36C24E26Q0032_3.docx

SUBJECT*

AMENDMENT - Weekly Dry Ice Supply Services

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) (Facsimiles shall not be accepted)

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

POSTAL CODE

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

DESCRIPTION

Page 1 of

Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

AMENDMENT FOR SOLICITATION 36C24E26Q0032

This solicitation is being amended for the following:

1. Deadline for offers is extended to 04/30/2026, 4:00PM Eastern Time

2. Changes/updates for DRY ICE REQUIREMENTS under “1.2 REQUIRED PRODUCTS & SPECIFICATIONS” within the Statement of Need:

a. Provide dry ice in pellet form

b. Provide requirement of 500 lbs (250 lbs per location), weekly, for annual total of 26,000 lbs

c. Provide bins in which to store dry ice at each location. Bins may stay at the delivery locations to be filled, weekly, or switched out, weekly.

i. Dry ice delivered to fill stationed/bins shall be transported in standard industry packaging (i.e.: bagged or boxed).

ii. Dry ice delivered in bins to be exchanged weekly, is acceptable.

d. Dry ice pellets shall be approximately 1/2” – 1” in diameter in size

3. Changes/updates to DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS under “1.2 REQUIRED PRODUCTS & SPECIFICATIONS” within the Statement of Need:

a. Provide weekly delivery of requirement, every Tuesday, between the hours of 9:30AM and 12:00PM Central Time

i. Should set day fall on a Federal Holiday, delivery shall be made the following day (see Federal Holiday schedule under Period of Performance/Delivery Timeframe, below)

b. Location(s) of Delivery:

i. VA North Texas Healthcare System 4500 S. Lancaster Road Dallas, TX 75216

1. Building 43, Ground-level

2. Building 1 – Clinical Research Unit (CRU), 3rd floor

c. Contractor shall bring dry ice from the delivery vehicle into the delivery locations noted above. Contractor shall provide own means (i.e.: pallet jack, dolly, lift, etc.) to deliver bags or bins to each delivery location.

QUESTION and ANSWERS Q: Can you confirm whether deliveries are dock accessible at the Dallas VA Medical Center?

A: There are specific areas for deliveries to Bldg. 43 and 1 but are not typical truck loading docks. Dry ice will need to be put on carts and moved into the buildings at ground level.

Q: Is the contractor responsible for interior delivery to both locations, including the 3rd floor Clinical Research Unit?

A: Yes, dry ice must be brought from the delivery truck to the storage bins inside Bldgs. 43 and 1.

Q: Container Ownership & Exchange: The solicitation mentions dry ice should be "packaged with material covering the ice." Does the VA provide the insulated storage containers (totes/chests) on-site, or is the contractor expected to provide an exchange program where full containers are left and empty ones are collected each Tuesday?

A: Currently, the vendor has been providing the storage containers and refilling each week with dry ice transported in bags. Swapping out bin for bin weekly is acceptable.

(NOTE: Price for bin usage/rental shall be included in price of dry ice pricing.)

Q: Delivery Logistics (Building 1, 3rd Floor): For the delivery to Building 1, 3rd Floor, is there a dedicated freight elevator available for use by the delivery driver? Additionally, will the contractor be required to provide their own equipment (e.g., pallet jack or dolly) for inside delivery?

A: No, there is no freight elevator, only a standard hospital elevator. The current contractor brings delivery equipment (dolly) with them when transporting the bags for delivery.

Q: Point of Contact & Check-in: Is there a central receiving dock where the driver must check in before proceeding to Buildings 43 and 1? Could the VA provide a specific Point of Contact (POC) name or department for each delivery location to ensure seamless coordination?

A: No, for dry ice, there is no central check in. The Point of Contact (POC) and a backup will be provided for delivery coordination after contract award.

Q: Quantity Flexibility: The requirement is for 500 lbs weekly. Does the VA anticipate any seasonal fluctuations in quantity, and if so, what is the required notice period for the contractor to adjust the delivery amount (e.g., 48 hours)?

A: We have not had a seasonal fluctuation – it has been the same amount weekly.

Q:Price Adjustments: Given the 5-year duration of the contract, will the VA consider an Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) clause for the option years to account for potential volatility in CO2 or fuel prices, or must pricing remain Firm-Fixed-Price for the entire 60-month period?

A: It is understood the CO2 market has been volatile since COVID/Quarantine. This Contracting Officer agrees with including the EPA clause for the option years in the event shortage causes fluctuation in price.

Deadline for offers is extended to 04/30/2026, 4:00PM Eastern Time.

IMPORTANT: complete all instructions as noted in “Instructions to Offeror” within original solicitation. Additionally, please complete Blocks 15A – 15C AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION document. Incomplete submissions will be considered no-responsiv.

All offeror quotes for this solicitation must be received electronically through email no later than Thursday, April 30, 2026, 4:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time. Offers shall be sent by email to Millicent Covert at millicent.covert@va.gov. Reference solicitation number 36C24E26Q0032 within subject line of the email. Any quotes received after the prescribed date/time shall be considered non-responsive and will not be considered for award.

See attached document: Attachment C - Amendment RFQ 36C24E26Q0032.