36C24419Q0318-0001001.pdf

VAPHS UPS Maintenance and Support questions from vendors with requesting service line and contracting office answers (Answers are in BLUE). All prospective vendor questions were deemed satisfactory by the vendor that posed the question(s) or did not respond to the answer/ did not follow-up with an unsatisfied response.

Will temporary batteries be required during the preventative maintenance services of the existing batteries?

No temporary batteries required. It is permissible to operate on line power in maintenance by-pass mode during PM work. In the case of data centers with existing redundant UPS equipment, work must be phased to allow one of the UPS units to remain on line at all times.

If these units are for lights, how many lights are inside? How many are outside?

No units are strictly for lights. Some units feed emergency power panels with lighting and equipment loads. Most of the UPS units service computer equipment.

Do these units relate to/service any solar panels or arrays?

No

Is there a mandatory pre-bid site visit for this project?

The requestors have not made that a requirement for this opportunity.

Some of those smaller units might be cheaper to replace, are you aware of this?

The requestors may be receptive to replacement but that is out of scope for this contract opportunity.

Solicitation Section E.2 - Instructions to Offerors, Paragraph 5 states that completed pricing schedule must include pricing for semi-annual preventative maintenance services. However, the Price/Cost Schedule provided on page 4 provides for one unit price for annual maintenance.

The proposed cost of the two semi-annual visits should be added together. This sum would be a total for 1 line item for each year.

Are we to include the $200 for repairs in our quoted number? The way I interpret this that our number is based on labor, travel, tools, equipment. The $200 is for the parts & pieces (Excluding Batteries) for all four sites for a the semi-annual visit.

You should build that cost into semi annual maintenance visits, yes. Anything that exceeds that amount will not be covered by this contract, but rather a separate purchase order.

Is there a possibility of getting a complete “solidified” list of model/serial numbers for the equipment to be maintained?

The list provided in the solicitation itself and separately in the attachments to the solicitation (“UPS Information”) are all that I received from the requesting team. The former list is from facilities and the latter list is from the current contractor. Unfortunately I do not have a more exhaustive list available to me to provide.

Is there any requirement for clearance to enter the VA hospital facilities ?

Please see sections B.4 and B.5 of the solicitation (also attached) for “clearance” requirements determined by the privacy and information security officers at VAPHS and the VA broadly.

Are you looking for a forecast amount of emergency services for the contract period or are you looking for a quote for time and material?

This contract will be awarded as a firm fixed price. As a rule of thumb from my experience in other UPS requirements, you should forecast emergency services for 1 emergency visit in each year of the contract.

Page 36 of 54 states that pricing should include semi-annual preventative maintenance services and 24/7 emergency service response. Should the emergency service pricing be submitted as a separate line item for each year? If so, will a new pricing sheet be provided, as the Price/Cost Schedule only shows UPS Maintenance Pricing?

Please factor your pricing for emergency response into the single line item for each year. In my experience with other UPS maintenance contracts, you should factor in the forecasted price of 1 emergency visit per year into the sum of your price for 2 semi-annual visits.