36C26224Q1453.docx

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS

Department of Veterans Affairs NCO 22 - Network Contracting 3601 S. 6th Avenue Tucson AZ 85723

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Specialist Koby Thiel Koby.Thiel@va.gov (520)-792-1450 Ext 1-6273

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

ADDRESS

Department of Veterans Affairs

NCO 22 - Network Contracting

3601 S. 6th Avenue

Tucson AZ

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. Responses to this sources sought must be in writing. The purpose of this sources sought announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, 8(a), HubZone and other Small Businesses interested and capable of providing the services described below. Documentation of technical expertise must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. Responses to this notice shall include the following: (a) company name (b) address (c) point of contact (d) phone, fax, and email (e) Unique Entity ID (f) Cage Code (g) Tax ID Number (h) Type of small business, e.g. Services Disabled Veteran Owned small Business, Veteran-owned small business, 8(a), HUBZone, Women Owned Small Business, Small disadvantaged business, or Small Business HUBZone business and (i) must provide a capability statement that addresses the organizations qualifications and ability to perform as a contractor for the work described below.

The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) located at 3601 S. 6th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85723 is seeking a potential qualified contractor that can provide trash and recycling services. All respondents to be considered capable must provide evidence of being able to perform this and similar requirements at this size via past performance and capabilities.

Important information: The Government is not obligated to nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this sources sought synopsis request. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. The VA is mandated by Public Law 109-461 to consider a total set-aside for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business set aside. However, if response by Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms proves inadequate, an alternate set-aside or full and open competition may be determined. No sub-contracting opportunity is anticipated. The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 562111 ($47 Million Dollars).

Notice to potential offerors: All offerors who provide goods or services to the United States Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov. Additionally, all Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses or Veteran Owned Businesses who respond to a solicitation on this project must be registered with the SBA Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) Registry located at https://veterans.certify.sba.gov. All interested Offerors should submit information by e-mail to Koby.Thiel@va.gov. All information submissions to be marked Attn: Koby Thiel, Contract Specialist and should be received no later than 8:00 AM PST on July 17, 2024.

D.1 DRAFT PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Title: General Trash/Garbage Collection, Recycling, and Hauling services. (SAVAHCS)

DESCRIPTION: Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, containers, supplies, transportation, and facilities necessary to perform refuse and recycling collection and disposal services for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, Tucson, AZ. All services are to be performed in accordance with standard industry practices and quality control measures.

Services are required daily Monday - Saturday. SAVAHCS is required to provide 24-hour support operations essential to patient care and contractor services shall be performed accordingly to support SAVAHCS operations.

CONTRACTOR COLLECTION HOURS: Collection schedule shall be coordinated with the Contracting Officers Representative (COR) or designee at SAVAHCS.

ESTIMATED QUANTITIES: Historical data is provided in Section 4. However, it is impossible to determine the exact quantities during the contract term. The offeror whose proposal is accepted will be required to provide all services during the contract term.

CONTRACT AWARD: The Government contemplates award of a Firm Fixed-Price Contract resulting from this solicitation. Contract will be for base plus four (4) years.

SECTION 1 - GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 Scope of Work

All work shall be in accordance with practices established by Federal, State, and local regulations and accepted industry standards.

Documents applicable to the PWS are listed below. These documents are mandatory. At the start of the contract, the Government shall provide one copy of all mandatory regulations, manuals and specifications listed below to the Contractor. Supplements and amendments thereto, shall be updated and shall be in full force and effective immediately upon receipt by the Contractor. The policies and procedures of mandatory directives shall be adhered to always. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure that all mandatory publications are adhered to and up to date:

1.1.1. VHA Directive 1850.06, Waste Management Program

1.1.2. 40 CFR Parts 240-258, Municipal solid waste

1.1.3. Any change of function by the Government, which may affect this contract as contemplated by this paragraph, and which requires permanent adjustments in frequency or type of performance, shall be coordinated with the and Contracting Officer (CO) prior to initiation of such a change to assure adequate contractual coverage.

1.1.4. Any items found to have been unsatisfactorily collected according to performance standards established in Section 5, shall be re-collected at no additional cost to the Government. Such items shall be identified, for contractor recognition, by the COR or designee as soon as the condition is discovered. Re-collection will be identified separately and not charged to the Government.

1.1.5. Scheduled services are to be accomplished subject to urgent situations, which may require alteration of schedules. During an urgent situation - from the time of notification, the contractor must be at SAVAHCS as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours from notification from the Contracting Officer, COR or designee that an operated general trash/garbage collection and recycle hauling problem exists, and additional attention is required.

1.2. Supervision by Contractor:

1.2.1. The Contractor shall provide a point of contact and a designated alternate who is on-call after normal duty hours. The CO and COR or designee must be provided with the contact info where the point of contacts can be reached during normal business hours and off duty hours within 15 days after award. The same information will be provided for an alternate when the manager is not available.

1.2.2. The Contractor is responsible for the effective implementation of their Quality Control program and shall be responsive to the requirements of the Government’s Quality Assurance Plan conducted by the COR.

1.2.3. Training:

1.2.3.1. Contractor must ensure personnel are trained, compliant and qualified in the accordance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Department of Transportation (DOT), VA, and VHA requirements (VHA Directive 1850.06, Waste Management Program).

1.2.3.2. Safety or protective clothing or equipment shall be provided and maintained by the contractor at the Contractor’s own expense.

1.2.3.3. Personal Hygiene. Contractor personnel shall be clean and neat in appearance.

1.2.3.3.1. The contractor will be responsible for any physical examinations and emergency medical care of personnel.

1.2.3.3.2. Contractor’s personnel who acquire a communicable illness must not perform service under the contract and must be free of illness before returning to work.

1.3. Quality Control and Quality Assurance for Contract Service:

1.3.1. Quality Control. The Contractor shall have a Quality Control program to assure that the requirements of the contract are provided as specified. One copy of the Contractor’s basic Quality Control Program shall be available for review by the COR or designee. Subsequent changes to the approved Quality Control Program must also be reviewed and approved by the COR or designee. The program shall include, but not be limited to the following:

1.3.1.1. An inspection system covering the performance indicators given in Section 5, of the Quality Assurance/Performance Requirements summary.

1.3.1.2. A method for identifying deficiencies in the quality of services performed before the level of performance becomes unacceptable.

1.3.1.3. A file of all quality control inspections, inspection results, and any corrective action required shall be maintained by the Contractor throughout the duration of this contract. This file shall be the property of the Government and shall be available to the COR and Co-COR during normal working hours. The file shall be turned over to the Government within 14 days of completion of termination of the contract.

1.3.2. Quality Assurance. The Government will monitor the Contractor’s performance under this contract using the Quality Assurance Procedures outlined in Section 5. Assessments may be made monthly by the Government in accordance with stated limits on discrepancies.

1.4. Performance Evaluation Meetings:

1.4.1. Contractor’s point of contact shall meet with the COR or designee quarterly, unless more often is deemed necessary by the COR or designee.

1.4.2. A mutual effort will be made to resolve all problems identified. The COR or designee will prepare written minutes of these meetings.

1.5. Correspondence. All correspondence relative to this contract shall bear the VA contract number, title, and name of the VA medical center, and shall be addressed to the COR or designee with a copy to the CO.

1.6. Damage and Equipment loss:

1.6.1. All tasks accomplished by Contractor’s personnel shall be performed to preclude damage or disfigurement of Government-owned furnishings, fixtures, equipment, and architectural or building structures. The Contractor shall verbally report immediately to the COR or designee, any damage or disfigurement to these items when caused by Contractor’s personnel.

1.6.2. Any damage caused to Government property during the Contractor’s performance of work under the contract shall be repaired or replaced to preexisting conditions at Contractor’s own expense.

1.7. Refuse collection and recycling service:

1.7.1. Provide refuse and recycling collection and disposal services to SAVAHCS at 3601 S. 6th Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85723. SAVAHCS has an estimated 116 acres with approximately 978,919 square feet of building space.

1.7.2. Collection Requirements:

1.7.2.1. Routes/Schedules Submittals. The Contractor is responsible for establishing vehicle routes and collection schedules to meet the pick-up frequency indicated. Routes and schedules must be submitted to the COR and must be approved prior to the Contractor starting work.

1.7.2.2. Unscheduled Collections. The contracting officer may require the contractor to make unscheduled collections, disposals, and relocation of containers based on revised requirements. The contractor will respond within 24 hours of notification. These unscheduled services shall fall under additional pickups with cost being pro-rated based on size of container(s) and number of pick-ups.

1.7.2.3. Inclement Weather Schedule. The Contractor is responsible for collecting non-hazardous waste and recyclable material during periods of inclement weather. Upon contractor request, in cases of severe weather, the COR may authorize exceptions; however, when exceptions are granted, the Contractor is responsible for making up all missed collections within 24 hours after the severe weather has terminated, unless the COR authorizes additional time.

1.7.2.4. Interrupted Collections. Contractor is to provide a documented back-up plan in the event circumstances disrupts their ability to provide pick-up services. Service shall be provided within 24 hours of a failure to meet scheduled pick-up times.

1.7.2.5. Points of Collection. The contractor shall position bulk containers and compactors for customer ease in depositing non-hazardous waste and recyclables. Contractor shall ensure they position containers to minimize interference with adjacent parking areas, sidewalks, roadways, overhead utilities, trees, and other potential obstructions. After the initial set-up, it may be necessary during the term of the contract to reposition these containers (at no cost to the government) from time to time to conform to local environmental changes.

1.7.2.6. Disposal. The contractor shall transport and dispose of all solid waste at a licensed off-base disposal site selected by the contractor. Disposal shall be in accordance with existing local, state, and federal regulations. The contractor shall be responsible for any permits or fees associated with the use of off-base disposal locations. Recyclable materials will be handled appropriately. Any specific restrictions as to types of products which may be recycled shall be clearly identified on the contractor’s supplied containers.

1.7.2.7. Maintaining Collection Area. The contractor shall return the containers to their original location after servicing, in an upright position with the lids securely in place (closed). The contractor will also be responsible for immediately cleaning up any spills, debris, etc., which may occur during servicing of containers. All non-hazardous waste on the ground within ten feet of the container spilled by the contractor will be picked up by the contractor during collection.

1.8. Phase-out Plan. The Contractor shall have a phase out plan. This plan shall describe the Contractor’s methods and procedures to ensure smooth and uninterrupted service at contract expiration date for a period not to exceed 90 days. The Contractor shall fully cooperate with the successor Contractor and the Government so as not to interfere with their work or duties.

1.9. Circumstances to be reported. The Contractor shall report any circumstances, which may affect the performance of the work and unhealthy or hazardous conditions or any delays or interference with work. Such reports shall be made immediately upon discovery by the Contractor to the COR or designee by phone and a follow- up email.

SECTION 2 - GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY AND SERVICES

2.1 Materials:

2.1.1 The Government will provide forms, publications and services specifically identified in this contract as Government furnished.

2.1.2 The Government will provide facility passes for Contractor’s employees as necessary to fulfill provisions of this contract.

SECTION 3 - CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS

3.1 Materials:

3.1.1 Materials. Contractor shall furnish all materials necessary to perform the tasks specified in the PWS.

3.1.2 Vehicles. The Contractor shall provide all required vehicles, vehicle fuels, lubricants, and repairs necessary to perform services under this contract. All vehicles to be used under this contract must be maintained in a safe and serviceable condition during the duration of the contract. In addition, the vehicles must be kept clean (exterior and interior) with no unsightly residue of dirt, mud, trash, and other debris. Contractor shall not be relieved of his contract responsibilities due to vehicle breakdown or failure of vehicles to operate.

3.1.3 Containers. The Contractor shall provide Government-Approved Containers for refuse collection in the sizes and areas as indicated in the Task Frequency List (See Section 4). Separate containers shall be designated for non-hazardous waste and recycling. SAVAHCS may add/delete containers on a pro-rated basis related to the size of the container.

All containers must remain in good, workable condition, are free from unpleasant odors, dirt, debris, and pests, and remain easily accessible to customers. The contractor shall perform all cleaning, painting, repair and other maintenance tasks off the SAVAHCS work site. Containers should be inspected by contractor quarterly for condition/safety and replaced if not in accordance to above.

3.1.4 Reports and Data. The Contractor shall provide, in writing, to the COR or designee the data and reports identified in Section 4.

SECTION 4 - SPECIFIC TASKS

4.1 Collection.

4.1.1 The contractor shall be knowledgeable of trash/garbage and recycle hauling and shall include all processes necessary for removal of all trash/garbage as well as performing recycling material hauling services at the SAVAHCS. This is an all-encompassing requirement.

4.1.2 All charges, to include dump associated fees, shall be included in the monthly contract price.

4.1.3 The size and location of waste receptacles and required pick-up schedule is identified in the Task and Frequency Chart. Contractor shall thoroughly review the specifications and become familiar with the area of coverage. Failure to understand the contract requirements shall not relieve the contractor from performing in accordance with the strict meaning and intent of the specifications.

4.1.4 The SAVAHCS may add/delete containers or schedule additional pick-ups at any location on a pro-rated basis related to the size of container and the number of additional pickups.

4.2 Refuse & Recycling Report. The contractor is responsible for providing monthly reports detailing the total poundage of non-hazardous waste and recyclable items collected. This shall include all products which the contractor removes from the SAVAHCS campus.

4.3 Invoices. The contractor shall provide monthly reports and invoices detailing total weight of specific recyclable materials collected. Invoice total shall represent the total monthly trash/garbage charges minus the recycling credit amount.

4.4 Task frequency. All services related to the collection of refuse and recyclable collection and disposal for these areas will be paid as part of the monthly base costs. All locations on the premises will be inspected and collected as needed to the satisfaction of the COR or designee (entire list attached below).

Task Frequency List

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