Final Questions and Answers for 36C25922Q0435 as of 01 SEP 2022.docx

6830--Bulk Oxygen Delivery and Tank Rental for Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center- Solicitation Number: 36C25922Q0435

QUESTIONS (Q) AND ANSWERS (A):

Q1. What is the contract number for this work currently (so we can do our FPDS due diligence)?

A1. VA259-16-P-5295

Q2. What is the GOV’s rationale for only have this RFQ open for (7) calendar days – posted on a FRI, losing three weekend days (weekend and holiday on Monday) before us interested vendors can begin coordination with our suppliers? Please note this provides a decided advantage to the incumbent/suppliers?

A2. Quote due date updated to July 19, 2022 at 4:00PM (ET) to allow more time to quote following site visit and responses to questions.

Q3. When are vendor questions due please? Restated, given the timeline in item #2 above, this is a very short timeline to evaluated the RFQ (with supplier as well) – ask questions, receive the GOV response, and then evaluate and incorporate the responses into a bid?

A3. Questions due date updated to July 07, 2022 at 2:00PM (ET) to follow the site visit.

Q4. Are there provisions for a site visit?

A4. The site visit is at Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center on July 01, 2022 at 09:00AM (MT). Please review attached site visit information document for POC information.

Q5. Please confirm the estimated monthly usage as there appears to be a comma typo in the RFQ (1,200,00 CF) Please confirm the billable unit is per 100/CCF which would be 1,200,000 / 100 = which would be 12,000 100/CCF per year, which is only 1,000 100/CCF per month. Please note this is very low, or perhaps does the facility truly use 1,200,000 per year (very high usage) but other VAMCs (such as Tampa) use that much LOX.

A5. RMR usage for each year is estimated at 5,093,145 SCF (50,931.45 CCF) Q6. PG. 1-2 of 6 Section (v) List of Line items: 0001, 1002, 2002, 3002, 4002 Bulk Liquid Oxygen Estimated Monthly is 1,200,00 CF Unit Price is $_______. What is the purpose of having the Unit of Measure of “MONTH” for the Bulk Liquid Oxygen instead of per the Unit Price Measurement (100/CCF) when this CLIN will fluctuate in cost depending on the facility’s actual usage per 100/CCF? Will the GOV consider changing the Quantity of (12) to an annual CCF usage rather than a Monthly Estimated usage?

A6. Yes, see update Combined Synopsis-Solicitation document dated 01 SEP 2022 Q7. What are the tank sizes (Main & Reserve)? We did not see them in the RFQ?

A7. Primary Bulk Tank; 6,000g - 18.3 gallons per inch and full level fill is at 318 inches.

Reserve Bulk Tank; 1,500g - 10.8 gallons per inch and full level fill is at 135 inches.

Q8: Please confirm if tanks are GOV Owned or Contractor Owned? The fact that there is a CLIN for rental infers Contractor owned tanks, yet the RFQ verbiage refers to GFE?

A8. Tanks are rented from the contractor and the contractor is responsible for maintenance and PMs.

Q9. What GOV owned storage containers is the RFQ referring to on PG 3 of 3, Para 8 (1), Inspection? “The actual filling of Government-owned storage containers shall be accomplished by the contractor at the respective destinations” A9. Tanks are rented from the contractor, so there are not any GOV owned storage containers.

Q10: Can we validate the current contract number – we input that Q&A provided number in FPDS and it had no record found (VA259-16-P-5295)? If permissible, who is the current provider for RMR Bulk LOX?

A10. Current Contract is with Eagle Home Medical Corp; VA25916P5295 Q11. What is the estimated daily usage, allowing vendors to evaluate daily usage, in terms of tank sizes, equating to how many deliveries per week/month?

A11. Estimated average daily usage is 11,350 scf (98.6 gallons) Q12. Are there any cylinders required for this RFQ? PG 3 of 3, Para 9, (2), mentions cylinders for the reserve supply.

A12. This was an error. There are no additional cylinders other than the main and reserve tanks.

Q13. Will the GOV consider separating installation costs into its own separate Base Year CLIN?

A13. Yes, see update Combined Synopsis-Solicitation document dated 01 SEP 2022 Q14. PG 2 of 3, Para (2) b, states “The contractor shall save and hold harmless and indemnify the government against any and all liability.” This is very contentious language because a vendor(s) cannot agree to indemnification for occurrences that are unknown and are not specified? Request removing or altering this language as no credible vendor would agree legally to an event that has not happened?

A14. Removed from SOW.

Q15. Can the GOV elaborate on what is meant by “Vaporization losses” as stated on PG 2 of 3, Para 8 (1)?

A15. Removed from SOW.

Q16. Have there been any historical occurrences of tank systems icing (i.e., Vaporizers) due to increased usage. The system is engineered for the GOV’s estimated quantities. During the pandemic response, VAMCs nationwide significantly increased usage (as COVID Positive Patients were housed in ICU), often times stressing the BULK LOX system causing icing. This has nothing attributable to vendor supply chain yet is directly attributable to system design.

A16. Our records going back to 01-01-2019 do not indicate any historical issues related to the tank systems icing.

Q17. Does the GOV have any desire to upgrade tank sizes from the current sizes, thus allowing longer durations under pandemic conditions?

A17. The existing tank sizes are sufficient even during the influx of the Pandemic.

Q18. What are the current tank set points for Main & Reserve (in inches) for FULL TRYCOCK, REORDER POINT, & LOW-LEVEL ALARM?

A18. Full TryCOCK: (Main) 318 (Reserve) 135 Re-order Point: (Main) 126 (Reserve) 54 Low Level Alarm/Critical: (Main) 62 (Reserve) 24 Q19. When was the most recent annual inspection conducted? Can an Amendment be posted to review that Annual Inspection?

A19. See attached Annual Inspection document Q20. PG. 3 of 3, Para 10 identifies a “Free unloading time is 2 hours: $_____ per quarter hour after free time expires.” Why is there not a CLIN for the Unloading Time overage when the SOW requests a price per quarter hour? How many times in the past year has the unloading time exceeded the “free 2 hours” that would require the GOV to add this verbiage? This verbiage is nonstandard – this is normally addressed under a delivery fee/Telemetry – which in this RFQ are included in the rental.

A20. Removed from SOW. It usually does not take longer than 30-60 minutes for fill the tanks. Zero instances when the vendor has been charged for exceeding the unloading time.

Q21. Are the Evaluation factors provided on PG 4 of 6 in the RFQ ranked in order of importance?

A21. Not in any order of importance. Comparative Evaluations of quote will be done.

Q22. PG 3 of 3 Section 9.2 “Government-owned bulk storage tanks will be maintained by and at the expense of the Government in a manner that will ensure compliance with applicable regulations, standards, and normal good practices.” Are there GOV Owned Storage tanks separate from the main tank site for bid in this RFQ? If the bulk tanks are not GFE, recommend the removal this language from the solicitation.

A22. This was an error as the bulk oxygen storage tanks will be leased from the awarded contractor. Removed from SOW.

Q23. PG. 1 of 6, Section (i), Para 3 “Emailed quotes are the only method of submitted quotes (4MB email limit).” 4MB is a very tight size. ORCAs alone are typically 19MB.

What is the purpose of requiring a limit of only 4MB and how will the GOV require the offeror to provide this information given the size limitations?

Is the 4MB inclusive of all emails or per email?

A23. This an error. The government email system maximum is 20MB per email. Please note that the vendor is responsible to ensure that all documentation in response to this solicitation is received at jesse.sannicolas@va.gov by the due date and time.

Q24. Is the GOV going to provide an SF1449/SF30 or will the GOV require another means for capturing the information provided by the offeror in Blocks 17 & 30 of those documents?

A24. No SF 1449 will be provided for this Combined Synopsis Solicitation posting. Offeror should include Company Name and SAM Unique Entity ID (UEI) as part of their quotes. Offeror should also state, on their quote, an acknowledgement of receipt of all amendments through Amendment Number 0005 Q25. PG. 1-2 of 6 Section (v) List of Line items: Will the GOV add an emergency delivery fee line item since emergency deliveries are notated in the Attachment 1 - Statement of Work (PG 1 of 3) “In the case of an emergency, in which the facility becomes non-operational, the RMRVA requires a bulk tank delivery within 24 hours”? This fee only applies if the VA requests an additional delivery that is not at the fault of the contractor or is not a fill requested that is not consistent with the Refill Point as observed by Monthly Telemetry Monitoring. This is standard practice for authorized Emergency Deliveries VA wide and is a operational necessity during Emergencies.

A25. Emergency Delivery Fee – Delivered within 24 hours Line Item Added.

Q26. PG 1 of 3 Para 1. LAWS AND REGULATIONS: “Packaging, labeling, etc., for medical gases shall also comply with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.” How will the GOV ensure compliance that an Offeror is licensed if the GOV has not requested a copy of the license be part of the bid submission? (Code of Colorado Regulations, State Board of Pharmacy 3 CCR 719-1 Section 15.00.00 Wholesalers) does require that Wholesale Drug Distributors to be licensed in the State of Colorado.

Since VAAR 852.219-78 is a requirement on this solicitation where the Offeror “certifies that it will take ownership or possession of the item(s) with personnel, equipment, or facilities consistent with industry practice.” Will the GOV Please confirm that offerors must be licensed in the State of Colorado at the time of Bid Submission to distribute Medical Grade Oxygen (a prescription drug) as required by the Code of Colorado Regulations, State Board of Pharmacy 3 CCR 719-1 Section 15.00.00 Wholesalers?

A26. Yes, offerors must provide proof of being licensed in the State of Colorado to distribute Medical Grade Oxygen (a prescription drug) as required by the Code of Colorado Regulations, State Board of Pharmacy 3 CCR 719-1 Section 15.00.00 Wholesalers. License requirement added to evaluation Q28. PG. 2 of 3 Section 8.1 What is the GOV rationale having the quantity of liquid gases being “measured by means of a certified weighing scale located within 25 miles of point of delivery”? The amount of gas filled into the Bulk LOX systems is notated by both the delivery truck and bulk tank gauge reading changes once the unloading has been completed. This is nonstandard VA wide and has not been verbiage on any other RFQ SOW such as the WSNC BPA.

A28. Removed from the SOW Q29. PG. 3 of 6 Para (k) Volume II Technical: “The products quoted must be identified by brand name, if any and make or model number.” This is for Medical-grade bulk liquid oxygen, can the GOV clarify what brand name, make, or model number is specifically being referred to?

PG. 1 of 6 Section (iv) NAICS: How will the GOV ensure compliance of liability insurance specific to NAICS 325120? How will the GOV confirm that the SDVOSB offeror must have and provide proof of Liability insurance specific to NAICS 325120 (delivery of Cryogenic gases) at time of bid submission? It is important to note that there are very few underwriters that will insure small business for compressed gases under NAICS 325120/221210.

A29. Paragraph updated to include license requirement. See update Combined Synopsis-Solicitation document dated 01 SEP 2022