36C25723Q0159 - Intent to Sole Soruce.docx

Special Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

Network Contracting Office 17 Regional Procurement Office West (RPO-W) 5441 Babcock Road Ste. 302 San Antonio TX 78240

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist Dayna Cantu dayna.cantu@va.gov 512-922-0142

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

DESCRIPTION

Special Notice

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 17 located in San Antonio, TX intends to negotiate a firm fixed price contract for period of performance of 1/15/23 through 9/30/2023 to Airgas USA, LLC. to provide Total Gas Management Services for Central Texas Veteran’s Healthcare System 1901 Veteran Memorial Drive, Temple, TX 76504.

See attached Statement of Work for additional service requirements.

This procurement is being conducted in accordance with FAR 13.106-1 (b) (1)(ii), “Soliciting from a Single Source.” The NAICS code utilized for this procurement is 325120- Industrial Gas Manufacturing.

THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES. However, Contractors may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the contracting officer whether to continue with the sole source procurement or to provide for competition. Such responses MUST be received no later than November 30, 2022, at 3:00 PM CST. Forward responses by e-mail to dayna.cantu@va.gov. Due to technical issues, please allow additional time if you’re using electronic means.

Responses received will be evaluated; however, a determination by the Government not to compete the proposed procurement based upon responses received to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, NCO 17 will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by interested parties in responding to this notice of intent. Only written responses will be considered. All responses from responsible sources will be fully considered. As a result of analyzing responses to this notice of intent, the Government shall determine if a solicitation will be issued. Any prospective contractor must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) in order to be eligible for award. Interested parties are encouraged to furnish information by email only with Response to Intent to Sole Source for the Total Gas Management Services in the subject line. All documents submitted will not be returned. All interested parties shall submit clear and convincing documentation demonstrating their capabilities to satisfy the requirements listed to Contracting Specialist, Dayna Cantu, dayna.cantu@va.gov. The capability documentation should include general information and technical background describing in detail the prospective contractor's capabilities and experience that will demonstrate the ability to support this requirement.

STATEMENT OF WORK

Special Note: This requirement is for Total Gas Management, only. Oxygen cylinders used by Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) are owned by Airgas USA, LLC.

1.0 Objective

The Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) is seeking services for a Total Management Gas Program that will provide gas management of medical gases to various facilities. The vendor shall provide services on the current medical gas inventory. Total Gas Management involves an onsite coordinator being responsible for monitoring gas cylinders, maintaining inventory levels, processing orders, receiving cylinder and oxygen deliveries to the facility, delivering to points of use, and changing out gas cylinders.

2.0 Background

The Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) currently is receiving medical gas deliveries through two (2) Western States National Contract (WSNC) government contracts awarded to verified SDVOSB RAS Enterprises, LLC., contract 36C26018A0064 for Medical Gas and 36C25719N0112 for Bulk Oxygen. RAS Enterprises sub-contracted this requirement to Airgas USA, LLC. As a result, Airgas tanks and cylinders are distributed to points of use on the medical campus. These tanks and cylinders are proprietary to Airgas. The WSNC contract currently allows the facility to order gas; however, the facility is responsible for distribution of the gases to the areas throughout the facility. Establishment of a Total Gas Management Program would allow the facility to provide better oversight as the program would be responsible to maintain, inventory, distribute, and transport these Airgas cylinders and tanks.

3.0 Period of Performance

The vendor shall begin services no later than 14 days after the contract award date. The period of performance is as follows:

Period of Performance: January 15, 2023 – September 30, 2023

4.0 Place of Performance and Work Hours

The Place of Performance is as follows:

VA Medical Center 1901 Veterans Memorial Dr Temple, Texas 76504 Waco VA Medical Facility 4800 Memorial Dr Waco, Texas 76711 Austin, Cedar Park (CBOC) 7901 Metropolis Dr Austin, Texas 78744 Brownwood (CBOC) 2600 Memorial Park Dr, Brownwood, Texas 76801 Palestine (CBOC) 300 Willow Creek PKWY Suite 100, Palestine, Texas 75801 Bryan College Station (CBOC) 1651 Rock Prairie Rd Suite 100, College Station, TX 77845 Temple Annex (CBOC) 4501 S General Bruce Dr Suite 88, Temple Texas 76502 Lagrange (CBOC) 2 St. Marks Place, LaGrange, Texas 78945 Cedar Park (CBOC) Suite 200 and 400, 1401 Medical Pkwy Building C, Cedar Park, Texas 78613 The Government reserves the right to add future clinic locations as they are stood up, up to four additional locations within Central Texas.

Services are to be performed on-site at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) facilities listed above. Services are to be performed daily Monday through Friday within the core business hours of 7:00 A.M to 5:00 P.M and as emergent needs arise. Services should be available to be performed within four hours of notification.

5.0 Vendor Responsibilities

The vendor shall provide the following services on the current medical gas inventory:

· Perform medical gas cylinder asset control.

· Receive, distribute, transfer, and transport gas cylinders and Dewars to the designated point of use as designated by each facility.

· Provide quality control on all medical gas cylinders.

· Provide monthly usage reports to the COR. Initial monthly report should occur within 30 days of the program implementation on site and monthly thereafter.

· Manage balances and manifolds, shutdown, and expansions.

· Maintain accountability of current gas cylinder inventory using industry-standard loss prevention and inventory control measures.

· Conduct quarterly cylinder audits to monitor cylinder balances to the COR. Initial audit should occur within 90 days of the program implementation on site and quarterly thereafter.

· Receive cylinder gas deliveries to the facility, distribute, transfer, and transport to points of use within the service site as requested and stipulated by the customer.

· Changing out gas cylinders at end-user manifolds at the service site.

· Must hold and maintain certifications and licenses for all gases available on the Western States National Contract (WSNC) consisting of Corrosive, Oxidizing, Compressed, Flammable, and Inert Gases.

· Wear and maintain Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) IAW OSHA 1910.

· Maintain the appropriate hazardous work permits IAW OSHA 1926.

· Be knowledgeable of Lockout Tagout procedures IAW OSHA 1910.110.

· Must have certified vehicle to Transport Medical Gases IAW Department of Texas Transportation.

· Vendor must provide customer service support via telephone, with customer service number provided, and be accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

5.1 Definitions:

The following provides the definition as provided by the facility:

Receiving – To accept possession of medical gas cylinders that have been ordered by the facility from the vendor on the WSNC government contract.

Distribute – Internal movement of medial gas cylinders from one area of the facility to another.

Transport – External movement of medical gas cylinders from one facility to another.

Quality Control – Process through which the vendor ensures that the product quality of medical gas cylinders are maintained or improved. Any cylinder removed from point of use site must be a one for one exchange.

6.0 Security and HIPPA Compliance Consideration

In accordance with Appendix A, Handbook 6500.6 Checklist block 7, the C & A requirements do not apply for this requirement, and the Security Accreditation Package is not required. Due to the non-technical nature of this requirement, about number 7, there is no information to be protected.

· In reference to VHA Handbook 6500.6 Appendix A, Block 6, the equipment (or service) included in this contract does not involve the connection of any IT devices to a VA network. Therefore, C&A, SAP, & the following from App C apply

· In reference to VHA Handbook 6500.6 Appendix A, Block 7, the equipment (or service) involved does not store, generate, transmit, or exchange VA sensitive information. Therefore, the following from App C apply.

· (Appendix B) All service personnel shall be subject to the Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks regarding information protection, patient privacy, and information system security as delineated in this contract.

· During contract performance, the contractor may require access to VA facility, equipment, information systems, or sensitive data; to provide services, install, train, maintain or repair equipment.

· VA Course No. VA10176 is privacy training required for VA contractors requiring access to VA facilities for more than two consecutive days or any access to VA information systems. Training will be completed prior to being granted access to facilities, equipment, or to the data therein. Training is available on the VA TMS website at: https://www.tms.va.gov/SecureAuth35/.

· All service personnel will provide evidence of training to the COR if requested.

· If contracted staff have access to protected health information (PHI) or access to VA systems (e.g., CPRS, JLV, CAPRI, VHIE, or VistAWeb), they are also required to take the Privacy and HIPAA Focused training (VA10203).

7.0 Records Management Statement

All records (administrative and program specific) created during the period of the contract belong to VA Central Texas Health Care System (VHACTXHCS) and must be returned to VHACTXHCS at the end of the contract or destroyed in accordance with the VHA Record Control Schedule (RCS)10-1.

A. Citations to pertinent laws, codes and regulations such as 44 U.S.C Chapter 21, 29, 31 and 33; Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552); Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a); 36 CFR Part 1222 and Part 1228.

B. Contractor shall treat all deliverables under the contract as the property of the U.S. Government for which the Government Agency shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest.

C. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract using Government ‘IT’ equipment and/or Government records.

D. Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected by the Freedom of Information Act.

E. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any Government Agency records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract or identified in the RCS 10-1.

F. The Government Agency owns the rights to all data/records produced as part of this contract.

G. The Government Agency owns the rights to all electronic information (electronic data, electronic information systems, electronic databases, etc.) and all supporting documentation created as part of this contract. Contractor must deliver sufficient technical documentation with all data deliverables to permit the agency to use the data.

H. Contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of completion [draft, final, etc.].

I. No disposition of documents will be allowed without the prior written consent of the Contracting Officer. The Agency and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of the Agency or destroyed without regard to the provisions of the agency records schedules.

J. Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under or relating to this contract. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and Agency guidance for protecting sensitive and proprietary information.

8.0 Safety Requirements

In the performance of this contract, the Contractor shall take such safety precautions as the Contracting Officer may determine to be reasonably necessary to protect the lives and health of occupants of the building. The Contracting Officer shall notify the Contractor of any safety issues and the action necessary to correct these issues. Such notice, when served to the Contractor or his representative at the work site shall be deemed sufficient for the corrective actions to be taken. If the Contractor fails or refuses to comply promptly, the Contracting Officer may issue an order stopping all or part of the work and hold the Contractor in default.

The vendor shall maintain compliance with all applicable current and future laws and regulations related to the repair, maintenance, and security of all cylinders within the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System.

9.0 Invoicing

Payment to be made monthly in arrears by certified invoices and must contain the contract number in addition to the requirements detailed in 52.212-4 (G) to be considered valid. All invoices shall be submitted to the VA Financial Service Center and emailed to the COR. All invoices will reference the purchase order number assigned to the contract.

Billing address:

VA FSC

PO Box 149971 Austin, TX 78714

5.1 Definitions:

The following provides the definition as provided by the facility:

Receiving – To accept possession of medical gas cylinders that have been ordered by the facility from the vendor on the WSNC government contract.

Distribute – Internal movement of medial gas cylinders from one area of the facility to another.

Transport – External movement of medical gas cylinders from one facility to another.

Quality Control – Process through which the vendor should ensure that the product quality of medical gas cylinders are maintained or improved. Any cylinder removed from point of use site must be a one for one exchange.

10.0 Points of Contact:

· Rondal E. Grace (254) 749-5919

· Willie Moncrief (254) 987-3911 Page 1 of