Questions.docx

Questions:

1. Clarification regarding the Statement of Work requirement that vehicles used in performance of the contract must be registered in the State of Louisiana. May an SDVOSB contractor based outside Louisiana use a properly registered and commercially insured out-of-state vehicle that otherwise complies with all Louisiana and contract requirements, or must every vehicle performing under this contract carry Louisiana vehicle registration?

Response: Yes, a properly registered and commercially insured out-of-state vehicle that complies with all Louisiana, and contract requirements can be used as well.

2. The solicitation states that the contractor must demonstrate at least five (5) years of technical experience within the last eight (8) years as a prime contractor in courier services, including relevant experience in medical logistics and/or healthcare-related transportation.

Please confirm whether the five-year requirement must consist exclusively of medical/healthcare courier experience, or whether comparable experience involving transportation, logistics, scheduled delivery, pickup/delivery, or similar services may also be considered.

Response: Comparable experience will be accepted, provided it demonstrates the contractor’s capability to perform courier services of similar scope and complexity. Medical or healthcare‑specific courier experience is not required exclusively.

3. If an SDVOSB offeror does not independently possess five years of prime courier past performance under its current legal entity, may the offeror satisfy all or a portion of the technical experience requirement through the documented relevant experience of its proposed key personnel, employees, managers, or project/contract manager?

If so, please clarify what documentation the Government would require to substantiate such experience.

Response: The Government confirms that the five‑year experience requirement must be met by the offeror as the prime contractor, under its current legal entity.

Experience belonging to key personnel, employees, managers, project/contract managers, subcontractors, teaming partners, or joint‑venture members cannot be used to satisfy the prime‑contractor experience requirement. Only the offering SDVOSB entity’s own prime past performance may be counted.

4. May an SDVOSB prime offeror satisfy all or a portion of the technical experience requirement through the documented relevant experience of a proposed similarly situated SDVOSB subcontractor or teaming partner, provided the arrangement complies with the applicable Limitations on Subcontracting requirements?

If so, should the experience of the proposed team member be entered on the Relevant Experience Form, and what additional documentation should accompany the quotation?

Response: See question #3 for response.

5. If applicable, would the Government consider the relevant experience of an eligible SDVOSB joint venture member when determining whether the offeror satisfies the technical experience requirement?

Response: See question #3 for response.

6. Please confirm whether relevant experience obtained from commercial customers, healthcare organizations, state/local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or other non-federal customers may be submitted, provided that the work is comparable in scope and complexity to the requirement.

Response: See question #2 for response.

7. The solicitation references specimen-handling, DOT Hazardous Materials (HazMat), OSHA safety/hazardous-material training, and related documentation.

Please clarify which certifications and training documents must be included with the quotation at the time of submission and which, if any, may be completed after award but prior to commencement of contract performance Response: OSHA safety/hazardous-material training.

8. Please confirm whether proposed drivers and vehicles must be specifically identified in the quotation, including driver's licenses, vehicle registrations, insurance documentation, ownership/lease documentation, resumes, and qualifications, or whether final driver and vehicle assignments may be provided after award and prior to commencement of performance.

Response: Final driver and vehicle assignments may be provided after award.

9. Please confirm whether offerors must provide certificates of insurance demonstrating all required coverage limits with the quotation, or whether evidence of the ability to obtain the required coverage upon award is acceptable.

Response: Must provide certificates of insurance demonstrating all required coverage limits, training certificates, with the quotation upon award.

10. SAM.gov identifies the Relevant Experience Form as Attachment H. The solicitation instructions appear to reference a Relevant Experience Form under a different attachment designation.

Please confirm that Attachment H – Relevant Experience Form is the correct form offerors should complete and submit with their quotation.

Response: Attachment H- Relevant Experience Form is the one that needs be submitted with quotation.

11. Limitations on Subcontracting Attachment Similarly, please confirm that Attachment G – 852.219-75 VA Notice of Limit on Subcontracting is the applicable Limitations on Subcontracting document that must be completed and/or acknowledged with the quotation.

Response: Attachment G- 852.219-75 VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting is the one that needs to be submitted with quotation.

12. Finally, please confirm whether an otherwise qualified SBA-certified SDVOSB that does not independently possess the stated five years of prime courier experience may still be determined technically acceptable based upon the qualifications, experience, staffing, training, management approach, and relevant experience of its proposed personnel and/or compliant similarly situated SDVOSB team members.

Response: See question #3 for response.

13. May an SDVOSB prime offeror demonstrate all or a portion of the required technical experience through the documented relevant experience of a proposed subcontractor or teaming partner that will materially participate in contract performance?

Response: See question #3 for response.

14. May relevant courier and/or healthcare logistics experience of the offeror's proposed key management personnel be considered toward satisfying the technical experience requirement when those individuals will directly manage contract performance?

Response: See question #3 for response.

15. If an eligible SDVOSB offeror submits through an appropriately structured joint venture, may the relevant experience of the joint venture members be considered in evaluating the five-year technical experience requirement?

Response: See question #3 for response.

16. Attachment C: If subcontractor, teaming partner, key personnel, or joint venture member experience is permitted, should that experience be identified on Attachment C – Relevant Experience Form, and if so, is there any additional documentation the VA would like included to establish the relationship between the offeror and the entity or individual whose experience is being presented Response: See question #3 for response.

17. EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT: The solicitation requires the contractor to demonstrate at least five (5) years of technical experience within the last eight (8) years as a prime contractor in courier services. Will the Government consider the following as satisfying this requirement: (a) documented courier/medical logistics experience of the offeror's key personnel and proposed contract manager; (b) the offeror's prime-contract experience in similarly scoped transportation and logistics services; or (c) a teaming arrangement in which certified SDVOSB/VOSB team members meeting the experience requirement perform in accordance with VAAR 852.219-75? If none of these are acceptable, please confirm the requirement applies strictly to the offering entity itself.

Response: See question #3 for response.

18. PERSONNEL LICENSING: The qualifications paragraph states personnel must be "properly licensed for operation in the local Shreveport, LA area." Given the place of performance is the New Orleans/Baton Rouge area, please confirm this should read New Orleans, LA.

Response: New Orleans, LA

19. DOCUMENTATION AT QUOTE SUBMISSION: The solicitation requires driver resumes and licenses, vehicle registrations and insurance documentation, and specimen-handling/HazMat training certificates to be submitted with the quote. For offerors proposing to hire drivers and register vehicles in Louisiana upon award, will the Government accept contingent-hire letters and evidence of the offeror's hiring/training/registration plan at quote submission, with final documentation provided prior to performance start?

Response: See question #9 for response.

19. Experience requirement. The solicitation requires five (5) years of technical experience within the last eight (8) years performing as the prime contractor for courier services. Will the Government consider (a) directly relevant courier/logistics experience performed by the offeror's key personnel or project manager, or (b) prime-contract experience of equivalent scope but shorter duration, as satisfying this requirement? If not, please confirm the requirement applies strictly at the entity level.

Response: See question #3 for response.

21. Licensing locality. The solicitation's licensing language references Shreveport, Louisiana. Since performance is at the SLVHCS main facility and associated CBOCs in the greater New Orleans / Baton Rouge area, please confirm which state and local licensing jurisdictions apply, or whether the Shreveport reference will be corrected by amendment.

Response: New Orleans / Baton Rouge, LA

22. The Contractor Qualifications section requires at least five years of technical experience within the last eight years “as a prime contractor” in courier services, including medical logistics or healthcare-related transportation. May an SDVOSB prime offeror satisfy this requirement using the relevant experience of an identified subcontractor or teaming partner, or must the SDVOSB offeror itself independently possess the full five years of prime-contracting experience?

Response: Response: See question #3 for response.

23. The submission instructions refer to Attachment B as the signed Certificate of Compliance and Attachment C as the Relevant Experience Form; however, the files posted on SAM.gov appear to identify these as Attachments G and H. Please confirm which posted files must be completed and submitted.

Response: Attachments G and H are the correct forms.

24. The Technical Submission Requirements require insurance certificates, personnel résumés and licenses, vehicle registration and lease/ownership documentation, and training certificates with the quotation. Other portions of the Statement of Work indicate that certain vehicles, driver, insurance, and training documents are due after award. Please confirm which documents must be included with the initial quotation, and which may be provided after award.

Response: with quotation- insurance certificates, vehicle registration, and lease/ownership documentation, and training certificates with the quotation. Must be included after- personnel résumés and driver licenses.

25. Because several scheduled clinic pickups occur at overlapping times in different locations, does the VA require a separate dedicated vehicle and driver for each geographic route, or may the contractor determine staffing, and vehicle assignments provided all required pickup, and delivery times are met?

Response: The contractor determines staffing and vehicle assignments provided all required pickup and delivery times are met.

26. The QASP identifies an urgent local delivery standard of pickup within 40 minutes and delivery less than 15 minutes after pickup. Does the 15-minute delivery requirement apply only to local deliveries within a specific geographic area? Please clarify the required response and delivery times for emergency requests involving the outlying CBOCs.

Response: urgent local delivery standard of pickup within 40 minutes and delivery less than 15 minutes after pickup within the New Orleans area. With standard of pickup within 60 minutes and delivery less than 30 minutes after pickup for CBOCs.

27. For the CLINs priced by “DY,” including the Special Events/On-Demand CLIN, are the listed quantities estimated ordering quantities? For on-demand services, is one unit payable per service day, per completed request, or by another method?

Response: Per service day.

28. The personnel qualification language references licensing for the “local Shreveport, LA area,” while the place of performance is New Orleans and the identified Southeast Louisiana clinics. Please confirm whether the Shreveport reference is an administrative error and whether Louisiana statewide licensing satisfies the requirement.

Response: New Orleans, LA

29. If this is not a brand-new requirement, could you please provide the current or previous contract number?

Response: 36C256-26-P-0462

30. What was the cost of the final full option year of the previous contract?

Response: $113,334.48

31. How many drivers and vehicles are currently used to service the contract?

Response: Vendor selects and provides drivers and vehicles to service the contract.

32. What vehicle size is currently used to service the contract?

Response: mid-size 4-door vehicles and vans.

33. Are the route times listed in Attachment B strict pickup times, or is there an allowable service window for each location?

Response: Allowable service window for each location.

34. How many pickups and deliveries are expected per day at each location?

Response: 2 or as requested if emergency.

35. Please confirm the pickup and delivery addresses, items transported, and required services covered under CLIN 1003 and the corresponding CLINs 2003, 3003, and 4003.

Response:

New Orleans (SLVHCS) (Main Hospital):

2400 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70119 Lab and Instruments Pick-up Time: Daily 10:00am- 4:00pm (Receive dirty supplies and instruments, with hotshot availability for emergency deliveries to and from the Community Based Outpatient Clinics) Deliver clean supplies and instruments to Baton Rouge clinics.

36. What is the required delivery time following each scheduled route pickup?

Response: See attached Courier Pickup and Delivery Times

37. What locations, addresses, or mileage radius must the contractor cover for on-demand orders?

Response: All locations.

38. What is the estimated weekly, monthly, or annual trip volume for as-needed services, both in total and by contract location?

Response: The estimated volume of as- needed services over previous contract is very low. Averaging between 1- 6 as needed, services for the year to include all locations.

39. How many cubic feet of cargo are required, and what is the maximum number of large and medium containers the contractor should expect to transport at one time?

Response: See Statement of Works- D. DELIVERY G. SPECIAL MATERIAL

REQUIREMENT

40. Please clarify whether the Government will require the contractor to provide any equipment, including coolers, totes, locks, temperature-monitoring devices, or temperature logs.

Response: No, the Government will provide any equipment.

41. The solicitation identifies NAICS 492110, while the pricing CLINs identify NAICS 492210. Please confirm that NAICS 492110 is the applicable NAICS code for this procurement.

Response: NAICS 492110 is applicable for this procurement.

42. The quote instructions identify the signed limitation-on-subcontracting certification and Relevant Experience Form as Attachments B and C, while the posted files identify them as Attachments G and H. Please confirm the correct attachments that must be returned with the quotation.

Response: Attachments G and H are the correct forms.