36C25219R0027-0002001.docx
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- Attached to
- Hines VAH Special Needs Transportation Federal contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- 36C25219R0027
About this file
This document contains questions and answers related to a solicitation for special needs transportation services. The solicitation will be issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Great Lakes Acquisition Center on behalf of the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital located in Hines, Illinois and its associated Community-Based Outpatient Clinics. The contractor will provide 24/7 wheelchair van and sedan transportation services to transport veterans from their residences, airports, or train stations to and from VA and non-VA medical facilities. The contract will have a 5-year ordering period with a firm fixed price and economic price adjustment. The contractor must dedicate at least 25 wheelchair vans, 20 sedans, and 45 drivers. The solicitation will use a tiered evaluation approach with priority given to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, veteran-owned small businesses, small businesses, and large businesses.
The questions and answers provide additional details such as insurance requirements to cover trips outside Illinois, the use of multiple funding sources requiring separate invoices, and requirements for on-site dispatching and personnel.
36C25219R0027 0002 Vendor Questions 2.14.19.docx
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Other files for this federal contract opportunity
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| 36C25220D0001-000.docx | DOCX document | |
| 36C25219R0027-0003000.docx | DOCX document | |
| 36C25219R0027-0002000.docx | DOCX document | |
| 36C25219R0027-0001000.docx | DOCX document | |
| Attachment_A_Price_Schedule.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Attachment_F_WD_15-5019_Rev_11_(12-26-2018).pdf | ||
| Attachment_D_WD_15-5017_Rev_11_(12-26-2018).pdf | ||
| Attachment_E_WD_15-5741_Rev_7_(12-26-2018).pdf | ||
| Attachment_H_WD_15-5035_Rev_9_(12-26-2018).pdf | ||
| 36C25219R0027.docx | DOCX document | |
| Attachment_G_WD_15-5025_Rev_7_(12-26-2018).pdf | ||
| Attachment_C_Past_Performance_Questionnaire.docx | DOCX document | |
| Attachment_B_Business_Associate_Agreement.docx | DOCX document | |
| 36C25219R0027_1.docx | DOCX document |
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Text version
Answers to Vendor Questions Solicitation 36C252-19-R-0027 Hines Special Needs Transportation Services
| SECTION |
| LANGUAGE |
| QUESTION |
| Section 2.2 |
| The contractor shall supply a wheelchair for transporting patients. |
| Is it the requirement that all Wheelchair Accessible units have a wheelchair stored inside? |
| ANSWER |
| Yes. All Wheelchair Accessible units shall have a stored wheelchair. |
Section 2.2.1 under OTHER REQUIREMENTS of the PWS has been updated to state that the contractor shall supply a wheelchair for transporting patients in all wheelchair vans.
Section 2.2.8
| Contractor shall provide no more than two (2) personnel to be located at the Hines facility capable to receive daily transportation manifests and be on hand to coordinate and ensure the timely service of transportation orders to/from all facilities. Contractor personnel will have access to documents printed by VA employees on a VA network printer, but no contractor IT systems will be connected to the VA network. |
| Section 2.9.2 states that The Contractor assign at least two Operation Managers and two Dispatchers to ensure there is immediate access and communication. At any point, will each staff member have to work from the Hines Facility? |
| ANSWER |
| Section 2.9.2 under COMMUNICATION SYSTEM of the PWS has been updated to state that the Contractor shall have telephone coverage to accept calls from Hines VAH seven (7) days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to ensure there is immediate access and communication between Hines VAH personnel and the Contractor. The expected call volume is typically 300-350+ calls per day (Mon – Fri) and significantly less on the weekends and holidays. |
Section 2.12 ON SITE CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL of the PWS has been updated to the following:
2.12.1 The contractor shall provide one (1) on-site Dispatcher, at the Hines VAH to coordinate and monitor all trips, eight (8) hours a day, five (5) days a week (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) in the Dispatcher Office. Hours may be subject to change at the discretion of the Hines VAH. The Contractor may choose one (1) additional staff member (Operations Manager or an additional Dispatcher) to work on-site from the Hines VAH during these hours.
2.12.2 The Contractor’s on-site personnel will not work weekends and holidays. The Contractor shall dispatch from their site on weekends and holidays.
Section 19 DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS has been added and includes the following definitions:
Dispatcher: Duties include coordinating the movements of drivers and vehicles and ensuring that the drivers are assigned passengers to transport and adhere to the patient’s appointed arrival times and destinations.
Operations Manager: Duties include directing the activities and staff for all transport operations including, but not limited to, dispatching and tracking/monitoring of transportation vehicles and monitoring the transportation staff to ensure their operations are in compliance with contract terms and conditions.
Section 2.2.8 under OTHER REQUIREMENTS of the PWS has been updated to state that the Contractor shall provide no more than two (2) personnel to be located at the Hines facility capable to receive daily transportation manifests and be on hand to coordinate and ensure the timely service of transportation orders to/from all facilities. At a minimum, the contractor shall have one (1) Dispatcher on-site.
| Section 2.2.8 |
| Contractor shall provide no more than two (2) personnel to be located at the Hines facility capable to receive daily transportation manifests and be on hand to coordinate and ensure the timely service of transportation orders to/from all facilities. Contractor personnel will have access to documents printed by VA employees on a VA network printer, but no contractor IT systems will be connected to the VA network. |
Is it required that ALL dispatching take place from the VA facility during business hours and that dispatching can only be done from the Contractors central facility on off hours and weekends?
| ANSWER |
| No - it is not required that ALL dispatching take place from the Hines VA facility during business hours. The Contractor’s dispatch operations that are on-site at Hines will coordinate with the contractor’s off-site operations to handle the expected call volume of typically 300-350+ calls per day (Mon – Fri) and significantly less on weekends and holidays. |
Dispatching can only be done from the Contractor’s central facility during off hours and weekends. The Contractor will not have access to Hines VAH during off hours, holidays, and weekends.
| Section 2.6.10 |
| Each driver must also have a record clear of criminal convictions of crimes or anticipatory crimes against persons, and crimes or anticipatory crimes (to include warrants and pending court cases) reasonably related to providing special transportation services. |
Anticipatory crimes normally don’t show up on records or may put a carrier in legal issues if we don’t hire because of a pending case. Can this be removed?
| ANSWER |
| Section 2.6.10 of the PWS has been updated. |
| Section 2.9.2 |
| The Contractor shall have telephone coverage to accept calls from Hines VAH seven (7) days a week/24 hours a day/365 days a year, and assign at least two Operation Managers and two Dispatchers to ensure there is immediate access and communication between Hines VAH personnel and contractor 24 hours a day 7 Days a week |
| Is it required that these personnel work from the VAH facility? |
Is this a minimum requirement?
Is the requirement that an Operations Manager be on duty during all hours?
| ANSWER |
| See updated PWS Sections 2.2.8, 2.9.2, and 2.12. |
| Section 2.11.1 |
| Within ten (10) days after award of the contract, the Contractor shall furnish to the Contracting Officer a Certificate of Insurance containing bodily injury liability insurance coverage written on the comprehensive form of policy of at least $500,000 per occurrence, $200,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and$20,000 per occurrence for property damage and an endorsement to the effect that cancellation or any material change in the policies which adversely affect the interest of the Government shall not be effective unless a thirty (30) day written notice of cancellation or change is furnished to the Contracting Officer. The term “shall endeavor” is not acceptable as issued by Insurance Carrier. At no point shall the contractor be operating with less than the above insurance. |
| Will trips on this contract leave the State of Illinois? |
Does the VAH require D.O.T. certification of insurance coverage in neighboring states in order to provide a continuity in insurance coverage when vehicles leave the state?
| ANSWER |
| Occasional trips on this contract will leave the State of Illinois, to the surrounding states of Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan. VAAR 852.237-70 Contractor Responsibilities (APR 1984) has been updated to include these states for personal liability and property damage insurance coverage. |
| Section 2.13.1 |
| The contractor shall use a secure web-based software system that supports order taking, trip editing, automated scheduling, dispatching, billing and reporting. |
| Does the VAH utilize multiple funding sources> If so, what are they? |
In the event that there are multiple funding sources is the Contractor required to provide multiple invoices, i.e. invoice by funding source?
| ANSWER |
| The VA does utilize multiple funding sources and the Contractor will be required to provide separate invoices by funding source (ie. covered by Medicare, Sedan trips, etc.). This will be discussed further with the awardee. |
Section 3.2
| The Contractor shall maintain on-hand vehicles/drivers to meet surge capacity of up to two of these “ad hoc” requests daily. |
| Will it be that the discretion and available capacity of the Contractor to accommodate more than TWO Ad Hoc requests per day? |
| ANSWER |
| Section 3.2 SAME DAY TRANSPORTATION REQUEST of the PWS has been updated to state that the Contractor shall maintain on-hand vehicles/drivers to meet surge capacity of up to 15 of these “ad hoc” requests daily. |
Section 4. Pick Up and Delivery
| Pick-up times are determined by the VA Beneficiary Travel Office at the time the order is placed. For pickups, the contractor can arrive up to 15 minutes before a scheduled pick up time to 15 minutes after the scheduled pick up time and still be considered on-time. Patients must be dropped off at the scheduled drop off locations (as designated by the facility) no earlier than 90 minutes before and no later than 30 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment. |
| 1. Will the VA clarify if a late is defined as 30 minutes after the passenger requested pick up time or after the 15-minute window? |
2. Will the VA allow the contractor enough travel time to arrive at the passengers destination no later than 30 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment time by factoring in distance from origin to destination?
3. Are trips booked by the VAH in accordance with the “no later than 90 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment”?
4. Does the VAH utilize a travel matrix in order to ensure that the trips are booked in a manner that allows the Contractor to meet these requirements?
5. Can the VAH provide the travel matrix that is used to book trips in accordance with the appointment time requirement?
| ANSWER |
| 1. The contractor will be considered late for pick up if they arrive more than 15 minutes after the scheduled pick up time (ie. Scheduled pick-up time is 8:00am and contractor arrives at 8:16am) as outlined in Section 4 PICK UP AND DELIVERY. |
2. The VA factors distance, travel time, and time of day into the requested pick up times to accomplish an arrival time no later than 30 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment time.
3. Trips are scheduled by the VA in accordance with the “no earlier than 90 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment.” As stated above, the VA factors distance, travel time, and time of day into the scheduled times.
4. The VA does utilize a travel matrix in order to ensure that the trips are booked in a manner that allows the Contractor to meet the requirements in the solicitation.
5. The VA will provide the travel matrix used to schedule trips in accordance with the appointment time requirement to the successful awardee.
Section 4 PICK UP AND DELIVERY of the PWS has been updated.
Section 4. Pick Up and Delivery
| During regular business hours (Monday through Friday 7:30am – 4:30pm), all drivers shall report to the Veteran Transportation Office/Dispatch Office at the time a patient is delivered to, or picked up at the Hines VAH for the purpose of logging the patient in or out. |
| 1. Will the VA designate a central pick up location to drop and receive passengers in order to 1) locate passengers in a timely manner? 2) sign the passenger in and out? |
2. Will the VA accept digital arrival logs to satisfy the function of logging patients in and out?
3. When checking veterans in at drop off, can 2-way radios be used vs. physically signing in?
| ANSWER |
| Pick up and drop off locations of patients may vary. As stated in Section 2.4 DRIVERS’ DUTIES of the PWS, the driver shall provide “through the door service” for patients to and from their designated appointments. Patients are to be picked up or dropped off at locations as designated by the facility. |
The VA will not accept the Contractor’s digital arrival log to satisfy the function of logging patients in and out.
The Contractor must physically sign the veteran in and out. If the driver wishes to radio the on-site Dispatcher or Operations Manager to sign the log on their behalf, this would be acceptable. The Contractor is accountable for the accuracy of log entries.
Section 4 PICK UP AND DELIVERY of the PWS has been updated.
4.1 Cancellation
| The Government reserves the right to cancel any patient pick-up due to late contractor response time (late defined as 30 minutes) after the specified pick-up time at no additional cost to the Government |
| Will the VA clarify if this cancelation policy applies to return trips as well? |
Is late defined as 30 minutes from the scheduled PU or 30 minutes after the 15 Minute window, which would constitute 45 minutes?
| ANSWER |
| Yes. The cancellation policy applies to return trips as well. As stated in Section 4.1 CANCELLATIONS, Paragraph 2, if the contractor vehicle is no loaded at a VA facility (e.g., patient will not be ready for transport for an hour or more) the one-way trip rate will apply. |
Late under Section 4.1 CANCELLATIONS is defined as 30 minutes after the specified pick-up time. (i.e. Scheduled pick-up time is 8:00am and contractor arrives at 8:30am).
| 5. Number of Patients |
| At the discretion of the VA, more than one patient may be transported per trip…with proper approval, the VA shall allow the contractor to charge for two trips when more than one patient is transported. |
| What is the designated approval process for authorizing contractors to charge for two trips when more than one patient is transported? |
| ANSWER |
| Approval to transport multiple passengers at a time shall be granted by the VTS, AOD, or COR (verbal approval is acceptable). |
Section 5 NUMBER OF PATIENTS of the PWS has been updated to address this process.
| 5. Number of Patients |
| At the discretion of the VA, more than one patient may be transported per trip. |
| Does the VAH permit shared rides between 2 or more riders going in the same direction at the same time, as long as it meets the vehicle capacity and safety standards? |
| ANSWER |
| Yes. Section 5 NUMBER OF PATIENTS of the PWS has been updated to address this. |
| 5. Number of Patients |
| At the discretion of the VA,……One family member or caregiver who is at least 18 years of age will be permitted to accompany the patient at no charge. |
| Will the VAH notify the Contractor of additional riders in advance of arriving for the pick up of the trip? |
| ANSWER |
| Yes. The VA will notify the Contractor of additional riders in advance of arriving for the pickup. |
| 9. INVOICING |
| An itemized report with trip ticket summary shall be submitted to the COR/Alternate COR by the first workday of each week for the trips approved for the prior week. Report shall have: |
| Does the VAH use multiple funding sources? If so, will the contractor be required to provide separate invoicing for each funding source? |
Will the Contractor be informed of the funding sources for each trip prior to trips being performed?
| ANSWER |
| The VA does utilize multiple funding sources and the Contractor will be required to provide separate invoices by funding source (ie. covered by Medicare, Sedan trips, etc.). This will be discussed further with the awardee. |
18. FACILITY LOCATIONS
Please confirm that there are no other CBOC’s to be services in this procurement in Indiana, Joliet, IL, Hampshire IL, Bolingbrook, IL or Arlington Heights IL.
| ANSWER |
| All CBOC associated with this acquisition are identified in Section 18 of the PWS as indicated below. |
FACILITY LOCATIONS: VA MEDICAL CENTER AT HINES IL (HINES VAH) AND COMMUNITY BASED OUTPATIENT CLINICS (CBOC) LOCATIONS:
| Edward Hines VA Hospital | Oak Lawn CBOC |
| 5000 S. 5th Avenue | 10201 S. Cicero |
| Hines, IL 60141-1457 | Oak Lawn, IL 60453 |
| La Salle CBOC | Kankakee CBOC |
| 4461 N. Progress Blvd. | 581 Lathan Drive, Suite 301 |
| Peru, IL 61354 | Bourbonnais, IL 60914-2435 |
| Aurora CBOC | Elgin CBOC |
| 161 South Lincolnway | 450 W. Dundee Road |
| North Aurora, IL 60542 | Elgin, IL 60123 |
| FAR 52.222-42 Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (MAY 2014) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 67) | |
| Employee Class | Monetary Wage-Fringe Benefits |
Shuttle Bus Driver 31290 GS-7 $21.43/hr.
Please confirm that the designated Class and WD of $21.43/hr for this procurement is inclusive of all wages and benefits.
Will all rides provided by Sedan or common carrier be considered Special Mode Transportation in this procurement and there for have to be paid at the Shuttle Bus Driver 31290 GS-7 rate of $21.43/hr?
| ANSWER |
| Ultimately it is the Contractor’s responsibility to comply with Department of Labor rates. The Shuttle Bus Driver listed in the contract under 52.222-42 Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires is merely an example of what the Government would anticipate hiring a federal employee on for these services. |
The Wage Determinations attached to the solicitation describe which benefits are included in the rates for each occupation code/title.
FAR 52.222-42 Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (MAY 2014) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 67)
In the case of Sedan service, can the common carrier “taxi” wage determination be applied?
| ANSWER |
| Ultimately it is the Contractor’s responsibility to comply with Department of Labor rates. |
GENERAL QUESTION
Given this solicitation was released on 18 January in the midst of the government shutdown, which has made access to IRS and VA assistance limited (and non-existent in the case of the IRS), is it possible to extend the RFP submission date so we will have sufficient time to finalize our Joint Venture (JV) verification. Thank you for your consideration.
| ANSWER |
| Yes. The proposal due date will be extended to 4:00pm CST on February 25, 2019. |
GENERAL QUESTION
Given the number of unanswered questions we (and likely many others) have in relation to the original RFP and these additional questions from today’s walk through, is it possible to extend the RFP submission date by 2-3 weeks to allow us time to adequately assess your responses and their impact on our offering?
| ANSWER |
| Yes. The proposal due date will be extended to 4:00pm CST on February 25, 2019. |
GENERAL
Will the contract be managed out of Milwaukee?
| ANSWER |
| Yes |
GENERAL
Why was the last solicitation cancelled?
| ANSWER |
| The previous solicitation for these services was as an SDVOSB set-aside. At this time, it was determined there were no capable SDVOSBs. |
GENERAL
Explain the set-aside process for this solicitation.
| ANSWER |
| As stated under FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation – Commercial Items in the solicitation, all proposals under this solicitation will be subject to a tiered evaluation. Offers submitted by eligible SDVOSB concerns will be evaluated first in accordance with the solicitation and the CO will determine if an award can be made within the SDVOSB tier. If an award can be made within this tier, offers from the lower tiers identified below ill not be considered for award. If no offers are submitted by eligible SDVOSB concerns, or if none of the offers will result in award at a fair and reasonable price, the evaluation will proceed to the next tier for VOSB concerns, and so on. |
**Please see 52.212-2 Evaluation – Commercial Items for more detailed information regarding the tiered evaluation approach**
Please explain what drug test is required (5 panel, 10 panel, etc.)
Will the drug test follow Department of Transportation guidelines?
What percent of random drug tests is required annually of the drivers?
How far back should the background check and driving record cover?
| ANSWER |
| Section 2.6.4 under PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS FOR DRIVERS AND ATTENDANTS has been updated to state that the Contractor shall conduct drug testing of all personnel (5 panel) and submit the results to the VA prior to the driver performing duties under this contract. Contractor shall likewise conduct random drug testing annually for a minimum of 10% of their employees and provide these results to the VA upon request. |
Section 2.6.11 of the PWS has been updated to state all contractor employees are subject to the same level of investigation as VA employees who have access to VA Sensitive Information. The level of background investigation commensurate with the level of access needed to perform the Performance Work Statement is: National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI). This requirement is applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same access. Annually thereafter, the contractor shall provide background check information for all drivers and attendants.
PRICING
Where is pricing for subsequent years?
| ANSWER |
| Attachment A contained pricing for all ordering periods (1 worksheet/tab per year) |
PRICING
How is the ramp up cost paid? How long is the ramp up period:
| ANSWER |
| It is at the discretion of the Contractor as to how ramp up costs will be recouped. There is no separate line item for these costs. |
The anticipated start date of services is July 1, 2019. We anticipate a contract award date 60-90 days prior to the start date of services. Dates may be adjusted at the discretion of the Contracting Officer.
Is it possible this contract will be awarded to multiple companies?
| ANSWER |
| No. If an award is made as a result of this solicitation it will be made to 1 company. |
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