36C25626Q1138_RFQ_A0001.pdf

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)

1 6 NA J

0001 08-11-2026

TBD

None

36C256

Department of Veterans Affairs

Network Contracting Office 16

Galleria Financial Center

5075 Westheimer Road, Suite 750

Houston TX 77056-5643

Shasta Britt, Contracting Officer

Shasta.Britt@va.gov

36C256

Department of Veterans Affairs

Network Contracting Office 16

Galleria Financial Center

5075 Westheimer Road, Suite 750

Houston TX 77056-5643

To all Offerors/Bidders

36C25626Q1138

X

X X

Extended in SAM.gov from 8/17/2026 1:00pm (CT) to match RFQ document date 8/20/2026 1:00pm (CT)

X One (1)

THIS AMENDMENT IS ISSUED TO:

A. Answer vendor questions received in response to the solicitation.

B. Provide clarifications to ensure fair and transparent competition.

C. Incorporate the following Questions & Answers into the solicitation.

CONTINUATION PAGE….

Shasta Britt, Contracting Officer

VA-VHA-RPOC-2026-0041

mailto:Shasta.Britt@va.gov

CONTINUATION PAGE…

Amendment 0001 — Questions & Answers (Binding)

These Questions & Answers are hereby incorporated into Solicitation 36C25626Q1138 and are binding on all offerors. Offerors must acknowledge this amendment (SF 30) and conform proposals to the clarifications and requirements herein. In the event of any inconsistency, the most recent amendment governs.

General Note on Consolidation

Several vendors submitted duplicate or substantially similar questions; these have been consolidated and addressed under the corresponding unified question to ensure clarity and consistency in this amendment.

Interpretation Principles

The Government applies the plain-meaning rule and whole-text interpretation. Answers below clarify the solicitation without adding conflicting or unintended requirements. Where clarification modifies a requirement, it is effective upon publication of this amendment.

1. Contract Type

Question: Please confirm the intended contract type and whether the resulting award will be administered as a single-award IDC under which task orders are issued as requirements arise.

Answer: The Government intends to award a Firm‑Fixed‑Price, Single‑Award Indefinite‑Delivery

Contract (IDC). Orders will be placed by task order as needs arise for VISN 16 Court Reporting and Transcription Services.

Amended Section E.3 – TYPE OF CONTRACT

E.3 52.216‑1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (NOV 2025) (DEVIATION)

The Government contemplates award of a Firm‑Fixed‑Price, Single‑Award Indefinite‑Delivery

Contract (IDC) resulting from this solicitation. Task orders issued under this IDC will define the specific services, quantities, and performance locations required for VISN 16 Court Reporting and Transcription Services.

(End of Provision)

2. Task‑Order Structure

Question: Will task orders contain multiple CLINs or may a task order be issued for a single

CLIN/service?

Answer: Task orders may include multiple applicable CLINs when a combination of services is required, or a single CLIN when only one service applies. Specific CLINs will be identified in each task order.

3. CLIN Measurement — Line Definition and Billing

Question: Will the Government revise the unit of measure from 65‑character lines to per‑page billing?

Answer: No. The solicitation retains the 65‑character billable line structure. A billable line is defined as 65 printable ASCII characters; headers, footers, vertical spacing, and blank lines are non‑billable. Reports must be delivered as ASCII text containing only printable characters, single spaces, and CR/LF.

4. CLIN 0004 — Secure Electronic Delivery & Formatting

Question: Is CLIN 0004 billed in addition to per‑line transcription (CLINs 0001/0002) for the same document?

Answer: CLIN 0004 is a separate per‑transcript line item covering secure electronic delivery and formatting. Task orders will specify whether CLIN 0004 applies in conjunction with CLIN

0001/0002 for a given transcript. Line counting rules remain unchanged (headers/footers and vertical spacing are non‑billable).

5. CLIN 0005 — Audio Capture & Secure Storage

Question: Is the monthly storage fee applied contract‑wide or per proceeding?

Answer: CLIN 0005 is priced per month. The Government will specify the applicable quantity of months at the task‑order level consistent with the retention requirements in the PWS. If storage is required for particular proceedings, the task order will specify the application of CLIN 0005.

6. Personnel Qualifications & Licensure

Question: Are specific certifications or state court‑reporter licenses required for CLIN 0003?

Answer: The solicitation requires qualified court reporter attendance but does not mandate a specific certification or state licensure. Transcription under CLINs 0001, 0002, and 0004 may be performed by qualified transcriptionists meeting the accuracy and formatting standards.

7. Source Audio vs. Live Record

Question: What percentage of work is transcription of VA‑provided audio versus live reporter attendance?

Answer: HRMS and EEO reports are transcribed from dictation equipment; hearings and depositions may require court‑reporter attendance. The solicitation does not provide percentage estimates.

8. Historical Utilization & Pricing Basis

Question: Can the Government provide historical annual utilization for each CLIN?

Answer: The Government does not publish additional historical counts beyond the annual not‑to‑exceed (NTE) ceilings in Section B.2. Offerors should base pricing on the following annual NTE quantities provided in Section B.2 CLINs.

9. Past Performance (Responsibility)

Question: Will commercial or non‑VA references satisfy the pass/fail past‑performance review?

Answer: Yes. Past performance is assessed as Pass/Fail for responsibility and may include commercial or non‑VA references, under E.5 52.212-2 (Factor 2).

10. Limitations on Subcontracting & Similarly Situated Entities

Question: Do services performed by certified‑SDVOSB independent contractors count toward self‑performance?

Answer: Yes. Work performed by certified SDVOSB independent contractors qualifies as work by similarly situated entities and counts toward the limitations on subcontracting compliance.

11. Off‑Site Transcription

Question: May transcription be performed at the contractor’s facility (off‑site) while attendance occurs on‑site or virtually?

Answer: Yes. The PWS allows the contractor to set work schedules at its own facility for transcription, provided all timeliness and quality requirements are met.

12. Service Contract Act Wage Determinations (Section D.3)

Question: Which wage determinations apply outside Texas, and will they be provided by amendment?

Answer: Section D.3 is hereby updated by this amendment to include the following wage determinations for VISN 16 locations. Offerors must comply with the applicable wage determination based on the place of performance identified in each task order (including contractor facilities where covered service employees regularly work).

• WD 2015‑5233 (Texas: Houston area)

• WD 2015‑5189 (Louisiana: New Orleans area)

• WD 2015‑5175 (Louisiana: Pineville area)

• WD 2015‑5191 (Louisiana: Shreveport area)

• WD 2015‑5117 (Arkansas: Little Rock area)

• WD 2015‑5109 (Arkansas: Fayetteville area)

• WD 2015‑5147 (Mississippi: Jackson area)

• WD 2015‑5147 (Mississippi: Biloxi area)

13. Incumbent Contract Value

Question: What is the contract value for the incumbent contract?

Answer: The Government does not publish total contract value figures beyond what is publicly available through Federal procurement reporting systems such as SAM.gov and FPDS. Offerors seeking obligated or awarded value for contract 36C25622D0006 may obtain it through publicly available FPDS reports or by submitting a FOIA request to VAOPALFOIA@va.gov. No additional dollar‑value information is included in this solicitation.

14. Actual Utilization (Obligations vs Ceilings)

Question: What was the actual utilization (dollars obligated vs ceiling) under the previous contract?

Answer: Actual dollars obligated under the incumbent contract are not published within this solicitation. The estimated annual ordering ceilings in Section B.2 were derived from historical mailto:VAOPALFOIA@va.gov ordering patterns, but specific obligation data must be requested through FPDS or FOIA. No additional facility‑level or dollar‑level utilization data is provided.

15. Average Meeting Duration & Typical Transcript Page Counts

Question: Can the Government share average meeting duration and typical transcript page counts?

Answer: The solicitation does not track or publish average meeting duration or transcript page counts. Transcript length varies by proceeding type and hearing length. Offerors should base pricing on the CLIN structure and NTE quantities identified in Section B.2.

16. Proceeding Types — Volume/Frequency Breakdown

Question: Is there historical or estimated breakdown of proceeding types by volume or frequency?

Answer: No. While the PWS identifies common proceeding types (AIB, MSPB, EEOC, HRMS, depositions), the solicitation does not include historical or projected percentages or frequency distributions across proceeding types. Task orders will specify proceeding type as required.

17. Facility-Level Ordering Volume

Question: Is there historical or estimated breakdown of ordering volume across the VISN 16 facilities?

Answer: No facility‑level ordering distribution is published. Annual NTE ceilings in Section B.2 represent the best available VISN‑wide estimate rather than by individual medical center.

18. In‑Person vs Virtual Hearings — Expected Ratio

Question: What is the expected ratio of in‑person vs virtual reporter attendance?

Answer: The solicitation does not estimate anticipated ratios of in‑person versus virtual hearings. CLIN 0003 permits either modality, and the required attendance format will be specified in each task order.

19. PWS §24 — Subcontractor Approval Process

Question: What is the process, required documentation, and expected review timeline for requesting CO approval of subcontractors?

Answer: Under PWS §24, contractors must obtain CO approval before engaging any subcontractor requiring access to contract‑generated information, materials, or records. To request approval, submit: (1) subcontractor name and organization; (2) description of subcontracted work; (3) justification for subcontract use; and (4) confirmation of compliance with

VA security, privacy, and records‑management requirements. The CO will review upon receipt.

Typical review timelines are 10–15 business days, but may vary depending on submission completeness and any required security or privacy reviews. Approval must be granted prior to any subcontractor beginning performance. Limitations on Subcontracting apply under VAAR

852.219-75.

Administrative Notes

No other changes are made by this amendment. Offerors are responsible for monitoring

SAM.gov for updates. All quotes must acknowledge this amendment and reflect these clarifications.

(End of A0001)