36C25926R0024 A0001.docx

Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

GENERAL INFORMATION

Network Contracting Office

NCO 19

6162 South Willow Drive, Suite 300 Greenwood Village CO 80111

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Officer Danielle Kramer danielle.kramer@va.gov 303-712-5725

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

500 Foothill Boulevard

Salt Lake City UT

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

660 Heart Transplant Lodging

Questions and Answers

Question 1: Do you know if there is any likelihood that this might eventually open up to all small business contractors? If so, would you be willing to let me know if/when this change takes place?

Government Response: The set-aside will not change for this solicitation as market research has shown the VA Rule of Two has been met requiring the solicitation to be a total SDVOSB set-aside. Any changes to the combined synopsis solicitation are posted via amendment.

Question 2: We see the titles and quantities are different, but locations and dates are the same. I want to inquire if these are the same contract or separate contract opportunities?

Government Response: 36C25926R0024 and 36C25926R0025 both support the SLCVAMC but have different requirements.

Question 3: In the Statement of Work, paragraph 6.3 states: ‘Rooms will offer two queen beds." Please confirm whether a pull-out sofa bed with a queen-size mattress may be counted as meeting the “two queen beds” requirement, or whether the VA requires two standard, permanent queen beds in the room.

Government Response: Pull-out Sofa bed does not meet the requirement of the statement of work.

Question 4: Room types and ADA accessibility: Does VA have expectations or minimums for specific room types (e.g., single king, double‑double, suites, kitchenette/extended‑stay rooms)?

Government Response: ADA rooms are expected to meet the same requirements as normal rooms. These requirements are listed in section 6 of the statement of work (SOW).

Question 5: Room types and ADA accessibility: What minimum number or percentage of ADA‑compliant rooms (mobility, hearing, and vision accessible) should be available in the contractor’s network, and are any particular features (e.g., roll‑in showers, grab bars, recliners) considered critical for LVAD/heart transplant patients? Should ADA rooms be prioritized or effectively reserved for VA patients when requested?

Government Response: There is not a minimum number or percentage of ADA compliant rooms. If an ADA compliant room is requested, then one needs to be provided.

Question 6: What is the typical advance notice VA currently provides for lodging requests (same day, 24–48 hours, one week, etc.), and what portion of bookings are urgent versus planned in advance?

Government Response: Refer to section 3 of the statement of work (SOW) for how reservations are made for this requirement.

Question 7: Does VA have a preferred cancellation/no‑show standard (e.g., no penalty up to 24 hours before check‑in, special handling for medically driven cancellations)?

Government Response: Refer to section 3 of the statement of work (SOW) for how reservations are made for this requirement.

Question 8: Are there meaningful differences between weekday and weekend demand, and can VA share any general patterns (e.g., heavier check‑ins on specific days tied to procedure schedules)?

Government Response: There are no general patterns as reservations are based on Veterans’ need and medical conditions.

Question 9: Monthly/seasonal demand and ordering trends: Can VA provide historical monthly room‑night usage (at least the past 12–24 months) for LVAD and heart transplant lodging near Salt Lake City?

Government Response: The current monthly average is 257 nights.

Question 10: Are there known seasonal trends or anticipated program changes that could materially increase or decrease demand over the contract term?

Government Response: There are no seasonal trends or anticipated program changes at this time.

Question 11: Incumbent and prior contract context: Is there a current or recent incumbent performing this requirement, and if so, what is the contract number?

Government Response: Services are currently being performed under BPA 36C25920A0022 awarded to ARROWHEAD REALTY, LLC.

Question 12: Are there key lessons learned or performance challenges from the incumbent/prior contract that VA would like offerors to address (e.g., availability, billing, patient experience)?

Government Response: There are no issues with the incumbent.

Question 13: Are the estimated quantities and requirements in this RFQ materially different from the prior contract?

Government Response: Estimated quantities are based on historical usage. Requirements are not materially different than prior requirement.

Question 14: Invoicing and documentation: Are discount terms considered for payment and does VA allows weekly invoicing?

Government Response: Net30 is the discount terms. Invoices will be submitted within the first 10 days of the following month and paid in arrears. Weekly invoices will not be considered.

Question 15: Transportation and shuttle services: Does VA require the contractor to provide or coordinate transportation (e.g., shuttle) between hotels and VASLCHCS, or is this outside the scope of this requirement?

Government Response: Shuttle service/transportation is required to be provided per section 5.2, 5.4, and 5.5 of the statement of work. How the Contractor fulfils the requirement is up to them.

Question 16: If transportation is desired, are hotel shuttles, a dedicated contractor shuttle, or ride‑share/taxi vouchers acceptable, and should any related costs be included in the lodging rate or priced separately?

Government Response: Pricing is all inclusive of all requirements of the statement of work (SOW).

Question 17: GSA per diem pricing expectations: Does VA expect proposed lodging rates to be at or below the applicable GSA CONUS per diem for Salt Lake City, or will offers above per diem be considered if justified (e.g., for proximity, accessibility, monthly price fluctuations and or specialized services)?

Government Response: GSA per diem pricing does not apply to the requirement as pricing is all inclusive of all requirements of the statement of work (SOW).

Question 18: Would it be possible for each guest to provide their own credit card at check-in to cover any potential incidentals? If not, how will incidentals be covered?

Government Response: No, Guest will not be providing credit card at check-in. If any potential incidents occur, the Contractor will work with the hotel to determine the total value of the damages. The Contractor will then invoice separately for those damages.

Question 19: Can you tell us the length of stay for each person?

Government Response: Every Veteran will have a different length of stay. The Contractor works with the COR to schedule rooms for authorized individuals at the hotel. The VA will only be paying for rooms while an authorized individual is staying at the hotel.

Question 20: What happens if the hotel ends up being fully booked?

Government Response: The Contractor will be responsible for locating an alternative hotel that meets all requirements of the statement of work for the same rate of the order.

Question 21: Would a sofa bed work to meet the two-bed requirement?

Government Response: Pull-out Sofa bed does not meet the requirement of the statement of work. This is due to the potential length of stay being weeks to months standard beds are required.

Question 22: Historically, what has been the average number of rooms actually occupied on a weekly basis?

Government Response: An average of 28 rooms a week.

Question 23: Would it be possible to limit shuttle service from the hotel-to-VASLCHCS? Many hotel properties don’t have shuttle permits to enter the airport.

Government Response: Transport to and from the Airport is required. Scheduled trips to and from the hotel and the VA are required and cannot be decreased.

Question 24: Hotels are typically unable to accommodate same-day cancellations at 4:00 PM. Would you be open to adjusting this to a 24-hour cancellation policy?

Government Response: No, this requirement cannot be changed.

Question 25: Historically, about how many veterans require shuttle service daily, and how many of those typically require ADA-compliant transportation?

Government Response: It’s fluid and hard to pin down to an exact number because not everyone at the hotel is without a vehicle. A guess would be an average of 4 a day.

Question 26: On average, how many cancellations or no-shows were experienced under the previous contract? In the event of no-shows, would those rooms be reimbursed?

Government Response: 68 since 1/31/2023. No-shows are billed for 1 hotel night and are not reflected in the cancellation number.

Question 27: Will the contracting office be able to provide a tax-exempt certificate during the solicitation process?

Government Response: Tax-exemption forms can only be provided after the award is made.

Question 28: How far in advance will the reservation list typically be sent to the contractor?

Government Response: There is no list to be provided. Reservations are completed in accordance with section 3 of the statement of work (SOW).

Dates listed in Section I and XIV are hereby updated to no later than 16:00pm MT, February 10, 2026.

No additional questions will be answered.

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Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation