36C26120R0029 0009.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 NUMBERE

D 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 amendmen t, 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) 12-03-2020 n/a Department of Veterans Affairs VA Sierra Pacific Network (VISN 21) VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System 975 Kirman Avenue Reno NV 89502-2597 Department of Veterans Affairs VA Sierra Pacific Network (VISN 21) VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System 975 Kirman Avenue Reno NV 89502-2597 To all Offerors/Bidders

36C26120R0029 12-03-2020

X X X

The purpose of this amendment is to:

a) Answer RFIs #23 through #37.

b) Attach the revised performance work statement which removes the requirement of a compact disc for invoicing. This PWS will not show the removal of the disc as highlighted, however, the changes that were made in the PWS from November are being carried forward to the latest PWS.

Nicholas Kluch Contracting Officer RFI #23: Will the Government consider changing the requirements in the solicitation from “calendar” days to “business” days? Doing so will ensure the contractor is not held accountable for delays when the VA itself is closed, including on Federal Holidays. As such, in some circumstances, the contractor will not be able to meet contractual standards through no fault of its own.

Answer: The wording will stay at calendar days.

RFI #24: In order for offerors to have equitable conditions, and meet the staffing requirements of the solicitation (including but not limited to paragraphs 2.5 and 8), please provide the following information:

· Please confirm that mandatory VA trainings can be completed during business hours, and the optical shop is allowed to close during these time periods.

Answer: All VA Initial training must be completed prior to employment. Refresher training may be completed on VA time. Refresher training dates that require optical shop closure require COR approval.

· Do any optical shops require weekend hours currently?

Answer: No.

· Please confirm that the optical shops do not currently require weekend hours, but those may be added in the future?

Answer: Yes.

· Please confirm that material changes to the work statement, or other contractual requirements, such as optical shop hours, will be negotiated through a bilateral contract modification.

Answer: Yes, if there are material changes, they will be negotiated with the Contracting Officer as a bilateral modification.

RFI #25: P9. Section 5.1 mentions “Glass ophthalmic lenses shall be chemically strengthened for impact resistance.” Please confirm that glass lenses can be heat strengthened for impact resistance (as an alternative to chemically strengthened), as this method is also approved by the FDA.

Answer: Yes.

RFI #26: P11. Section 7 mentions no retail sales are allowed. Will the Government consider allowing retail sales, as this VISN has allowed them for over 20 years? Allowing retail will also likely give the successful awardee flexibility with staffing to ensure compliance with the two-hour coverage window, as well as Saturday coverage.

Answer: The Government will not allow retail sales for this contract.

RFI #27: P16. Section 10.3 mentions that the VA will provide computers. Please confirm that the contractor can use these computers for entering orders.

Answer: Confirmed.

· If not can we provide our own computers for entering orders?

Answer: Yes - If vendor uses their own computers, they won’t have access to the VA network.

RFI #28: P18 Section 12.1A mentions “No later than 10 calendar days after each month, the contractor shall submit an electronically encrypted invoice via email and compact disk for all optician services provided the previous month for payment processing.” We suggest changing the requirement to the tenth business day, and to remove the requirement for compact disks.

Answer: Yes, ok to remove compact disk. No, we want to keep 10th calendar day.

RFI #29: Will the Government add a separate CLIN (under “Special Lenses / Add-Ons”) to the price schedule for scratch coating? (Reference PWS paragraph 5.1).

Answer: The Government will not add a separate CLIN.

i. Scratch coating on all glasses is not a common commercial expectation. It is likely in the interest of the stakeholders to decide when scratch coating is preferable, on a case-by-case basis.

Answer: Government is requiring scratch coating on all lenses.

RFI #30: Can you confirm which bifocal and trifocal lens type is included in the applicable CLINs in the price schedule?

Answer: Lens definitions are in Paragraph 5.2 of PWS. The Government will not be making this change.

RFI #31: If VA directly or indirectly requires the contractor to work extended optical shop hours (including weekday overtime and weekends), how will the contractor include those costs on the monthly invoice? Please see PWS paragraph 12.1C.

Answer: The Government shouldn’t directly or indirectly require the contractor to work more than 40 hours per week without negotiations and a bilateral contract modification.

RFI #32: Can the Government clarify which optician CLINs apply to which staffing locations in the work statement?

Answer: Paragraph 2.5 defines location requirements.

RFI #33: QASP:

Answer: There are only 12 reports annually. Functionally 95% is no different from 100%. Keep 100%.

c. Timeliness and Accuracy of Billing.

Answer: There are only 12 reports annually. Functionally 95% is no different from 100%. Keep 100%

d. Timeliness of Quality Assurance Report (Quarterly) submission and Quarterly Contract Utilization Report.

Answer: This is 8 reports per year. Functionally 95% is no different from 100%. Keep 100%.

RFI #34: Amend 7 RFI 10. Regarding this question/answer: “ P13. Section 9.1c. mentions “Contact no-show beneficiaries to determine if the beneficiaries will be obtaining eyeglasses through the VA Optical Shop. Advise the facility Clinical COR when a beneficiary declines services and annotate contact with veteran on the consult in the VA Vista System.” Please provide details on how this process will work. Specifically address how the contractor staff will determine a patient is a “no-show,” since the standard operating procedure for optical shop visits is on a walk-in basis.

Answer: Opticians will be provided with a list of Veterans who need to be called. We are defining no-show in this case as Veterans with prescriptions who did not present to the optical shop on the day they received the prescription. The opticians will call the Veterans on the list, within 3 calendar days of receiving a list of Veterans who need to be called.”

· Will the VA change the requirement to 3 business days? As written, a list received on Friday would have to be completed same day, in most circumstances.

Answer: Agree with change to 3 business days.

· In order to meet these requirements, single optician shops will have to close for a period of time each day, during business hours. Please confirm.

Answer: Single optician shops should make calls during business hours, possibly first thing in the morning or when the Optometry Clinic is closed for an hour lunch break. If this becomes an issue, this can be discussed at a future time.

RFI #35: In new PWS dated 11/19/2020, total number of the frames required are 80, as stated below:

“A total of eighty (80) must be submitted with your technical proposal consisting of thirty (30) men’s, thirty (30) women’s, twenty (20) unisex and consist of both metal and plastic styles. Should more than the requested frames be submitted for evaluation, only the first thirty (30) frames each for the men’s and women’s category and the first twenty (20) for the unisex category will be evaluated”.

However, after adding short bows for men and women, total becomes 86. Could you please specify where to add the short bow frames?

Answer: They can be included in the sample of metal or plastic frames. See excerpt from PWS below. The frames can be included as part of the frames submitted under b (i) (ii) and c (i), (ii).

6.3 Frame Samples:

RFI #36: How many titanium frames are purchased per year for men each and women each?

Answer: We don’t have this information readily available.

RFI #37: Will CPARS be used to evaluate the past performance of all offeror's?

Answer: The determination has been made to not have past performance as an evaluation factor, therefore, CPARS will not be used to evaluate the past performance of all offerors. Past performance/CPARS will be used for the responsibility determination for the successful offeror only as required by FAR 9.104-1.

ATTACHMENTS:

See attached document: Eyeglass_PWS NC.CC.SF 12.3.2020.