36C26320Q0360-0001000.pdf

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)

1 4

0001 04-10-2020

N/A

Department of Veterans Affairs

NETWORK 23 CONTRACTING OFFICE

2501 W. 22nd St.

Sioux Falls SD 57105

John Becker, 605-336-3230 ext 7960

Department of Veterans Affairs

NETWORK 23 CONTRACTING OFFICE

2501 W. 22nd St.

Sioux Falls SD 57105

To all Offerors/Bidders

36C26320Q0360

04-10-2020

X

X X

APRIL 14, 2020, 11:59 PM EST

X one (1)

The purpose of this Solicitation Amendment is to respond to Solicitation Questions. The due date/time remains unchanged.

Offerors to acknowledge of the Amendment either by including this document with offer or acknowledging the Amendment on the Offer document referencing Amendment A0001.

Questions and responses are listed on subsequent pages of this Amendment.

Summary of Amendment changes:

Performance Work Revision, Technical Factor Revisions, Price/Cost Schedule Correction

John Becker

Contracting Officer

VA-VHA-2019-95FFC7A6

SOLICITATION QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES

1. Technical Factor 1: Would you accept CEH's from our program, or another internal program, in place of the IHEA program? We'd be happy to provide our training program and/or certificates for your review.

GOV Response: The requirement for IHEA Certified Executive Housekeepers (CEH) is

REMOVED. Firms will provide documentation or statement that the firm has its own bona fide Executive Housekeeping Training Program for which they train their housekeepers performing at Hospitals and/or medical facilities. A statement or information that clearly affirms that the offeror’s firm provides training to their employees.

2. Technical Factor 4: Page 17, para 11: Background checks by the Contractor. Usually this is done by the VA Police. Also, fingerprinting is usually done by the VA Police. This all takes some time in our experience, which is outside of our control. In certain cases, temporary badges are issued while we have appointments made for fingerprinting then to wait on the

VA Police to issue results and then for PIV or Non-PIV badges to be issued.

GOV Response: The Contractor will NOT conduct the background checks; the VA will provide the necessary forms/documentation and will initiate the National Agency Check

(NAC) investigation. Contract employees will be required to provide fingerprints at the nearest VA facility. Contract employees will provide fingerprints at the nearest VA facility.

The VA will utilize government employee ‘escorting’ until contract employees obtain a non-

PIV badge. This process will not be accomplished unless an official BPA order is issued.

3. Page 17, 5.3 Safety Training Requirements: This references California Labor Law.

GOV Response: Any reference to California Labor Law is REMOVED. The location of VA facilities in VISN 23 is; Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa.

4. Page 19, 5.5 Contractor Training, para 2: Some of these areas are facility specific for which we would have no way to train employees on. If facility specific policies and procedures are required to be trained by our staff to our employees for these particular hospitals, we'll need those policies and procedures from the COR. Or, the COR can conduct the training.

GOV Response: VA-specific training and orientation will be provided by each facility upon issuance of a BPA Order.

5. Terminal COVID-19 Terminal Cleaning is an entirely different service then routine housekeeping and terminal cleaning. Please consider that this should have a separate hourly rate.

GOV Response: VA terminal cleaning is defined as a two-step cleaning process. The second step means doing the first step by using bleach. This cannot be removed as we still encounter things like C-Diff. Terminal cleaning is just another way of referencing a final, more detailed, higher level cleaning process, using a 2-Step process of thoroughly cleaning and then disinfecting with a detergent and then an Oxidizer such as bleach. It is one of the core housekeeping concepts that all housekeepers and janitorial staff should know and is not specific to just COVID-19 and should and it should not be a separate hourly rate.

6. Page 21, 5.6 Quality Control Plan: We have a very effective QCP developed over years of prime contract services. If we're to implement a QC Plan, please add a supervisor hourly rate. Currently, the pricing schedule only allows for Housekeeping Aids (janitor) rates. We'll need to place supervisors on every shift to implement the PWS and QCP.

GOV Response: The QC Plan requirement to be provided by the Offeror/Contractor is

REMOVED. The Government will utilize a performance monitoring system provided in the

Performance Work Statement.

7. Does 5 CFR Subpart E - Use of private sector temporaries apply to this BPA?

GOV Response: Yes, 5 CFR Subpart E applies to this requirement. Temporary Staffing rules apply and the contract cannot exceed a specific length.

8. With all due respect none of the certifications required in the evaluation criteria deals with pandemic cleaning and otherwise disqualifies otherwise great companies that will treat cleanup of the COVID-19 as nuclear, biological, and chemical contamination. The CEH is going to get someone killed as there are no requirements in the certification that address a

CDC-requirements for disease like COVID-19. CEH is not the correct standard as anyone working in a COVID environment will be wearing hazmat suits and receiving hazard duty pay until the emergency ends which is not a requirement under CEH. I will be happy to discuss the parameters with you, but this is craziness to invoke the standard in a pandemic and think it will obtain a positive result that eliminates the COVID-19 disease from contamination surfaces and areas.

GOV Response: The point of this BPA is to provide emergency back-up for housekeeping services in the event the government housekeepers become incapacitated in large numbers due to COVID-19. Most of the cleaning will be common areas, rest rooms and wipe downs of high touch points throughout the facility. Regular staff will be focusing primarily on

COVID-19. It is possible that contract employees may encounter COVID-19 cleaning situations that require the use of the two-step cleaning process identified above

9. Do the Technical Factors listed in the solicitation have to be met by a prime bidder, or can the qualifications from subcontractors on the Offeror team also be used to meet some factors?

GOV Response: Overall responsibility for Technical Factors rests with the Offeror whether or not a subcontractor is used. Technical Factors are being used to determine whether a firm’s offer is technically acceptable. If using a subcontractor, firms are reminded of subcontracting limitations.

10. Is there a minimum guaranteed amount of hours? Or is this a true standby as needed?

GOV Response: This proposed contract action is a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) and there is no minimum guarantee for this requirement. The point of this BPA is to provide emergency back-up for housekeeping services in the event the government housekeepers become incapacitated in large numbers due to COVID-19. A BPA Order will be issued if services are required. An immediate need has been identified for Fargo ND VAHCS and

Omaha NE VAHCS. Actual numbers are not available but a staffing shortage exists and there is no guarantee of the number of hours are needed at this time.

11. CLIN 1001 Computation; pls kindly take a peak. Is it correct?

GOV Response: The correct amount for CLIN 1001 is 9,600 hours.