36C25523Q0103 0001.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 NUMBERE

D 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 amendmen t, 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) Multiple 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

36C25523Q0103 01-19-2023

X X X ** HOUR & DATE for Receipt of Offers is EXTENDED to: January 25,2023 11:00 AM CST Language Services - VISN 15

The purpose of this amendment is to:

1. Provide Answers to Questions submitted. See - Questions from RFQ.

2. Extend the Response Due Date from 1/23/2023 11:00 AM CST to 01/25/2023 11:00 AM CST.

Shelley Welton Contracting Officer

Questions from RFQ

1. Industry standard is a 2-hour minimum for all ASL interpreting assignments. Would the US Dept of Veterans Affairs consider changing the minimum to 2 hours per assignment as is the industry standard? No, due to the nature of the VA, a 1 hour minimum is more in line with appointment timeframes for Veterans and their families.

1. Industry standard for Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) is a 10-minute minimum. Would the US Dept of Veterans Affairs consider changing the minimum to 10 minutes? No, due to the nature of the VA, it is imperative that we remain in line with appointment timeframes for Veterans and their families.

1. Do you anticipate ASL interpreting services will be needed onsite at all of the locations listed in the solicitation? Unknown, because this is an IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity) there is an indefinite delivery of where services will be required.

1. Can you provide the percentage of onsite ASL interpreting services you anticipate versus remote ASL interpreting services? Unknown, because this is an IDIQ, there is an indefinite delivery of where and how services will be delivered.

1. In regard to the training courses identified in the solicitation on page 13-14, should these be completed by the contractor or all ASL interpreters/providers that will be providing services for this contract? Training is for the providers that will be providing services for this contract.

1. For on-site foreign language and ASL interpretation, it is industry standard to apply a 2-hour minimum to all assignments. Would the Department of Veterans Affairs consider changing this requirement from 1-hour to 2-hour minimum charge? See Q1

1. For on-site foreign language and ASL interpretation, it is industry standard to receive notice of cancellation within 48-hours prior to the scheduled assignment. Would the Department of Veterans Affairs consider changing this requirement from 24 hours’ notice of cancellation to 48 hours? No, a 24-hour notification will remain in effect as this will accommodate Veterans and their families.

1. How often is on-site interpretation requested? Unknown, because this is an IDIQ, there is an indefinite quantity of how services will be delivered.

1. There are 42 locations listed under D.3 SERVICE LOCATIONS pages 56-59. Out of these 42 locations, where are on-site languages most frequently requested? Unknown, because this is an IDIQ, there is an indefinite delivery of where services will be required.

1. To ensure that vendors provide their most competitive quote, could VA mention which languages are most requested for on-site assignments? Unknown, because this is an IDIQ there is an indefinite quantity of which services will be required.

1. For on-site interpretation, does the VA require simultaneous or consecutive interpretation? To clarify, Consecutive Interpretation Services refers to converting spoken speech back and forth between multiple languages, immediately after each client speaks and pauses briefly for the interpreter. Meanwhile, Simultaneous Interpretation Services Converting spoken speech back and forth between multiple languages, at the same time as the clients speak. The more common used is Consecutive Interpretation, however Simultaneous interpretation may also be required depending on location/facility.

1. Would VA consider allowing for all services to be provided remotely? At this time no.

1. Under what circumstances does the VA decide whether to make a request to be on-site or remote? This is at the discretion of the facility/location.

1. Is there an incumbent? If so, who is it and what is their contract number? Global Impact Group LLC. VA-255-17-D-0180

1. We understand that providing a specific number of hours for Foreign Language Interpretation is not possible at this stage. However, could VA provide an estimate for the number of hours for on-site language interpretation that will be needed? Estimate has been provided in Section B.3.

1. In the Statement of Work, Part 18, Section C, page 11, it says: “Contract personnel who require access to national security programs must have a valid security clearance. National Industrial Security Program (NISP) was established by Executive Order 12829 to ensure that cleared U.S. defense industry contract personnel safeguard the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts.” Due to the description of work and the requirements explained throughout the solicitation, we believe that all personnel on this contract will most likely not require access to national security programs. Would the VA consider eliminating this requirement to allow for more competitive quotes? This will not be eliminated by the VA.

1. Are partial bids accepted? For instance, if we would want to bid on translation services only, will we be evaluated for only those services? No partial bids will be accepted, you must be able to provide all services.

1. Could we modify the format of the pricing table to include all relevant terms and content? No, the pricing table is the only form and terms acceptable.

1. In case the proposal becomes publicly available, could we mark certain portions of our proposal confidential to avoid such disclosure? Alternatively, could we send two copies of the proposal with the second version redacted, again to safeguard our proprietary information? The proposals are not publicized.

1. Is there a budget allocated to this contract? If yes, how much? This information will not be disclosed.

1. Is a preference given to local vendors? No, as long as you are a verified Small Business and registered in SAM.gov | Home you are authorized to bid and will be evaluated on the evaluation criteria.

1. If an onsite interpreter (ASL or any other language) is not available, would remote modality be acceptable, as long as the Deaf/LEP person is able to receive services remotely (not visually impaired, etc.)? This will be at the discretion of the facility/location.

1. Will you be needing Simultaneous (interpreting the same time as the speaker either by whispering or using equipment) or Consecutive (speaker says a sentence and pauses, so the interpreter can render interpretation in the source language) interpreters? See Q 11

1. Should Simultaneous Interpreting be required under this contract, how many people, requiring interpreting, might be attending a large event? Will multiple languages need to be interpreted for the same event? If so, how many? That will be at the discretion of the facility/location.

1. Should Simultaneous Interpreting be required under this contract,

24. Will VA Heartland Network be utilizing our equipment for simultaneous encounters? Yes, per SOW 4 – Requirements c. - All equipment that is necessary shall be provided the contractor.

24. If VA Heartland Network has its own equipment, will there be an AV expert provided by the VA Heartland Network on location to set up and breakdown the equipment and troubleshoot as needed? N/A

1. Based on RID and industry standards, all onsite interpreting services have a minimum of 2 hours in addition to mileage allowance. In section B.2. (SOW) 5.a.2, the RFP mentions a 1-hour minimum and 15-minute increments payment thereafter for onsite interpreting.

25. Could VA Heartland Network clarify how those requirements and numbers were reached? Due to the nature of the VA, a 1 hour minimum is more in line with appointment timeframes for Veterans and their families. Would VA Heartland Network be flexible with those requirements and allow us to include pricing terms as per our industry standards? No

1. In section B.2.(SOW) - 5.c.2, the RFP mentions that all equipment for VRI interpreting shall be provided by the contractor.

26. Is this an actual requirement or would VA be flexible in providing their own equipment considering the small volume of VRI services as per the quantities given in the pricing tables? This is a requirement in the SOW and will remain as such there will be no changes to the pricing tables.

26. How much equipment is VA Heartland Network expecting to be needed? Unknown, because this is an IDIQ it is difficult to determine which services will be required.

1. Since there’s only 4 working days between the questions submittal date and the proposal submission date, would you consider extending the due date to ensure the bidders can review any Q&A Addenda issued and implement its requirements and content in their proposals? The response date has been extended to 01/25/2023 11:00 AM CST.

1. Our company is located in a different state and thus has different living wage guidelines, which we prefer to follow. We do not have any employees in MO, KS or IL and the living wage requirement doesn’t apply to subcontractors, as they are not employees. Based on this, can the Living Wage requirement be adjusted to our state guidelines? The Wage is determined on the location where services will be provided, that information was provided in the RFQ.

1. Under the FOIA, is there an incumbent currently providing these services? If yes, please identify them and how long the VA Heartland Network has been working with them? See Q23, Since 2017.

1. Under the FOIA, how much are you currently paying for the services? During this Period of Performance 08/08/2021- 08/07/2022 the aggregate amount was $88,130.12.

1. Is a list of prospective bidders for this RFP available? If so, please provide that list or its accessible location online. No

LANGUAGE SERVICES