Optometry Solicitation Responses Combined 11.18.2020.docx

RFI #5: Contract requires various types of frames made of different materials i.e. titanium, stainless steel, nylon, zyl, memory metals. Since they all differ prices, what would be the best way to submit the proposal? Please advise how you would like to see the proposal.

Answer: A mixture of different frame materials should be offered in each set including some that are titanium (lighter and less likely to cause allergy). Frame set should include a good variety of frames due to different preferences and needs are required for patients.

RFI #6: Acrylic is commonly used for ‘demo lenses’, not as frames. Are you referring to ‘Transparent glassy’ frames? If not, could you please specify PWS Paragraph 6.3 c.

Answer: The type of plastic that makes of the frame is not of high importance as long as the frame meets industry durability and stability standards. We do, however, agree that acrylic is not a common material used for frames. Frames should be made to industry standard ANSI Z80.5.

RFI #7: Please confirm contractor optical shops with only one required optician will be allowed to close for mandatory break periods, including lunch. Yes, they can close the shop for the 30-minute lunch and two 10 minute break periods for an 8 hour shift. Sites with more than one optician can stagger lunches and breaks.

Answer: Agree with above.

RFI #8: 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 the current contractor staffing levels at each location listed in paragraph 2.5, page 7.

Answer: Paragraph 2.5 is correct except for Reno. Address for Reno clinic is as follow:

2295 Kietzke Lane, Reno, NV 89511. 1 optician is required

· Please provide the maximum occupancy for each contractor optical shop, in accordance with ADA and HIPAA requirements. Occupancy information is required in order for offerors to plan to meet the VA’s optical shop hours and coverage requirements.

How many patients and staff can fit in the optical shop when ADA and HIPAA are taken into account? Do not include COVID restrictions.

Answer: VA Central California HCS – breakout by location including CBOCs

· Fresno – 3 staff and 3 patients

· Oakhurst – 1 staff and 1 patient

· Merced – 1 staff and 1 patient

· Tulare – 1 staff and 1 patient VA San Francisco HCS

· If the optical shop in San Francisco will be placed in Veteran Experience Area, we would request that the shop be of the size to accommodate 2 patients and 2 staff.

· The Santa Rosa CBOC, Ukiah CBOC, and Eureka CBOC optical shops should accommodate 1 patient and 1 staff VA Sierra Nevada HCS

· 1 optician and 1 patient (possibly 1 other person accompanying patient if necessary). Optical shop is very small VA Northern California HCS

· Redding – 1 patient/ 1 optician

· Chico – 1 patient / 1 optician

· McClellan – 1 patient/ 1 optician

· Mather – 2 patients / 2 opticians

· Martinez – 2 patients / 2 opticians

· Oakland – 1 patient / 1 optician

· Please confirm contractor optical shops with only one required optician will be allowed to close for mandatory break periods, including lunch.

Answer: Yes, they can close the shop for the 30-minute lunch and two 10 minute break periods for an 8 hour shift. Sites with more than one optician can stagger lunches and breaks.

RFI #9: P10. Section 5.1 discusses Progressive lenses. Please confirm if or equal brands can be provided? Also, if there are specific attributes that the brands listed contain, please specify what those attributes are.

Answer: Yes, Equal brands can be provided. There are no special attributes.

RFI #10: 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.

RFI #11: Price / Cost Schedule:

· Please confirm for the Reno excel sheet the quantities of all CLINS on order period 2.

Answer: Quantities have been revised.

· Please confirm the quantity for CLIN 3005AV Balanced, on Reno excel sheet order period 3.

Answer: Quantity has been added.

· Please clarify the definition of Hi-Index lenses for this solicitation, specifically, please confirm the index of refraction for Hi-Index lenses.

Answer: High Index is between 1.53 and 1.74. The default or standard-level hi-index material is 1.56 (Polycarb).

· Can you confirm which bifocal and trifocal lens type is included in the applicable CLINs in the price schedule?

Answer: FT-28 is acceptable as base bifocal and trifocal.

RFI #12: The Metal frame material “Beryllium” listed in section 6.3(c) of the bid and elsewhere in the document is not a standard commercially available material in which eyewear frames are manufactured. Our frame vendors have consulted over 10 manufacturing labs making metals for eyewear frames and none use beryllium, and most have not heard of the metal at all. Please specify further what is meant by Beryllium material frames; or, failing that, what materials would make acceptable substitutes?

Answer: Beryllium is a steel-gray metal and is an alternative to titanium eyewear. Beryllium is lightweight and durable. Titanium is an acceptable substitute.

RFI #13: The Plastic frame material “xyl” listed in section 6.3(c) of the bid and elsewhere in the document is commonly understood to be the same material as “zyl,” just an alternate spelling of the same material. Please specify further what is meant by “xyl” that makes it different than the also-listed “High Quality Zyl”, or what material would make an acceptable substitute if indeed a material other than High Quality Zyl is expected for the “xyl” requirement.

Answer: “Zyl” is the correct spelling and it stands for zylonite. Zyl is very cost-effective and lightweight and come in many different colors.

RFI #14: The Plastic frame material “High Quality Acrylic” listed in section 6.3(c) of the bid and elsewhere in the document is not a standard commercially available material in which eyewear frames are commonly manufactured. Plastic demonstration lenses that go inside a frame sample may be made in acrylic, display stands for eyeglasses, or some very low quality off-the-shelf sunglass frames may be manufactured in Acrylic, but no common prescription-ready eyewear frames are available in an acrylic material. Please specify further what is meant by High Quality Acrylic material frames; or, failing that, what materials would make acceptable substitutes?

Answer: The type of plastic that makes of the frame is not of high importance as long as the frame meets industry durability and stability standards. Therefore, any high-quality plastic material would be acceptable. Frames should be made to industry standard ANSI Z80.5.

Acrylic is not typically used for plastic frames, Zyl is more common. Nylon-based products are good because they are hypoallergic.

RFI# 15: Men’s, Women’s and Unisex metal styles one spring hinge and one non-spring hinge example of each frame material listed in section 6.3(c) must be provided. Memory Metal frames are not commonly available with spring hinges, as the memory metal temple acts as a flexible temple in place of the spring hinge. Please confirm that for instances where a memory metal frame is marked as a requirement with a spring hinge, that a full memory metal frame with regular hinges is acceptable.

Answer: Full memory metal frame with regular hinge is acceptable. The memory metal within the temple should provide adequate flex to eliminate the need for the spring hinge.

RFI #16: Please confirm the address to send the frame samples to is 975 Kirman Ave. Reno, NV 89502.

Answer: We are not requesting physical samples to be submitted. We are requesting catalog information/descriptions/pictures of the eyeglasses being proposed. IAW the revised evaluation factors, for each frame submitted, provide the model number, material (metal or plastic) and color. If applicable, indicate if the frame has a spring hinge and/or adjustable nosepiece.

RFI #17: Please confirm if the following clauses should be included:

Answer: The determination has been made that the service contract act is not applicable for this solicitation/contract as the principal purpose is eyeglasses/supplies.

RFI #18:

· Section 6.3(a) states that a total of eighty (80) frames will be submitted with technical proposals, consisting of thirty (30) men’s, thirty (30) women’s, and twenty (20) unisex styles. Please confirm if these numbers are a minimum, or if all proposals must include exactly 80 frame styles with exactly 30 men’s, exactly 30 women’s, and exactly 20 unisex.

Answer: The evaluation factors and PWS have been revised. 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.

· What is considered a large frame size?

Answer: Sizes 54 to 60. The PWS and evaluation factors have been revised accordingly.

· Section 6.3(c) states that “frames shall utilize materials of a quality equivalent to the following:

Metals – Titanium, Stainless Steel, Memory Metal, Beryllium, and high quality monel.

Plastic – High quality zyl, xyl, nylon and high quality acrylic.”

However, the Frame Kit breakdown on pages 77-79 does not state that materials of a quality equivalent can be used for the frame samples sent. Please confirm that the frame materials above can be substituted with like materials and that those substitutions can be applied to the frame samples submitted, or if the language stating that materials of an equivalent quality instead is meant to imply MORE can be supplied, but the listed materials MUST be supplied.

Answer: A quality equivalent can be supplied.

RFI #19: Pages 77-79 of the bid document state that “The proposal shall be catalog(s)/descriptive literature of frames the offeror will utilize under the contract. Each frame shall be a unique style including plastic, metal, semi-rimless/halftop, and safety frames in a variety of colors, to allow for different eye sizes, bridge sizes, temples, etc. The frame kit must contain 80 frames of the following…”

Please confirm that a kit of physical frame samples is required to be sent with each proposal, or if the proposal including only catalog(s)/descriptive literature is sufficient and no physical samples are required.

Answer: For proposal purposes, do not send physical samples. We are only requiring catalog(s)/descriptive literature only. For each frame submitted, provide the model number, material (metal or plastic) and color. If applicable indicate if the frame has spring hinges and/or adjustable nosepiece.

RFI #20: Pages 77-79 of the bid document outline Metal frame mix and Plastic frame mix requirements for Men, Women and Unisex frames. The bid states “Minimum of 3 large frame sizes for men’s frames (above size 58); Minimum of 3 large frame sizes for women’s frames (above size 58); Minimum of 1 large frame size for Unisex frames (above size 58)” and lists this requirement under both the metal and plastic mix sections.

Please clarify whether 3 men’s/ metal frames plus 3 men’s plastic frames are required to be above size 58, for a total of 6 men’s frames above 58, and likewise for the women’s and unisex requirements, or if only 3 men’s, 3 women’s and 1 unisex total will be required in sizes above 58 (which are particularly large and an outsized percentage for such a limited frame collection).

Answer: The PWS and evaluation factors have been revised.

RFI #21: Pages 77-79 of the bid document outline minimum quantities necessary for each category in the 80 piece frame collection specified. The unisex plastics frames mix seems to have a minimum of 10, where only 8 types are specified. Please confirm that, like the men’s plastic and women’s plastic minimums, Unisex also has an 8 frame minimum based on the breakdown provided.

Answer: The PWS and evaluation factors have been revised

RFI #22: Pages 77-79 of the bid document outline minimum quantities necessary for each category in the 80 piece frame collection specified. However, the Unisex requirements add up to higher than the total 20 unisex frames allowed in the collection.

Please confirm that the semi-rimless, safety frame and large frame size requirements can be “stacked” with the material breakdowns mentioned in the Metal or Plastic frame mix requirements, or if the semi-rimless, safety and large frame requirements are expected to be separate for Unisex.

Answer: The PWS and evaluation factors have been revised.