36C25521R0004 A0005.docx

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE

7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE

CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office.

is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30

PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243 (Type or print) (Type or print) (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (If other than Item 6) (Specify type of modification and authority) (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

None 36C255 Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office (NCO) 15 3450 S 4th Street Trafficway

Leavenworth KS 66048

36C255 Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office (NCO) 15 3450 S 4th Street Trafficway

Leavenworth KS 66048 To all Offerors/Bidders

36C25521R0004

X

X Extended response date now reads no later than 3:00 pm CT on Jan 19, 2022.

ONE(1)

This amendment is issued to clairfy the Government requirement for laboratory testing services to the VISN 15 Medical Centers located in Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. No further questions will be answered.

A0005 provides responses to questions received.

The response due date is extended to read no later than 3:00pm CT on Jan 19, 2022.

Section D has been updated with the following documents:

Attachment 1, Test Schedule, has been revised.

Addendum 2, Most Commonly Used Tests has been published.

Paula Galvin Contract Specialist

CONTINUATION PAGE

AMENDMENT 5 - QUESTIONS IN RESPONSE TO 36C25521R0004

1. Will updated attachments be released or should the offerors work off the 2021 versions? (Including but not limited to Attachment 1 (S02 Attachment 1 Test Schedule Final A0002 posted on 2/2/2021)).

Answer: A revised Test Schedule (A0005) is attached to this amendment. There were revisions to Lab Tests names and/or CPT Codes. The revisions are captured using red font and strike through effects.

2. SOW item 4.5.3.1.2 (p. 23): This references an “Addendum 2 Most Commonly Used Testing.” Where can offerors obtain Addendum 2?

Answer: Addendum 2 Most Commonly Used Test is attached to this amendment.

3. Section B.2, item 1.3 (p. 7): Can the government elaborate on how this process would work from a practical standpoint? (i.e., If an ordering facility submits a specimen for a test that is not already on the contract, how would the vendor seek contract modification prior to testing of that specimen?)

Answer: In the scenario where a specimen test is not listed in Attachment 1, Sequence Number 2648, Additional Laboratory Tests Not Listed will be the appropriate reference number when invoicing. Annually, additions and deletions to Attachment 1 will be captured via a contract modification.

B.2. 1.3 is hereby amended to read: No later than 120 days prior to the beginning of the next option, the Contractor shall provide any new test(s) that are not listed in Attachment 1. The Contract shall also provide a listing of any tests listed in Attachment 1 that are no longer performed by contractor and shall be removed from Attachment 1. New tests must be added to or removed from the contract through modification by the Contracting Officer (CORs and Government facility representatives do not have this authority) prior to specimen being tested. The rate will be established in the same manner as the contract rates were established.

4. How will Past Performance be evaluated (ex. adjectival ratings, degree of confidence)?

Answer: Adjectival ratings will be used.

5. The revised RFP did not “redline” its changes from the original RFP or otherwise explain the changes made in the RFP and the Performance Work Statement (PWS). Could the VA provide a redlined version of the amended RFP to help offerors track the VA’s revisions and better address its requirements?

Answer: There were changes throughout the PWS under Data Transmission, Price Schedule, 52.212-1 and 52.212-2 but it is the Offeror’s responsibility to review the amended RFP in its entirety. A redline copy will not be provided.

6. Past Performance – the RFP’s evaluation criteria states past performance “will assess the relative risks associated with the offeror’s likelihood of success in performing the solicitation’s requirements as indicated by that offeror’s record of past performance.” How does the VA define “risks” and please provide examples of risks that will be evaluated by the VA?

Answer: VA will not define risks or examples of risk evaluated.

7. Past Performance - The instructions to offerors states that offerors should “Complete Section D, Attachment 4, Past Performance Contacts for relevant and recent laboratory testing services provided.” Attachment 4 requests business information, contact information, “Contract Value” and “Contract Period of Performance Dates,” but does not identify how past performance contacts will be contacted by the VA or what information/data will be sought from the past performance contacts.

a. What information/data will be sought from past performance contacts identified in Attachment 4 to allow the VA to evaluate an offeror’s past performance?

b. How will the VA obtain past performance information/data from the Past Performance Contacts identified in Attachment 4? By phone? In writing, for example, with the use of a questionnaire? Could the VA provide offerors with a copy of the questionnaire or document that the VA will use to obtain information from past performance contacts?

c. Will the Past Performance Contacts be allowed to provide past performance information/data in writing to the VA? If so, how will that information be provided to the VA?

Answer: As defined in FAR Clause 52.212-1, past performance will include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items. Survey questions will not be provided with the solicitation/amendment. Past performance surveys may be conducted by phone, email, or both. The Government will also review available past performance data in the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS); however, the Government reserves the right to obtain past performance information from any available source and may contact customers other than those identified by the offeror when evaluating past performance.

8. Technical Acceptability Standard/Turnaround times - The Technical Acceptability Standard requires a “Written confirmation from offeror of its ability to provide all tests listed in Attachment 1, Test Price Schedule. Please note that Turnaround Time on the Test Price Schedule is defined as the time between pick-up of specimen and receipt of results by a Government facility and must be calculated as such when completing Attachment 1.” RFP at 84. In PWS section 5.4.3, however, the VA has deleted references to how turnaround time should be calculated, referring instead to the times listed in the contractor’s “published specimen collection guide.” See RFP at 23; PWS § 4.5.1 (despite “pick-up” to “receipt” TAT definition in PWS 1.9.18, contractor to provide results “within the commercially published emergency Turnaround Time”). The QASP similarly suggests that performance will be assessed against “published turnaround times.” However, some offerors’ “published” guides use “arrival-to-reporting” turnaround times that deviate from the RFP’s definition of turnaround time as defined for the pricing schedule, meaning that offerors could be assessed against one standard for the technical evaluation yet against another for purposes of pricing, and that proposed pricing may not ultimately reflect the offered technical solution.

a. Please clarify the definition of turnaround time and revise the RFP to address this apparent inconsistency.

b. Will turnaround times be evaluated under the Technical Acceptability Standard?

Answer: As defined in B3, PWS, 4.5.2, the turnaround times (TAT) should be calculated from specimen pick-up time to result receipt time. See Addendum 2 for a list of commonly ordered tests and TATs.

PWS 4.5.3.1.1. is hereby amended to read: Turnaround time report parameters should match times listed in the contractor’s published specimen collection guide Attachment 1, Test Schedule.

PWS 4.5.3.4. is hereby amended to read: Contractor shall provide electronic transmission (i.e. teleprinter, fax, or computer to-computer via modem response) of all completed and partial test results to the ordering activity within the turnaround times defined in Attachment 1, Test Schedule in the Contractor’s commercial specimen collection guide. Turnaround time report parameters should match times listed in the Contractor’s published specimen collection guide. Contractor shall provide all required hardware, software and related consumable supplies and training to support the transmission of electronic data for each ordering activity at no additional charge. All necessary “connections” shall be the responsibility of the Contractor (including one commercial phone line for terminal/data fax connection if required).

PWS 7.11 is hereby amended to read: Contractor shall provide routine results to the ordering activity in accordance with the testing specifications defined in the contractor’s commercial specimen collection guide Attachment 1, Test Schedule.

TATs will be accessed under an Offeror’s Technical Acceptability.

9. Missing Addendum. PWS section 4.5.3.1.2 states, “As a minimum requirement, the contractor’s published turnaround time shall match VISN 15’s current turnaround time for 90% of the tests (see Addendum 2 Most Commonly Used Testing).” RFP at 23. However, the RFP does not appear to contain Addendum 2, and does not list it as a contract document, exhibit, or attachment in Section D. Will the VA provide offerors with Addendum 2, Most Commonly Used Testing?

Answer: Addendum 2 Most Commonly Used Test is attached to this amendment.

10. Price Schedule. For Attachment 1, Test Schedule Final A0002, the RFP instructions state, “All information requested in Attachment 1 shall be completed and returned as part of the proposal packet. Do not leave any cells in the Attachment blank. Proposals that do not fill in all blank cells will be considered incomplete and removed from any further consideration.” RFP at 83. Column O of Attachment 1 is labeled “Column1.” What should offerors provide in that column?

Answer: Column O is removed from the revised Attachment1 attached to this amendment.

11. The revised RFP adds a new section 9, VHA Supplemental Contract Requirements for Combatting COVID-19, which include vaccination or testing requirements for contractors who work in or travel to VHA locations, as well as screening protocols for those who work away from VA locations but who have direct contact with VA patients. RFP pages 49-50. Are the VHA Supplemental Contract Requirements for Combating COVID-19 impacted by the nationwide injunctions against the federal contractor vaccine mandate? Will an awardee need to comply with VHA Supplemental Contract Requirements for Combating COVID-19 after award even if there is an injunction against federal contractor vaccine mandate?

Answer: The VHA Supplemental language at PWS 9 was revised in accordance with updated OMB guidance to be applicable even if the existing court orders change or new orders are issued.

12. The revised RFP is dated January 2, 2022, but was not posted on SAM.gov until January 5, 2022, and requests that proposals be submitted by January 14, 2022. Offerors will also be required to revise their proposals to address any Q&A's issued between January 10th and January 14th, which leaves very little time for offerors to further revise their proposals. Will the VA revise the due date for receipt of proposals to January 17, 2022, or some later date, to allow a reasonable amount of time to submit a proposal in response to the revised RFP and the Q&As?

Answer: VA will extend the response due date to January 19, 2022.

13. When does the VA plan to make an award decision under the revised RFP?

Answer: The award decision is expected following the conclusion of the source selection evaluations. A specific date cannot be projected.