36C25924Q0084 0002.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 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)

01-24-2024

None 36C259 Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office

NCO 19

6162 South Willow Drive, Suite 300 Greenwood Village CO 80111

36C259 Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office

NCO 19

6162 South Willow Drive, Suite 300 Greenwood Village CO 80111 To all Offerors/Bidders

36C25924Q0084 01-09-2024

X

X

See CONTINUATION Page

The above referenced RFQ for Courier Services for the VA Montana Health Care System is amended as follows:

a. The purpose of this amendment is to provide answers to vendor questions.

b. The revised statement of work, price schedule and evaluation factors are provided below.

c. This solicitation is being extended until February 5, 2024, at 10:00 am MT.

d. No other parts of the solicitation has changes.

Contracting Officer Juanita Street

Montana Statewide Courier Services QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

1. Is this a new requirement?

a. It is a new requirement, but we had courier services before

2. What kind of coolers will be needed, and how many per location?

a. Coolers will only be required for urgent/non-routine runs and when temperatures cannot be maintained in the vehicles.

3. How much dry ice will be needed per location.

a. Dry ice will only be needed when the temperature cannot be maintained in the vehicles.

4. How many boxes will there be on average to be picked up daily per location?

a. 3 to 5 boxes

5. What kind of vehicles are being utilized on this contract? Are SUV’S going to be sufficient or will vans be required?

a. Vehicles must be large enough to hold 3 to 5 boxes per location that measure 22 inches by 22 inches per box. Samples shall be transported in a vehicle that provides absolute control of temperature in all areas of the vehicles.

6. How much Dry ice would be needed per location, or ice packs?

a. For routine/scheduled pickups, the Government will provide coolers with dry ice/ice packs already contained within. Therefore, dry ice or ice packs are not needed at any of the locations for routine/scheduled pick-ups.

For Urgent/Non-routine pickups, coolers may or may not be provided by the Government. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the contractor to provide coolers with dry ice or ice packs contained within for sample transport.

7. If the times fit, is it okay to route pickups together for better pricing?

a. Pickup times listed in the Statement of Work will not be changed. Offerors can determine which route is best for cost efficiency as long as the pickup times listed by the Government is met.

8. We currently have all our drivers take a courier training that is OSHA approved for Bio-Hazard spills would there be a second requirement for the Haz-mat training?

a. Yes, because the Government may, at random times, have pharmacy products that will be transported from St. Peters to the VA Medical Center/Clinics, and these pharmacy products may be considered Hazardous.

9. Who’s the incumbent for this contract?

a. Trident Transportation LLC.

10. What is the contract number?

a. The current contract # is 36C25919D0058.

11. Were there any changes made in the current scope of work?

a. The current scope of work, is what is required.

12. There is a requirement for a Hazmat License, could you provide a list of the Hazardous items to be transported?

a. Pharmacy products. (See answer to #8 question above).

13. What are the specific bonding requirements?

a. The Bonding requirement has been removed from the solicitation and the Statement of Work and the evaluation factors.

14. The solicitation mentions ‘3 as needed’ locations. However, they’re not listed in the pricing schedule. How should we price them out and will the pricing schedule be amended?

a. St. Peter’s, The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHSS) lab and the American Red Cross (ARC) should be priced 7 days a week from 8:00am to 8:00pm. And then another price shall be provided for St. Peter’s only, for hours 8:00pm to 8:00am, 7 days a week. This has been added to the price schedule.

15. Will the contractor be required to purchase the 22”x 22” square specimen boxes?

a. No, the VA will supply the boxes.

16. Is the contractor required to supply ice packs or dry ice?

a. See #6 above for answer to this question.

17. Transporting specimens does not require a HazMat certificate and no other contract we are holding has requested this. Can you confirm that this requirement is obsolete and will be taken out of the solicitation?

a. The Hazmat requirement will remain in the solicitation. See answer to #8 above for explanation.

18. On page 8 the solicitation (and again on page 12) mentions that the contractor needs to be bonded.

Q: Please take note of FAR 28.103-1(a), which states that “Generally, agencies shall not require performance and payment bonds for other than construction contracts.” FAR 28.103-2 lists four circumstances where it may be necessary to require a bond to protect the government’s interest. The only one that could possibly apply to a lab courier contract is government furnished property. This solicitation, however, requires the contractor to furnish temperature control containers – see page 11 of 71 and the government-furnished containers are low-cost items which, if lost or damaged could be handled with a simple contract payment deduction. There appears to be no need for a bond in this case.

a. The bonding requirement has been removed from the solicitation and the statement of work and the evaluation factors.

19. We have performed many VA lab courier contracts in several VISNs and have never seen this requirement before. Including a bonding requirement will unnecessarily increase the VA’s cost for this contract.

a. The bonding requirement has been taken out of the solicitation and the statement of work and the evaluation factors.

20. We respectfully request that the requirement for bonding be removed from the solicitation. If the requirement for binding is not removed, could you please explain the purpose of the bond and the required amount?

a. The bonding requirement has been taken out of the solicitation and the statement of work and the evaluation factors.

21. Are there any known additions or closures of clinics that likely will happen during the 5 years of the new contract?

a. No, not at this time.

22. Do all routes have to start at the main hospital every morning?

a. No.

23. How many drivers/vehicles are currently used to service the current contract?

a. The number of drivers/ vehicles is up to the Contractor’s discretion.

24. What is the vehicle size currently servicing this location?

a. The size of the vehicle is up the Contractor’s discretion.

25. Regarding the instructions for the technical proposal (Amendment 0001, Page 3, paragraph 1), “The response shall not exceed five (5) 8-1/2”x11” double-sided pages”, given that this is an electronic proposal, is it correct to assume that the Technical Proposal shouldn’t exceed 10 pages?

a. That is correct.

26. Do you accept CPARs evaluations as additional Past Performance information?

a. No, we can access CPAR.

27. Regarding specific employees’ information: It is common practice for small businesses that the drivers, cars and other equipment used for a contract are not sourced until after an award has been made, for cost effectiveness and to reduce loss. However, we will be forwarding our standard Training Certificates-Procedures for your reference, is this information acceptable?

a. Yes.

28. Do you want a copy for each individual potential driver that we will utilize or the company's hazmat license?

a. For each individual potential driver.

29. There are pharmacy supplies to be transported. Will these include any narcotics?

a. Yes. Possibly.

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

a. We cannot provide you with this information. This information is proprietary to the incumbent.

31. Clarification about the courier license, if it is required from the prime contractor, I would like to confirm if the requested Haz Mat License and Proof of Bonded must belong to the prime contractor or can we use a sub-contractor's documents.

a. The Hazmat license is required of all drivers. Therefore, if a subcontractor is used, then the subcontractor’s drivers will require a license. Bonding has been removed from this requirement.

B.2 STATEMENT OF WORK

1. COURIER SERVICES:

The Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Montana Healthcare System (MTVAMC) at Fort Harrison, intends to award a contract for the procurement of Courier Services between the VAMC and the Butte Community Based Outpatient Clinic (BCBOC), Great Falls Community Based Outpatient Clinic (GFCBOC), Hamilton Community Based Outpatient Clinic (HCBOC), Merrill Lundman Havre VA Care Center (MLHCC), Kalispell VA Care Center (KCC), Lewistown Community Based Outpatient Clinic (LCBOC), David J. Thatcher Missoula Community Based Outpatient Clinic (DJTCBOC), Travis Atkins Bozeman Community Based Outpatient Clinic (TACBOC). The Contractor shall provide regularly scheduled pickups and deliveries of various items, as identified in this Statement of Work, between the MTVAMC and Community Based Outpatient Clinics and Care Centers.

Additionally, three (3) “as Needed” Courier Services will be needed, all three routes originate at Fort Harrison VA medical Center Laboratory and Pharmacy 3687 Veterans Drive Fort Harrison MT 59636. These “as needed” service will be required when the Fort Harrison VA Lab or pharmacy needs urgent deliver of products and specimen to the three locations at a specified timeframe. The three locations are:

a. St. Peter’s Hospital 2475 Broadway ST. Helena MT. (7.1 miles)

b. 2. DPHSS laboratory, 1400 East Broadway ST Helena MT STATE laboratory (6.1 miles)

c. 3. American red cross, 1300 28th St. South Great falls MT 59405 (95.1 miles)

2. Addresses:

MTVAMC: 3687 Veteran Drive, Fort Harrison MT 59636 BCBOC: 5 Three Bears Drive, Butte MT 59701 (69 miles) GFCBOC: 1400 29th St. S Suite 1, Great Falls MT 59405 (89 miles) HCBOC: 299 Fairgrounds, Suite A, Hamilton MT 5940 (162 miles) MLHCC: 1753 US Hwy 2 NW, Havre MT 59501 (204 miles) KCC: 31 Three Mile Drive, Kalispell MT 59901 (197 miles) LCBOC: 629 NE Main Street, Lewistown MT 59457 (129 miles) DJTCBOC: 3885 West Broadway, Missoula MT 59808 (116 miles) TACBOC: 1101 E Main Street, Bozeman MT 59715 (95 miles)

Schedule of Items/Locations

Butte CBOC, 5 Three Bears Drive, Butte MT 59701 Ph:406-496-3000

POC:

Monday through Friday Deliver to FHVAMC Laboratory by 6:30 P.M. the same evening.

Great Falls CBOC, 1400 29th Street South, Suite 1, Great Falls, MT 59405 Ph:406-771-5800

POC:

Monday through Friday Deliver to FHVAMC Laboratory by 6:30 P.M. the same evening.

Bozeman CBOC, 1101 East Main Street, 2nd floor, Bozeman, MT Ph:406-582-5300

POC:

3:45 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.

One time per day Monday through Friday Deliver to FHVAMC Laboratory by 7:30 P.M. the same evening.

Missoula CBOC, 3885 West Broadway, Missoula, MT 59808 Ph:406-493-3759

POC:

3:45 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.

One time per day Monday through Friday Deliver to FHVAMC Laboratory by 7:30 P.M. the same evening.

Kalispell CBOC, 31 Three Mile Drive, Suite 102, Kalispell, MT Ph:406-758-7200

POC:

Monday through Friday Deliver to FHVAMC Laboratory by 11:30 P.M. the same evening.

Lewiston CBOC, 3629 NE Main Street, Suite 1, Lewiston, MT Ph:406-535-4790

POC:

After 2 P.M.

One time per day Monday through Friday Deliver to FHVAMC Laboratory by 10:30 P.M. the same evening.

Havre CBOC, 1753 US Hwy 2 NW Suite 3, Havre, MT 59501 Ph:406-265-4304

POC:

After 2 P.M.

One time per day Monday through Friday Deliver to FHVAMC Laboratory by 10:30 P.M. the same evening.

Hamilton CBOC 299 Fairgrounds Suite A Hamilton MT 59840 Ph: 406-363-3352

POC

Monday through Friday Deliver to FHVAMC Laboratory by 10:30 P.M. the same evening.

SEE NOTES BELOW

3. ITEMS TO BE TRANSPORTED include:

a. Laboratory specimens included, but not limited to blood, urine, body fluids, biopsies, PCR samples, swabs, glass slides encased and viral cultures.

b. Laboratory crush proof specimen boxes and containers that meet all federal transport regulations. Average 22” by 22” square or less in size.

c. Basic laboratory supplies, paperwork, and boxes: tubes, gauze, tape, etc.

d. Random lab equipment that does not exceed 75 lbs.

e. Pharmacy supplies and products

f. Histology and Cytology Samples, formalin in small quantities, less than 30 ml per container, making it exempt from any other hazardous transportation requirements.

4. DELIVER SCHEDULE

a. Pick up boxes of samples from Butte, MT and Great Falls, MT VA CBOC’s sites each afternoon, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays, between 3:30 pm and 4:00 pm and deliver the boxes to the Fort Harrison Laboratory by 6:30 pm that same evening.

b. Pick up boxes of samples from Bozeman, MT, and Missoula, MT VA CBOC’s sites each afternoon, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays, between 3:45 pm and 4:30 pm and deliver the boxes to the Fort Harrison Laboratory by 7:30 pm that same evening.

c. Pick up boxes of samples from Kalispell, MT VA CBOC site each afternoon, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays, between 4:00 pm and 4:30 pm and deliver the boxes to the Fort Harrison Laboratory by 11:30 pm that same evening.

d. Pick up boxes of samples from Lewistown, MT VA CBOC site each afternoon, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays, after 2:00 pm and deliver the boxes to the Fort Harrison Laboratory by 10:30 pm that same evening.

e. Pick up boxes of samples from Havre, MT VA CBOC site each afternoon, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays, after 2:00 pm and deliver the boxes to the Fort Harrison Laboratory by 10:30 pm that same evening.

f. Pick up boxes of samples from Hamilton, MT VA CBOC site each afternoon Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays, after 2:15 and deliver the boxes to the Fort Harrison Laboratory by 10:30 pm that same evening.

g. Pick up boxes of samples from Fort Harrison, MT VAMC Laboratory and Pharmacy between the hours of 8 am to 8 pm. 7 days a week as needed and delivery to three routes as listed “as needed” courier service. The total estimate of these runs is 1 to 15 per month.

h. Pick up empty shipping boxes and supply shipments from Fort Harrison Laboratory each evening, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays, and deliver next day to all CBOC sites. The empty and supply boxes picked up Friday evening will be delivered the following Monday, excluding federal holiday.

5. PACKAGING FOR DELIVERY:

a. The VA will be responsible for preparing an inventory sheet listing all items in the distribution boxes. There shall be no tampering with the distribution boxes. The responsible person will account for and sign the inventory sheet.

b. The Contractor shall ensure that transportation vehicle is always clean and free of any soiled items on board that could cause contamination the boxes (i.e., prevent boxes from becoming wet, no puncture holes or openings in the outer layer of the packaging).

c. Contractor shall take special care in transporting supplies and boxes and handle each distribution box with care, as the specimens and supplies are fragile. Contractor’s vehicle shall be of sufficient size to accommodate the size and weights of the distribution boxes. To prevent excess jarring of distribution boxes from sliding around in the vehicle, the Contractor shall provide adequate padding while in transport to maintain stability of the distribution boxes.

d. Contractor shall provide a smoke free vehicle.

e. Contract shall ensure that transportation vehicle will transport in a temperature-controlled area to prevent exposure to weather (direct sunlight, heat, rain, snow, water etc.) and insure items are secure to prevent theft or loss or damage to contents in transport. No item will be left unsecured for any reason.

f. Laboratory specimens will be packaged and marked by VA personnel in sealed containers/bags and separated into three temperature increments, room air, chilled, and frozen. Protective packaging will be provided by VAMC, as necessary. All specimens must be transported in accordance with all Department of Transportation and OSHA Codes of Federal Regulations (CFR) 29 and 49.

6. TEMPURATURE REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIMENS:

Contractor shall maintain proper temperature in vehicles. Contractor shall provide insulated transport carriers when needed that shall maintain the required temperatures to be used for pickup and delivery of specimens when needed. Contractor will provide a daily temperature log and note the temperature at time of pickup and again at time of delivery.

a. Room temperature specimens shall be maintained between 20 and 24 degrees Centigrade.

b. Chilled/Refrigeration temperature specimens shall be maintained between 2 and 8 Degrees Centigrade.

c. Frozen temperature specimens shall be maintained at less than 0 degrees Centigrade.

7. CONTRACTOR’S DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

a. Contractor must be a courier company with a state license and carry a minimum of $1,000,000.00 liability insurance. All couriers transporting specimens under this contract must carry cellular phones and pagers for communications purposes.

b. Any delays in the pickup/delivery of specimens to the laboratory must be reported to: VA Medical Center Pathology and Laboratory Department at Fort Harrison VA Medical Center, Fort Harrison Montana.

Laboratory Contact after hours: 406-447-7910 Administrative Hours: 406-447-7512 Lowell “Jason” Listerud, Laboratory Manager: 406-447-7511 Amy Binfet, Lead Technologist/Supervisor: 406-447-7329 Traci Kalien, Quality Management Technologist/COR: 406-447-7040 Rachael Abelin, LIM/COR, 406-447-7783

c. Contractor must provide a communication plan for situation(s) that arise (late deliver, late pickup, no deliver, no pickup), and laboratory staff need to communicate with the contractor directly. A direct line of communication with a Contract operator or “Hot line help” service.

d. The Contractor shall provide all courier services with a company vehicle and uniformed driver(s) to transport items identified herein. Items transported may have Personally Identifiable Information (PII), e.g., full names, addresses, etc., and/or Protected Health Information (PHI), e.g., medical test information, test results, etc. All such information will be secured in locked containers prior to pick-up by the courier. The courier shall insure that this information is kept in the sealed containers throughout transport and must immediately notify the Contracting Officer if any PII or PHI is compromised or revealed to them or any other person in the performance of their duties. The Contractor shall ensure the confidentiality of all patient information being transported and may be held liable in the event of breach of confidentiality.

e. The Contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer with their proposal, hazardous material license number, certificate of training of couriers (employees), Valid State Driver license for drivers, vehicle insurance, and registration.

f. Vehicle Insurance: Before award of contract, the Contractor shall furnish to the Contracting Officer a certificate of insurance which shall contain an endorsement to the effect that cancellation of, or any material change in the policies which adversely affect the interests of the Government in such insurance shall not be effective unless 30 day written notice of cancellation or change is furnished to the Contracting Officer.

g. Workmen’s Compensation: The Act of June 25, 1936, Stat. 1938 (40 U.S.C. 290), The Contractor agrees to procure and maintain while the contract is in effect, Workmen’s Compensation and Employers Public Liability Insurance. The policy shall provide coverage for Public Liability limits of not less than the statutory limitations for any one accident, and at least meet the statutory limitations if more than one person is involved.

h. Training: Contractor’s couriers transporting lab specimens must be trained in “Universal Precautions” in the handling of biohazard materials (specimens). Training must include using clinical procedures in case of biohazard spills and accidents.

i. Driver: All drivers must maintain a valid driver’s license for the type of vehicle operated as required by the State of Montana. Drivers are required to carry a valid picture driver’s license, valid vehicle registration and valid proof of insurance always while performing under this contract. A record of each driver as to character and physical capabilities of performing the duties as a courier must be maintained and made available to the Contracting Officer for inspection upon request.

j. The Contractor personnel performing services to the Government must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English. The name of this person, and an alternate, or alternates, who shall act for the Contractor when the manager is absent, shall be designated in writing to the Contracting Officer. An updated listing will be provided as changes in personnel occur.

k. The Contractor’s personnel performing services to the Government shall, always, conduct themselves in a professional manner, present a neat appearance and be easily recognized as a contract employee by wearing identification badges with the company name, and employee name affixed to the uniform. The company employee identification badge shall be worn in clear view above the waist, always, while on the premises of any Federal property.

l. Contractor’s vehicle shall have the company name/logo prominently displayed. Parking: It is the responsibility of the Contractor to park in the appropriate designated parking areas. Information on parking at the VA is available from the VA Police. There will be no validation or reimbursement for parking violations of the Contractor under any conditions. Restrictions: All Federal properties have implemented a smoke free environment policy. Authorized smoking areas are outdoors and more than 50 feet from any entrance.

8. PROHIBITED INSIDE: any building. No alcoholic beverages or drugs are allowed on any of the installations mentioned in this solicitation. Possession of weapons is prohibited. Enclosed containers may be subject to search. Violations of Federal regulations may result in citation answerable in the United States (Federal) District Court, not a local district, state, or municipal court. The speed limit on VA property is 15 miles to 20 miles per hour. Citations for violations on VA property of speed limits, parking violations and other infractions will be issued by the VA police. These infractions are federal offenses, which must be handled in a Federal District Court. No employee of the Government can assist any Contractor employee with the citation.

a. Drivers are required to notify the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) of any unusual events that impede delivery as required by the contract (i.e., weather). A written report of the event will be delivered to the COR by close of business the next workday.

b. The Contractor shall direct all questions and problems regarding this contract to the Contracting Officer. The Contracting officer is the sole authority to amend the terms and conditions of this requirement. All changes will be issued via amendment and/or modifications in writing from the Contracting Officer to the Contractor.

c. The CONTRACTING OFFICER SHALL BE NOTIFIED within two (2) hours, via phone and confirmed via facsimile of Contractor’s knowledge of any conditions which may adversely affect the Contractor’s ability to perform under the terms and conditions as stated in the specifications of this requirement.

d. Should delivered or picked up items be lost, broken, or stolen; the Contractor shall be required to submit a written report to the Contracting officer within twenty-four (24) HOURS EXPLAINING THE CIRCUMSTANCES. Failure to provide the report within the specific timeframe will cause further review by the Government to determine if the infraction warrants suspension/termination of the contract.

e. The Contractor shall be required to maintain a record and log of courier pickups and deliveries, indicating time and date of pickups, number of specimens from each location, along with signatures.

f. The Government reserves the right to restrict any Contractor employee from performing services under this contract who do not meet the required qualifications, or who violates Federal regulations or are identified as a potential threat to the security, safety, health and/or operational mission of the VA and its veteran population. The restriction of such Contractor personnel shall not relieve the Contractor from performing all the required services in accordance with all terms, conditions and schedules contained herein.

g. The Contractor shall provide the description of the vehicle(s) which will be used under this contract in their offer.

9. QUALITY CONTROL: The Contractor shall develop and maintain a quality control program that ensures courier services are performed in accordance with these specifications. The Contractor shall develop and implement procedures to track, identify, prevent, remedy, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The Contractor shall provide a method to accept and resolve customer complaints and notify the customer of the resolution. The Contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer upon receipt of a customer complaint so joint validation may be accomplished. The Contractor is responsible for quality control and specification compliance.

10. QUALITY ASSURANCE: The Government will evaluate the Contractor’s performance using customer complaint, periodic on-site inspection, and may at the Government’s discretion, inspect each task to incur conformance and acceptance prior to payment.

11. EVIDENCE OF RESPONSIBILITY: Offerors must submit with their proposal the following:

1. Proof of Insurance

2. Haz Mat License

a. Successful Offerors must meet all requirements of federal, state, or city codes and licenses regarding operations of this type of service.

b. The Government reserves the right to thoroughly inspect and investigate the Contractor’s vehicles, facilities, business reputation, and other qualifications of any Offeror and to reject any offer irrespective of price if it shall be administratively determined lacking in any of the essentials necessary to assure acceptable standard of performance.

c. The Government will not be responsible or held liable for any loss, damage, personal injury, or loss of life of Contractor personnel, not caused by the fault, negligence, wrongful omission of the Government, its agents, or its employees, occurring at any time such personnel are entering, exiting, using, or occupying Government property or facilities in performance of this Contract.

d. The Contractor shall be liable and will indemnify and hold harmless the Government, its agents, and employees, against all actions or claims for damages to persons, property, including death not caused by the fault, negligence, wrongful act, or wrongful omission of the Government, its agents, or employees. The Contractor shall be liable and will indemnify and hold harmless the Government, its agents and employees against all actions or claims for all damages to persons or property, including death arising or resulting from the fault, negligence, wrongful act, or wrongful omission of the Contractor personnel in accordance with the Federal Tort Claim Act (28 U.S.C. 2671-2680).

12. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS – DEFINITIONS

CONTRACTING OFFICER: The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to approve changes or modify any of the requirements under the resultant contract. The Contractor shall communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters pertaining to contract administration. Only the Contracting Officer is authorized to make commitments or issue changes which will affect price, quantity, quality, or performance of the resultant contract.

13. SECURITY

a. Background Investigation impact for this effort has been designated as LIMITED Risk and the level of background investigation is SAC.

b. Contractor Responsibilities

i. The contractor shall bear the expense of obtaining background investigations. If the investigation is conducted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) through the VA, the contractor shall reimburse the VA within 30 days of transfer to OPM.

ii. Background investigations from investigating agencies other than OPM are permitted if the agencies possess an OPM and Defense Security Service certification. The Vendor Cage Code number must be provided to the Security and Investigations Center (07C), which will verify the information and advise the contracting officer whether access to the computer systems can be authorized.

c. After contract award and prior to contract performance, the contractor shall provide the following information to the CO:

i. List of names of contractor personnel.

ii. Social Security Number, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, and e-mail of contractor personnel.

iii. Home address of contractor personnel or the contractor's address, Point of Contact, e-mail, and telephone.

d. The contractor, when notified of an unfavorable determination by the Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration from working under the contract.

Failure to comply with the contractor personnel security requirements may result in termination of the contract for default.

e. Further, the contractor will be responsible for the actions of all individuals provided to work for the VA under this contract. If damages arise from work performed by contractor provided personnel, under the auspices of this contract, the contractor will be responsible for all resources necessary to remedy the incident.”

f. Government Responsibilities

i. The VA Security and Investigations Center (07C) will provide the necessary forms to the contractor or to the contractor's employees after receiving a list of names and addresses.

ii. Upon receipt, the VA Security, and Investigations Center (07C) will review the completed forms for accuracy and forward the forms to OPM to conduct the background investigation.

iii. The VA facility will pay for investigations conducted by the OPM in advance. In these instances, the contractor will reimburse the VA facility within 30 days of transfer to OPM.

iv. The VA Security and Investigations Center (07C) will notify the contracting officer and contractor after adjudicating the results of the background investigations received from OPM.

v. The contracting officer will ensure that the contractor provides evidence That investigations

14. GENERAL Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors, and subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security.

15. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE Information made available to the contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor/subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA. This clause expressly limits the contractor/subcontractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1)

16. SECURITY INCIDENT INVESTIGATION

a. The term “security incident” means an event that has, or could have, resulted in unauthorized access to, loss or damage to VA assets, or sensitive information, or an action that breaches VA security procedures. The contractor/subcontractor shall immediately notify the designated ISO and Privacy Officer for the contract of any known or suspected security/privacy incidents, or any unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, including that contained in system(s) to which the contractor/subcontractor has access.

b. To the extent known by the contractor/subcontractor, the contractor/subcontractor’ notice to VA shall identify the information involved, the circumstances surrounding the incident (including to whom, how, when, and where the VA information or assets were placed at risk or compromised), and any other information that the contractor/subcontractor considers relevant.

c. With respect to unsecured protected health information, the business associate is deemed to have discovered a data breach when the business associate knew or should have known of a breach of such information. Upon discovery, the business associate must notify the covered entity of the breach. Notifications need to be made in accordance with the executed business associate agreement.

17. TRAINING

a. All contractor employees and subcontractor employees requiring access to VA information and VA information systems shall complete the following before being granted access to VA information and its systems:

b. Sign and acknowledge (either manually or electronically) understanding of and responsibilities for compliance with the Contractor Rules of Behavior, Appendix E relating to access to VA information and information systems.

c. Successfully complete the VA Cyber Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior training and annually complete required security training.

d. Successfully complete the appropriate VA privacy training and annually complete required privacy training: and successfully complete any additional cyber security or privacy training, as required for VA personnel with equivalent information system access [to be defined by the VA program official and provided to the contracting officer for inclusion in the solicitation document – e.g., any role- based information security training required in accordance with NIST Special Publication 800-16, Information Technology Security Training Requirements.]

e. The contractor shall provide to the contracting officer and/or the COTR a copy of

f. Failure to complete the mandatory annual training and sign the Rules of

B.3 SHEDULE

*** NOTE: Courier services shall only be paid for trips rendered. Payment will not be made for trips suspended (due to inclement weather, holidays, accidents, traffic, etc.). The yearly trips in the schedule below are only an annual estimate. Number of final trips may be different from what’s estimated. ***

BASE YEAR – April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025

5 Three Bears Drive, Butte MT 59701 Ph:406-496-3000

POC:

One time per day Monday through Friday

1417 9th Street South, Suite 200, Great Falls, MT 59405 One time per day

300N. Wilson, Suite 703G, Bozeman, MT 59715 One time per day

2687 Palmer Street, Suite C, Missoula, MT 59808 One time per day

31 Three Mile Drive, Suite 102, Kalispell, MT 59901 One time per day

3629 NE Main Street, Suite 1, Lewiston, MT 59457 One time per day

130 13th Street, Suite 1, Havre, MT 59501 One time per day

299 Fairgrounds Suite A Hamilton MT 59840

One time per day

BASE YEAR TOTAL

OPTION YEAR ONE - April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026

5 Three Bears Drive, Butte MT 59701 One time per day

1417 9th Street South, Suite 200, Great Falls, MT 59405 One time per day

300N. Wilson, Suite 703G, Bozeman, MT 59715 One time per day

2687 Palmer Street, Suite C, Missoula, MT 59808 One time per day

31 Three Mile Drive, Suite 102, Kalispell, MT 59901 One time per day

3629 NE Main Street, Suite 1, Lewiston, MT 59457 One time per day

130 13th Street, Suite 1, Havre, MT 59501 One time per day

299 Fairgrounds Suite A Hamilton MT 59840

One time per day

OPTION YEAR ONE TOTAL

OPTION YEAR TWO - April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027

5 Three Bears Drive, Butte MT 59701 One time per day

1417 9th Street South, Suite 200, Great Falls, MT 59405 One time per day

300N. Wilson, Suite 703G, Bozeman, MT 59715 One time per day

2687 Palmer Street, Suite C, Missoula, MT 59808 One time per day

31 Three Mile Drive, Suite 102, Kalispell, MT 59901 One time per day

3629 NE Main Street, Suite 1, Lewiston, MT 59457 One time per day

130 13th Street, Suite 1, Havre, MT 59501 One time per day

299 Fairgrounds Suite A Hamilton MT 59840 One time per day

OPTION YEAR TWO TOTAL

OPTION YEAR THREE - April 1, 2027, through March 31, 2028

5 Three Bears Drive, Butte MT 59701 One time per day

1417 9th Street South, Suite 200, Great Falls, MT 59405 One time per day

300N. Wilson, Suite 703G, Bozeman, MT 59715 One time per day

2687 Palmer Street, Suite C, Missoula, MT 59808 One time per day

31 Three Mile Drive, Suite 102, Kalispell, MT 59901 One time per day

3629 NE Main Street, Suite 1, Lewiston, MT 59457 One time per day

130 13th Street, Suite 1, Havre, MT 59501 One time per day

299 Fairgrounds Suite A Hamilton MT 59840 One time per day

OPTION YEAR THREE TOTAL

OPTION YEAR FOUR - April 1, 2028, through March 31, 2029

5 Three Bears Drive, Butte MT 59701 One time per day

1417 9th Street South, Suite 200, Great Falls, MT 59405 One time per day

300N. Wilson, Suite 703G, Bozeman, MT 59715 One time per day

2687 Palmer Street, Suite C, Missoula, MT 59808 One time per day

31 Three Mile Drive, Suite 102, Kalispell, MT 59901 One time per day

3629 NE Main Street, Suite 1, Lewiston, MT 59457 One time per day

130 13th Street, Suite 1, Havre, MT 59501 One time per day

299 Fairgrounds Suite A Hamilton MT 59840 One time per day

OPTION YEAR FOUR TOTAL

TOTAL FIVE-YEAR COST: _________________________

E.11 52.212-2 EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021)

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

1) Technical

2) Past Performance

3) Price

Technical and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(End of Provision) ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014)

(a) Contract award will be made based on the solicitation response that represents the best value to the Government using a Contracting Officer’s Comparative Analysis. Since the Contracting Officer is considering price and other factors, the CO may award to other than the lowest-priced offer. The information below explains the evaluation approach:

The following factors will be considered by the Government to decide which offer represents the best value to the Government and is in compliance with the Statement of Work.

Factor 1: Technical Data - Contractor shall address how they plan to meet requirements of the subfactors.

Subfactors

a. All specimens must be transported in accordance with all Department of Transportation and OSHA Codes of Federal Regulations (CFR) 29 and 49.

Contractor must be a courier company with a state license and carry a minimum of $500,000 in liability insurance. All couriers transporting specimens under this contract must be bonded and carry cellular phones and pagers for communications purposes. Offerors must submit with their proposal with the following:

1. Proof of Insurance

2. Haz Mat License

b. Contractor shall provide a narrative/plan to maintain sample stability (time and temperature sensitive packages) while in transit to ensure samples are kept at the correct temperature, is delivered without delays (examples of what to include in the plan: a routing and scheduling plan, any materials that will be used in the delivery, type of vehicles that will be used, protocols for managing unexpected events, such as delays, accidents, or sample spoilage, to minimize impact on laboratory operations).

c. If Offeror intends to satisfy this requirement through use of a proposed subcontractor(s), Offeror must provide this information for each proposed subcontractor and Offeror must identify what work will be performed by each proposed subcontractor and what work will be performed by Offeror.

Factor 2: Past Performance

a. Contractor shall provide three references of past performance of the same or similar type of service within the last 3 years from date of solicitation (references shall be submitted with proposal).

b. Past performance will be assessed through checks in CPARS and FAPIIS as well as reviewing provided references. Lack of recent and relevant past performance that is similar in complexity and magnitude to this solicitation will be evaluated as neutral.

Factor 3: Price

a. The Price Proposal will be evaluated using the Price Schedule submitted by offerors. Price shall be evaluated for reasonableness. Price proposal shall adhere to the Cost per Reportable Result definition stated in the Statement of Work and include any and all packaging, shipping and delivery costs.

Comparative Analysis Process will consist of a direct comparison of all quotes received against each other for each of the above Factors.

(End of Document)