that CBOC and furniture that states the CBOC as their disposition must be delivered during phase two so, they must go to storage first then the POC will contact the vendor to schedule phase two.

Our considerations:

1) We would like to be able to offload trucks either same day or next day as not to tie them up if possible.

Answer: That is fine

2) If the spaces are not ready then we would need to hold onto the items in temp storage, that costs as we will need to offload and reload the trucks when the destination locations are ready to receive the furniture.

Answer: Please refer to question 49.

3) If the final mile locations are not ready another option is to deliver to staging areas on-site as well, then come back for final move and installation. With redeployment of office furniture, it is critical to have the final mile locations cleared and ready to receive.

Answer: Not applicable. All equipment must be delivered to the designated locations Centers and CBOC and all furniture assigned to CBOCs will be delivered to storage first as designated in Phase One followed by the POC communicating to the vendor when phase two will commence. The furniture disposition to Lyons and East Orange will be delivered to Lyons or East Orange and not storage.

50. The Furniture inventory list has additional instructions for furniture items and accessories. Found at the bottom of sheet one and sheet 2.

51. Second site visit will not occur.

52. Response due date has been extended to Tuesday October 15, 2024, by 1:00 PM Eastern and it must be emailed to Mariangie.Rivera@va.gov.