36C24E24Q0092_1.docx

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

Regional Procurement Office East Building 32 Suite 1A1111 1010 Delafield Road Pittsburgh PA 15215-1802

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Officer Ms. Millicent Covert millicent.covert@va.gov (Calls shall not be accepted)

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System in accordance with SOW

POSTAL CODE

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION: This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, “Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items,” as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested, and a written solicitation document is attached. This solicitation is issued as an RFQ. This solicitation and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2024-05.

This is a Request for Quote (RFQ). The Regional Procurement Office (RPO) - East has a requirement to purchase services to provide and deliver various medical grade gases for the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System. The solicitation number is 36C24E24Q0092. The government anticipates awarding a firm-fixed price Indefinite-Delivery contract resulting from this combined synopsis/solicitation. It is the responsibility of the contractor to be familiar with the applicable clauses and provisions. The clauses may be accessed in full text at www.acquisition.gov.

SET ASIDE: This requirement will be made using a cascading set-aside. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 325120 – Industrial Gas Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees. The FSC/PSC is Q999.

A. STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

1. SCOPE OF CONTRACT

1.1 The purpose of this solicitation is to establish consolidated contracts for medical cylinder gases utilized at VA Greater Los Angeles Medical Center Department of Medical Research at the West Los Angeles and Sepulveda Campuses. The gases to be purchased include, but are not limited to:

· Liquid Nitrogen- various types and purity including but not limited to refrigerated, NF, High Purity

· Argon Gas

· Compressed Air

· Carbon Dioxide - various types and purity including but not limited to Medical Grade, Liquified

· Oxygen

· Custom Liquid Gas Mixes

· Additional liquid gases to be added as needed

1.2 The contract items will be ordered by and delivered to the individual activities listed in the schedule. The quantities shown in the schedule are estimates of each activity’s annual requirements. There is no express or implied guarantee that these quantities will be purchased. The schedule also indicates whether the contractor will fill government owned (G) cylinders, will provide contractor owned (C) cylinders, or will be servicing the facility with a combination of both (C/G).

1.3 The contract awarded under this solicitation will be in effect from date of award for 5 years (Base Year plus 4 Option Years).

1.4 A Contracting Officer Representative (COR) has been designated in the solicitation schedule for each ordering facility. The COR is responsible for local contract administration issues such as ordering and providing specific delivery instructions. A letter of delegation that outlines the COR’s specific responsibilities will be provided to the contractor and COR at the time of contract award. Within 15 days after contract award, the contractor shall contact the COR to finalize the ordering method and clarify the specific details of any delivery instructions that are included in the solicitation schedule. If agreement cannot be reached between the contractor and COR regarding any issue, the matter shall be referred to the Contracting Officer for resolution.

2. PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

2.1 All medical gases shall conform to specifications prescribed in the United States Pharmacopeia and the National Formulary. All medical gas manufacturers and fillers of medical gases shall be registered with the FDA; and all medical gases shall be manufactured, processed, packed, transported, and stored according to the FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations and Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 210, 211 and 201 for labeling.

2.2 In addition, the following specifications are incorporated into the solicitation and resulting contracts:

a. Federal Specification BB-C-101D, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Technical and USP, current edition.

b. Compressed Gas Association (CGA) Publications G-7 – Compressed Air for Human Respiration, current edition, and ANSI/CGA G-7.1 – Commodity Specification for Air, current edition.

2.3 All products, equipment, and services provided under the contracts awarded under this solicitation shall be in compliance with all applicable Federal, state, and local regulations. Material Safety Data Sheets shall be provided to the facility COR upon request at no additional charge.

3. DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS

· Delivery to Research Laboratories on either Tuesday or Thursday between working hours 8:00 am to 4:30pm

· When delivering tanks swap out and take old tank

· If needed, can skip scheduled tank delivery per location with 24 hour notice

· Delivery directly to different lab locations, with the ability to add additional lab locations

· Deliveries are for Labs located on the VA WLA or SEP campuses (noted below)

· Emergency Orders fulfilled within 24 hours

· Delivery Receipt to be given to lab managers at point of delivery

Delivery Locations and Needs:

VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System:

West Los Angeles VA Medical Center 11301 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90073

· Veterinary Medical Unit, Bldg 113, Rm 143

· Medical Oxygen, K size Cylinder

· Two (2) tanks, every six (6) months

· Medical Carbon Dioxide, K size Cylinder

· Three (3) tanks, every six (6) months

· Beenhouwer Lab, Bldg 113, Rm 229

· Nitrogen, Refrigerated Liquid, 160-22 with syphone

· One (1) tank, every other week

· Carbon Dioxide Liquified Gas Medical Grade, 50 lbs

· One (1) tank, monthly

· Benhammou Lab, Bldg 113, Rm 316

· Nitrogen, Refrigerated Liquid,160L

· One (1) tank every other week

· Carbon Dioxide Liquified Gas Medical Grade, 50 lbs

· One (1) tank, every two (2) months

· Kaunitz Lab, Bldg 114, Rm 301

· Liquid nitrogen (LN2), 40L

· One (1) tank, once a month

· Oxygen Compressed Medical Grade, K size Cylinder

· 3 tanks, once per month

· Mix 5% Carbon Dioxide/95% Oxygen K size Cylinder

· 2 tanks once per month

· Pisegna Lab, Bldg 115, Rm 313

· Nitrogen, Refrigerated Liquid, 160L

· One (1) tank, weekly

· Nitrogen Ultra High Purity Grade, T size Cylinder

· One (1) tank, every six (6) months

· Mix 0.05%Carbon Dioxide 99.95% Nitrogen,T size Cylinder

· One (1) tank, every siz (6) months

· Carbon Dioxide Liquified Gas Medical Grade, 50 lbs

· One (1) tank a year

VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System:

Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center 16111 Plummer St North Hills, CA 91343

· Veterinary Medical Unit, Bldg 62, Rm 102

· Oxygen Compressed Medical Grade, K size Cylinder

· Two (2)tanks every six (6) months

· Carbon Dioxide Liquified Gas Medical Grade, K size Cylinder

· Two (2) tanks every six (6) months

· Alam Lab, Building 7, Rm C-100C

· Nitrogen, Refrigerated Liquid,160 L

· One (1) tank every four (4) weeks

· Alam Lab, Building 7, Rm B113

· Oxygen Compressed Medical Grade, K size Cylinder

· As needed (will order when needed)

· Gera Lab, Building 7, Rm D106

· Nitrogen, Refrigerated Liquid, 160 L

· One (1) tank, every other week

· Carbon Dioxide Liquified Gas Medical Grade, 50 lbs

· Two (2) tanks, every four (4) weeks

· Oxygen Compressed Medical Grade, K sized Cylinder

· One (1) tank, every 6 months

4. NON-REPAIRABLE GOVERNMENT PROPERTY

4.1 Prior to disposing of non-repairable government-owned cylinders, parts, fittings, and appurtenances, the contractor shall contact the ordering (owning) activity. Contractor shall make disposition in accordance with the ordering activity’s instructions.

4.2 Contractors shall be paid for all services performed and authorized by the ordering activity, up to the determination that a cylinder is non-repairable, at the prices listed in Schedule B.

4.3 Contractor shall not charge any additional types of fees, other than those specified above in paragraph 4.2, for the return of non-repairable cylinders to the ordering activity.

4.4 If the activity requests, and the contractor agrees to dispose of any non-repairable government-owned property, the fee shall be negotiated and agreed upon between the two parties prior to the disposal of the property.

5. CYLINDERS AND OTHER CONTAINERS

5.1 Laws and Regulations

Cylinders and other containers for gaseous and liquid forms of gases shall comply with the Department of Transportation specifications and shall be maintained, filled, marked, labeled, and shipped to comply with current DOT regulations (Title 49-Transportation, Code of Federal Regulations.) Filling, packaging, labeling, etc., for medical gases shall also comply with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

5.2 Marking

In addition to marking required by the aforementioned laws and regulations, marking shall comply with CGA Publication C-7 – Guide to Preparation of Precautionary Labeling and Marking of Compressed Gas Containers, current edition.

5.3 Color Coding:

Cylinders shall be color coded in accordance with CGA Publication C-9 -- Standard Color Marking Of Compressed Gas Containers Intended For Medical Use, dated current edition.

5.4 Valves

Valves shall comply with CGA Safety Bulletin SB-26 current edition and CGA Publication V-1 -- Compressed Gas Association Standard for Compressed Gas Cylinder Valve Outlet and Inlet Connections, current edition. Valve protection caps for cylinders designed to receive such caps shall be securely attached to the cylinders in a manner to protect the valves from injury during transit and delivery to the purchaser's receiving area. For liquid containers, all fittings must be permanently brazed to prevent their removal. In addition, each container should contain a 360 degree cryoband applied at the top of the container with the drug product name repeated around the entire container.

5.5 Hydrostatic Testing:

5.5.1 Retest Date: If applicable DOT regulations would require retesting of cylinder within three (3) months after scheduled date of shipment to Continental U.S. destination, or within six (6) months after scheduled date of shipment to overseas destination, cylinder shall be retested. Contractor will be required to retest any Government-Owned cylinder when requested by ordering activity, regardless of scheduled retest data.

5.5.2 Method: Government-owned cylinders which are eligible for extended hydrostatic retest period, testing by modified hydrostatic method, or visual inspection in lieu of hydrostatic testing, shall be serviced by the most economical means which will comply with Department of Transportation regulations (49 CFR 173.34) unless otherwise specified by the ordering activity. When modified or reduced DOT test requirements are contingent upon past usage of the cylinders, a written statement from the ordering activity indicating that the cylinders have been used exclusively for a specific gas may be considered acceptable evidence of the cylinders' eligibility for modified testing or inspection.

5.5.3 Hydrostatic testing shall be performed in accordance with CGA’s Publication -- C-1, Methods For Hydrostatic Testing of Compressed Gas Cylinders, current edition.

5.5.4 Visual inspection shall be performed in accordance with the applicable CGA Publications C-6 --Standards for Visual Inspection of Steel Compressed Gas Cylinders, current edition or C-6.1 -- Standards for Visual Inspection of High Pressure Aluminum Compressed Gas Cylinders, current edition.

5.5.5 The contractor shall be responsible for all testing of contractor-owned cylinders at no additional cost to the Government. The government shall pay for the hydrostatic testing of government-owned cylinders at the prices listed in Schedule B.

5.6 Cylinder Sizes:

Cylinder sizes shown in the item description indicate product capacity of the cylinder currently being used. All capacities are approximate, and the Government shall be billed only for the actual amount of gas delivered. In accordance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the actual contents of the container must appear on the label.

5.7 Individual Agency Ownership of Cylinders:

Government-Owned cylinders shall remain the property of the individual ordering (owning) agency and shall not be exchanged for other cylinders, either government-owned or contractor-owned, without authorization of the ordering agency.

5.8 Lost or Damaged Contractor-Owned Cylinders

For each contractor-owned cylinder lost or damaged beyond repair while in the Government’s possession, the Government shall pay to the Contractor the replacement value, less the allocable rental paid for that cylinder. These cylinders shall become Government property. If any lost cylinder is located within 30 calendar days after payment by the Government, it may be returned to the Contractor by the Government, and the Contractor shall pay to the Government an amount equal to the replacement value, less rental, computed in accordance with section 8 of this Performance Work Statement.

5.9 Method of Shipment:

Empty Government-owned cylinders that are picked up from an ordering facility for re-fill or servicing shall be transported according to the Department of Transportation Regulations, using normal commercial practice to prevent damage to cylinders.

5.10 Transportation of Cylinders:

All transportation charges for empty government-owned and contractor-owned cylinders from the ordering facility to the contractor’s facility shall be at the expense of the contractor.

6. PRICE OF SERVICES FOR GOVERNMENT-OWNED AND CONTRACTOR-OWNED CYLINDERS

The offeror’s price for the gas shall include the furnishing, at no additional cost, of all services which are required at each and every filling of a cylinder to comply with applicable regulations, specifications, and normal good practices. Such services shall include, but not be limited to: tags indicating cylinder is "Full," In Use," or "Empty"; inspection, testing, evaluation, and cleaning services required at each and every filling; pin-indexing, when required, and attachment of Government-furnished warning tags, when required. Attaching of oxygen cylinders to manifold systems, when required, shall also be performed by the contractor at no additional cost. In addition to services listed in this paragraph, the contractor is responsible for all maintenance and testing of contractor-owned cylinders.

7. MEASUREMENT AND CONVERSION COMPUTATION, ATMOSPHERIC GASES AND HYDROGEN

Density data and volume measurement equivalents printed in CGA Publication P-6 -- Standard Density Data, Atmospheric Gases and Hydrogen, current edition shall be used when necessary to convert measurement of these gases from one form to another; for example, from cubic feet to gallons.

B. PRICING

The Offeror shall submit price quotes for the required services to the specifications listed in Section 1.2 below. Please enclose the established price list and description of capabilities and product specifications for the requirement listed below:

ITEM INFORMATION

Nitrogen, Refrigerated Liquid

LOCAL STOCK NUMBER: NITLN2160

Nitrogen Ultra High Purity Grade

LOCAL STOCK NUMBER: NITUHPT

Carbon Dioxide Liquified Gas Medical Grade

LOCAL STOCK NUMBER: C02USP50

Oxygen Compresssed Medical Grade

LOCAL STOCK NUMBER: OXYUSPK

Mix 0.05% Carbon Dioxide 99.95% Nitrogen

LOCAL STOCK NUMBER: MIX.05CO2BN2T

Delivery Charge

LOCAL STOCK NUMBER: DELIVERY

Rental Charge (per day per tank)

LOCAL STOCK NUMBER: RENTAL

Rental Charge (per day per nitrogen tanks)

LOCAL STOCK NUMBER: RENTAL NITROGEN

C. Contract Type: Firm-Fixed Price, Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ)

D. Period of Performance: Base Year (from date of award) plus 4 Option Years

E. Invoice/Payment: The Contractor shall invoice quarterly in arrears, via Tungsten Network (http://www.tungsten-network.com/US/en/veterans-affairs/), within one month of quarter ending.

F. Set Aside – Cascading set-aside procedures:

Any award resulting from this solicitation will be made using a cascading set-aside order of precedence as follows:

1. In accordance with FAR Subpart 19.1405 and VAAR Subpart 819.7005, any award under this solicitation will be made on a competitive basis first to an eligible Service Disabled Veteran Owned small business [SDVOSB] concern provided that the conditions of 38 U.S.C. 8127(d) are met (the VA Rule of Two) whereby the Contracting Officer receives adequate competition of two or more small business concerns owned and controlled by Veterans, and that the award can be made at a fair and reasonable price that offers the best value to the United States.

2. If there is inadequate competition for award to an SDVOSB concern, the SDVOSB set-aside shall be withdrawn and cascaded to the next contracting order of priority in accordance with VAAR 819.7004, which is Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) and conducted in accordance with the procedures set forth in VAAR 819.7006 provided that the conditions of 38 U.S.C. 8127(d) are met (the VA Rule of Two) whereby the Contracting Officer receives adequate competition of two or more small business concerns owned and controlled by Veterans, and that the award can be made at a fair and reasonable price that offers the best value to the United States.

3. If there continues to be inadequate competition between SDVOSB and VOSB concerns, the cascading will continue through the contracting order of priority in accordance with VAAR 819.7004 and FAR 19.203. If the contracting officer determines that offers from small business concerns do not meet the solicitation requirements in terms of technical acceptability, past performance, and fair market price, the small business set-aside[s] will be withdrawn and award will be made on the basis of full and open competition.

Adequate competition:

Adequate competition shall be deemed to exist if—

At least two competitive offers are received from qualified, responsible business concerns at the set-aside tier under consideration; and Award could be made at fair market price as determined in accordance with FAR 19.202-6.

The VA contracting officer reserves the right to consider competitive quotes submitted from all responsible offerors (including large businesses) in determining the fair market price.

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:

52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021)

52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984)

52.233-2 SERVICE OF PROTEST (SEP 2006)

Instructions to the Offeror Award will be in accordance with FAR 13.106-2 to the lowest priced quotations that meets the requirements described in this notice. The award will be made to the response most advantageous to the Government. Responses should contain your best terms, conditions. Options will be evaluated upon award.

ALL QUOTERS MUST SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING TO BE CONSIDERED FOR AWARD:

· SIGNED & COMPLETED RFQ DOCUMENT ATTACHED

SECTIONS 17a with SAM Unique Entity ID (UEI)

· Signature: sections 30a-c

· COMPLETE PRICING SCHEDULE ON PAGE 12 OF ATTACHED RFQ

· Quotes shall be submitted via email to millicent.covert@va.gov and Offerors must reference Solicitation 36C24E24Q0090 in the subject line of the email.

· Cut off for questions is Friday, August 30, 2024, no later than 4:00 PM, EST.

· No telephone request for information will be considered.

· All offers must be received by the closing date of Friday, September 6, 2024, no later than 11:59 AM, EST.

· Incomplete packages will be considered nonresponsive.

· Late submissions shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f). [Note to CO: This provision is in Attachment 3 Instructions to Quoters.] 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

"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.

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice