36C24422Q0638 - QUESTION AND ANSWERS.pdf

36C24422Q0638 – VISN 4 MEDICAL GAS CYLINDERS

QUESTION AND GOVERNMENT RESPONSES

1. Q: Please confirm the current Contract(s) # for the active supply of this VISN?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: The current contract number is VA244-17-D-0194

2. Q: Please clarify the submission requirements?

Q: RFQ Attachment A lists the exact same items in a single excel spreadsheet, with a combined workbook (all locations in one aggregate annual estimate for the Base Year only), and quantities by location as well.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: The vendor needs to complete all section of the RFQ that require vendor responses:

Quoter shall supply Pricing Volume in accordance with Section E.1 Addendum to FAR 52.212-1

Instruction of Offerors – Commercial Products and Commercial Services

VOLUME ONE - PRICE

***Provide ONLY the excel spreadsheet provided in this solicitation.

The Price volume must contain one (1) complete copy of ATTACHMENT 1 3624422Q0630 Line Items . No technical or past performance information should be contained in this volume.

a. The Line Items attachment is provided in an Excel Spreadsheet format. The Quoter must fill out the Tab named “Items”. Each Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) identifies a single Facility. Each Subline Contract Line Item Number (Sub-CLIN) consists of the fills, rentals, emergency delivery fees, and delivery fees for that facility, and other items that are not separately priced. The Quoter shall complete the pricing schedule attachment for ALL FACILITIES to be considered for award. Quoters that fail to complete the pricing schedule attachment for ALL FACILITIES will be deemed nonresponsive.

b. The Quoter is only to complete Columns O, AM, BY, CC, CE, CF, CG, CR, and CU of ATTACHMENT 1 Line Items.

c. The quoter must also complete the Schedule of Items document, this document provides annual cost per station

Excel spreadsheet Sheet Attachment 2 and 3 are provided for informational purposes.

3. Q: Attachment A Schedule of items has the annual Estimates for the Base Year only. For pricing purposes (EXCEL Calculations), should offerors use the same quantities depicted for the

Base Year and carry the same quantities forward for each of the 4 Options years via annual price escalator?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: Yes, these quantities are an estimated annual usage.

4. Q: Which pricing document should the SDVOSB Vendor submit with their bid – specifically what documents takes precedence (will be used) for our evaluated Pricing?

A. GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: See answer to question 2.

Quotes will be evaluated in accordance with Section E.6 52.212-2 EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL

PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021)

(a) BASIS FOR CONTRACT AWARD. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror with the lowest priced, technically acceptable offer.

Except for communications conducted for the purpose of minor clarifications, the Government intends to evaluate quotes and issue a fixed price contract without communications or clarifications. Therefore, each initial quote should contain the Offeror’s best terms from a technical and pricing standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct communications or clarifications if it is later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary.

(b) EVALUATION FACTORS. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotations:

Factor 1 – Price Factor 2 – Technical Capability

FACTOR 1 – PRICE

Factor 1 – Price is not rated. Pricing must be submitted for all priced Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) and Subline Contract Line Item Numbers (Sub-CLINs) of ATTACHMENT 1 SCHEDULE OF ITEMS for a quote to be complete and considered for award. Quoters that fail to complete the pricing schedule attachment for ALL FACILITIES will be deemed nonresponsive.

Once all Quoters’ Price quotes are evaluated for completeness, Price quotes that are determined to be complete will be ranked in order of lowest price to highest price based on the Total Evaluated Price. The Total Evaluated Price is found by multiplying the estimated quantities for each line item by the prices proposed for each line item. All amounts for the base and option periods will then be added together and that sum will be the Total Evaluated Price.

Beginning with the lowest priced Total Evaluated Price quote, the Government will evaluate the Quoters’ Technical Volumes until one is deemed Technically Acceptable. At the time a Quoter’s Technical Volume is found to be Technically Acceptable, Technical evaluations will cease and the remaining Quoters’ Technical Volumes will not be evaluated.

FACTOR 2 – TECHNICAL CAPABILITY

Initially, the lowest priced Total Evaluated Price Quoter’s Technical Volume will be evaluated for completeness (i.e., whether the Quote includes the information requested in the instructions to quoters section of the solicitation) and then to determine whether the Technical Volume demonstrates that the Quoter can satisfactorily meet the Government’s requirements as outlined in the solicitation. Incomplete proposals will not be considered for award.

The following ratings will be used in evaluating quotes: RATING

DEFINITION

Acceptable Quote clearly meets the minimum qualifications/requirements of the solicitation.

Unacceptable Quote does not clearly meet the minimum qualifications/requirements of the solicitation.

5. Q: Restated - what submission document will be used to conduct this analysis, and what is the GOV rationale to have the vendor provide essentially the same information twice, one calculable (MS EXCEL), the other manual (MS WORD)? Recommend an AMEND only requiring pricing using ATTACHMENT A to clarify the GOV pricing requirement.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: See answer to question 2

6. Q: An unforeseen technical error we found out on the RPOC Bids: If vendors follow the naming convention depicted in the RFQ – an EXCEL File cannot be saved down using a colon : in the file name – resulting in the Contracting Authority NOT being able to save our submission.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: As this is a requirement Contracting has established, corrective action if deemed necessary. The Government will revise the SOW in an amendment to the solicitation.

7. Q: Recommend deleting CLINs 0093 to 1000 – (8) CLINs for lost and damaged. It is unreasonable to ask a vendor to project what a specific Cylinder will cost for (up to) 5 years in the future. Recommend deleting these and providing a reasonable market price (that must be acceptable/proven to the GOV), at the time of loss (if any)?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: We have reviewed your request remove CLINs from the Schedule of

Items regarding Lost or Damaged Cylinders. The Government will not be updating the Schedule of Items to remove these CLINs.

8. Q: Disposal of VA Owned Cylinders (PG 287 of 344, Para 4.2) – how does the VA expect offerors to account for undeterminable costs without a respective pricing CLIN? Request adding a CLIN for disposal of VA Owned Cylinders, or the GOV dispose of their GFE Cylinders?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: We have reviewed your request to add a CLIN to the Schedule of

Items regarding Government Owned Cylinder Disposal. The Government will not be updating the

Schedule of Items to include a CLIN for Government Owned Cylinder Disposal.

9. Q: Please provide the GOV’s rationale for using LPTA for a service as critical as Medical Oxygen and Specialty Gas Cylinders? Especially when linked to:

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: The Government does not intend to change the solicitation method.

This is a commercial item acquisition that will be conducted under the authority of FAR Part 13.5, Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Products and Commercial Services. FAR Parts 14 and 15 are not being used.”

Reference: FAR 13.5 - Simplif ied Procedures for Certain Commercial Products and Commercial Services

10. Q: Please confirm the GOV’s rationale for NOT using Past Performance as an evaluation metric

(also required in the contract file – hence it should be readily accessible)

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: As noted, Past Performance is not as Evaluation Factor listed here.

However, satisfactory past performance will be determined by the Contracting Officer as part of the Contractor Responsibility Determination, as described in VHAPG Part 809.1.

11. Q: Contractor Installed Equipment (PG 288 of 344, Para 5.4) – Can the GOV provide an example of what type of Contractor Owned equipment is expected to be or is currently installed?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: No Contractor-owned equipment is installed. The reference was intended to state Contractor-owned cylinder(s), but it will be removed due to confusing language. The Government will revise the SOW in an amendment to the solicitation.

12. Q: Confirm all cylinder deliveries go to the centralized delivery point (i.e., loading dock) and no facilities require “point of use” internal to a VAMC (“point of use” requires an additional delivery fee or additional services and time spent on site)?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: Some facilities require Point of Use. See Attachment 3 Special

Instructions.

13. Q: Please confirm that the Prime Contractor must hold Liability insurance specific to NAICS

325120?Insurance Requirements: How is the GOV going to discern that the offeror is insured for NAICS 325120/221210 – the actual requirement for this work to comply with the RFQ, and not just the dollar values listed in the RFQ? Specifically – does this mean insured for NAICS 325120/221210 and how does offerors have the correct type of Liability Insurance to the GOV

– does this have to be affirmed to the GOV at the time of bid submission (if not, an awarded firm could be turned down, or not be able to afford this coverage in the amounts the GOV requires respective to NAICS 325120 (which is the NAICS VISN 4 is being solicited for)?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: The Government will revise the SOW in an amendment to the

14. Q: Please confirm that these are the TECHNICAL EVALUAITON FACTORS that the offeror must clearly depict being Eligible, Capable, and Price Reasonable.

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-13#FAR_Subpart_13_5 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-13#FAR_Subpart_13_5

Please confirm an Offeror must depict their Capacity to, at the time of bid submission and affirmed by signing the 852.219-78 Certificate of Compliance specifically (affirming providing 50% of the Contract Cost and all Licensing as required):

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: Please review Section E.1 – Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Products and Commercial Services and Section E.6 – 52.212-2 – Evaluation - Commercial Products and Commercial Services

The government cannot confirm that the Offeror must depict their Capacity to, at the time of bid submission and affirmed by signing the 852.219-78 Certificate of Compliance specifically (affirming providing 50% of the Contract Cost and all Licensing as required):

VAAR 852.219-78 VA NOTICE OF LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING—CERTIFICATE OF

COMPLIANCE FOR SUPPLIES AND PRODUCTS (SEP 2021) (DEVIA --- is a certification that the quoter is a non-manufacturer for NAICS Code 325120.

15. Q: Please confirm – yes or no – that that offerors, not subcontractors, are required to be licensed withing the state of Delaware at the time of bid submission within the state of Delaware to distribute medical grade oxygen (a prescription drug) to supply the VAMC Wilmington as actively required by the State of Delaware’s Board of Pharmacy? This is in accordance with PG 304 of 344, VA 852-219-78, offerors take ownership of the gas product.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: Delaware requirements are as follows:

A Medical Gas Dispenser is a facility that sells medical gases directly to patients in Delaware.

However, if you are a facility that distributes medical gases to other facilities authorized to possess medical gases—instead of selling directly to patients, you should submit the Distributor

(Pharmacy-Wholesale) application in DELPROS, our online professional licensing system.

16. Q: Integrated Valve Oxygen E Cylinder – Please confirm what Integrated Valve Oxygen E Cylinder is currently being utilized by all facilities (possibly multiple types)? PG 291 of 344, Para 6.7.1.4, states a requirement of flow rates ranging from 0.25 LPM – 25 LPM however a 0.25 LPM flow rate is nonstandard (most providers have a cylinder that has a beginning flow rate of

0.5 LPM) so this is very restrictive for what providers can meet this rare requirement.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: There was a typo on page 291 of 344, in paragraph 6.7.1.4. It should have stated “6.7.1.4. Flow rates ranging from 0.5 LPM minimum to 25 LPM. The

Government will revise the SOW in an amendment to the solicitation. Currently facilities within VISN 4 are using Grab ‘n Go, OxyTote, and Walk-O2-Bout.

17. Q: Attaching of Oxygen Cylinders to Manifold Systems (PG 291 of 344, Para 8.1.5) – Is this a service currently being provided? This is highly nonstandard due to the liability of having delivery drivers perform, and often includes drivers to enter into a facility, another nonstandard practice. Request removing this language.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: This will no longer be needed; therefore, we are removing the language from the SOW. The Government will revise the SOW in an amendment to the

18. Q: Pricing Volume Naming Convention, PG 318 of 344 – 36C24422Q0638: VISN 4 MEDICAL GAS CYLINDERS PRICE[VENDOR NAME].XLSX. Restated; naming convention utilizes special character “ : ” and is not valid for MS EXCEL file requirements. Request GOV revise this requirement removing any special characters.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: As this is a requirement Contracting has established, corrective action if deemed necessary. The Government will revise the SOW in an amendment to the

19. Q: VAMCs Pittsburgh – Heinz Campus vs University Drive Campus – Please specify which gases are required for each specific VAMC as both Excel Schedule of Items only list “VAMC Pittsburgh” when there are (2) Pittsburgh VAMCs.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: Pittsburgh has 5 delivery locations listed on Attachment 3

(SOW_Attachment B). We realized the VAMC Location column was omitted from

Attachment 2 (SOW_Attachment A). The Government will revise the Attachment 2

(SOW_Attachment A) in an amendment to the solicitation.

20. Q: DRY ICE - CLIN 0035 (Dry Ice, 25 LB) – Does the VAMC Pittsburgh require nuggets, pellets, or slab? Also, which Pittsburgh VAMC (Heinz or Univ Drive)?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: The Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, University Drive C, Building

30 (Research) location requires 25 lbs. of Dry Ice Nuggets. The Government will revise the Attachment 2 (SOW_Attachment A) to add the type of Dry Ice in an amendment to the solicitation.

21. Q: GFE’s – Are all GFE cylinders delineated as “VA Owned” (i.e., decal or stenciling on the cylinder) to clearly differentiate from Contractor Owned Cylinders? Can the VA separate fill CLINs between GFE and Contractor Owned Cylinders for like gases to ensure correct tracking of fills?

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: Not all GO cylinders are currently marked as “VA Owned”. We have reviewed your request to separate fill CLINs between GO and CO cylinders. The

Government will not be changing the Schedule of Items to include additional CLINs for fills.