Combined Synopsis Solicitaton - PR - Revised.docx

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Island of Puerto Rico

Places of Performance: Contractor’s Facility

Attachments:

A. Price/Cost Schedule B. Statement of Work C. Appendices A-C D. Drawings E. REMOVED Service Contract Act Wage Determination 2015-4281 Rev 32 dated 23 Dec 2024 F. Sample Weekly Status Report G. Sample Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) H. Sample Review Forms I. Past Performance Questionnaire J. FAR 52.204-20, Predecessor of Offeror

1. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, Streamlined solicitation for commercial products or commercial services, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

2. This solicitation is issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ), solicitation number 36C78625Q0087.

3. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2025-04 (Effective 05/12/2025).

4. This a competitive, open market solicitation that is 100% set-aside for Small Businesses (SB).

5. NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE: The (NAICS) code for this procurement is 327991. The business size standard is 500 Employees.

6. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. This is an all-or-none requirement, and partial quotes will be deemed unresponsive and will not be evaluated.

7. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, National Cemetery Administration (NCA), anticipates the award of a firm-fixed price, single award contract for one (1) base year and four (4) - one-year options, at the Government’s discretion to exercise.

8. This contract is for Supply and Inscribe Granite Headstones, Markers & Nice Covers for the Island of Puerto Rico.

9. Anticipated Period of Performance:

Base Year: October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026 Option Year 1: October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 Option Year 2: October 1, 2027 – September 30, 2028 Option Year 3: October 1, 2028 – September 30, 2029 Option Year 4: October 1, 2029 – September 30, 2030

PAST PERFORMANCE: The Government reserves the right to obtain past performance information from any available source and may contact references other than those identified by the Quoter when determining responsibility.

RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ): Quotes are due to the Contracting Officer no later than 10:00 a.m. CST on 07/30/2025. The Government intends to make award without discussions. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary, and the Government will not pay for information provided nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided for the Government. Quoters are responsible for obtaining any and all amendments or additional information concerning this announcement at the System for Award Management (SAM) website, www.SAM.gov. Submission shall be in accordance with the Instructions to Offerors and emailed to Weston.Worsham@va.gov and Patara.Mcdonald@va.gov by the date and time listed.

SOLICITATION QUESTIONS:

All questions regarding this solicitation are to be submitted to the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist, via email, no later than close of business on 07/10/2025. Questions pertaining to this announcement shall be sent by email to: Weston.Worsham@va.gov and Patara.Mcdonald@va.gov. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. Associated answers to questions submitted will be provided via a solicitation amendment. Should an amendment not be endorsed by the interested Quoter, the quote will be considered non-responsive and ineligible for award.

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS:

Quoters MUST be registered in System of Award Management (SAM) at http://www.sam.gov and must complete the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) at http://www.sam.gov at the time of submission. Failure to comply will result in the Quoter being considered non-responsive and ineligible for award.

Sample Submission by Potential Quoters Potential quoters shall submit at contractor expense sample(s) based on the requirements stated in the PRICE SCHEDULE of the solicitation in accordance with the dimensions listed below:

· one upright granite sample (24” x 13” x 3/4”)

· one flat thin granite sample (12” x 24” x ¾”)

· one flat small granite sample (12” x 18” x 3/4”)

· one granite niche inscription sample (15 ¾” x 11 ¼” x ¾”)

Each sample shall be representative of the material required for use in the production of monuments under the contract. Each sample shall conform to government specifications and shall be submitted for approval. The sample shall establish the acceptable product for marble/granite to be used in production and the inscriptions under this contract and shall be the basis for comparison of those products. Submitted samples become the property of the Department of Veterans Affairs and shall not be returned.

Sample Identification Each sample MUST BE MARKED on the back of the sample with a permanent marker to show:

· Contractor’s name

· Solicitation number

· Quarry Name the sample was manufactured from

· Email, physical address, and phone number

· Cemetery Name

Sample Requirements:

Samples must be manufactured, inscribed, and packaged to prevent damage during shipment. Any sample that arrives damaged shall not be accepted. ALL SAMPLES ARE CONSIDERED BEST AND FINAL. NO samples shall be accepted after the submission date and time. Samples must be accompanied by a statement identifying the brand name and grit rating for the pad or stone used to produce the final finish product. Failure to meet any of the requirements shall result in the rejection of the sample. Samples must be received by Memorial Products Service (MPS) prior to the submission date and time. Full size samples will NOT be accepted and will be refused at delivery, all samples shall be manufactured using the dimensions above.

Inscription requirements The following inscriptions below shall be used for the sample submission - refer to drawings for font style, special marks, inscription depths, spacing, and dimensions:

Inscription for J1 samples:

Emblem #33 (Presbyterian Church (USA))

JOSÉ RAFAEL QUIÑÓNEZ

2ND LT US ARMY

PERSIAN GULF

SEP 14 1967 AUG 31 2015

BSM W/ V PH

BELOVED HUSBAND & DAD

Inscription for L1 samples:

Emblem #39 (New Apostolic Church)

CHRISTINA J ACKERSON

CMSGT US AIR FORCE

AFGHANISTAN

SEP 14 1962 AUG 31 2021

BSM W/ V PH

BELOVED HUSBAND & DAD

Inscription for H1/I1 samples:

Emblem #60 (Messianic)

JACKSON

JOHN ROBERT

2ND LT USAAF

KOREA BSM PH

1927 2018

KATHERINE M

1952 2021

BELOVED PARENTS

TOGETHER

AGAIN

Inscription for U1/W1/V1/R2 samples:

Emblem #03 (Star of David)

WILLIAM

ROBERT

O’DONNELL

CDR

US COAST GUARD

KOREA

VIETNAM

BSM SSM POW

JAN 27 1937

DEC 14 2018

BELOVED HUSBAND

REAR – ON BACK

FF 12 931

SUBMISSION ADDRESS FOR SAMPLES ONLY:

Submit sample and test results to the following address and please note that HANDHELD DELIVERIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED:

National Memorial Cemetery at Quantico (Attn: Memorial Products Service) 18424 Joplin Road Triangle, VA. 22172

If a Quoter’s sample is determined not to meet any of the stated criteria and standards, the Quoter’s overall submission will be deemed non-responsive and will not be eligible for award. For those samples that do meet all of the stated criteria and standards, the rest of the Quoter’s submission will be evaluated.

In addition to the submission samples, Quoters shall submit quotes in four (4) separate Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) documents identifying each .pdf as Volumes A through C. Volume D shall be submitted using the Excel spreadsheet for Price/Cost Schedule (Attachment A). Interested Quoters who fail to submit the five (5) separate documents (4 pdf and 1 Excel) and sample submission will be considered non-responsive and ineligible for award. In the event an Interested Quoter has issues with quote submittal prior to the closing deadline, the Quoter must notify the Contracting Officer of the impending issue via electronic correspondence. The subject header shall be titled “Submittal Issues” and shall include the RFQ number. Interested Quoters must ensure that they have a read and delivery receipt on their email to provide proof, if necessary. Failure to notify the Contracting Officer of such issues may constitute the submittal as Non-Responsive and ineligible for award. Note: The Contracting Officer may or may not respond to your submittal therefore it is crucial that a copy of the email correspondence be provided. Additionally, failure to provide all Volumes within the Solicitation’s response time may also constitute an Interested Quoter as Non-Responsive and ineligible for award.

All quotes are to be submitted to the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist, via email at Weston.Worsham@va.gov and Patara.Mcdonald@va.gov by no later than 10:00am CST on July 30, 2025. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE QUOTER TO SUBMIT THEIR BEST OFFER AT THE TIME QUOTES ARE DUE. LATE QUOTES WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Company Information (Volume A) The following information shall be included in Volume A:

· Legal Business/Company Name (as listed in www.sam.gov). Should Legal Business/Company Name not coincide with what is listed in the Government’s website www.sam.gov, the Interested Quoter will be considered non-responsive and ineligible for award.

· Complete Company Address (No P.O. Boxes). Should an Interested Offeror submit the Company’s address as a P.O. Box, the Interested Quoter will be considered non-responsive and ineligible for award.

· Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

· Company Point of Contract Name and Title

· Telephone Number

· Email Address

· Statement of acknowledgement receipt of amendment(s) (if any). Failure to acknowledge all subsequent Amendments will result in the Interested Offeror being considered non-responsive and ineligible for award.

· Company’s Targeted Capabilities Statement

· One (1) copy of Completed FAR Provision 52.204-20 Predecessor of Offeror (AUG 2020). Section(s) are contained in this document below. The Government will not consider quotes for award from quoters that do not provide the certification, and all such responses will be deemed ineligible for evaluation and award.

· One (1) copy of Completed FAR Provisions 52.212-3 “Certifications and Representations” or indicate whether contractor has completed the annual representation and certifications electronically at www.sam.gov (copy of current SAM status). Failure to provide a copy of the company’s annual Certifications and Representations or failure to indicate that a completed annual Certifications and Representations has been updated in www.sam.gov will result in the Interested Offeror being considered non-responsive and ineligible for award.

Factor 1: Technical (Volume B1) Volume B shall be no more than forty (40) pages with at least one-inch (1”) margins and at least twelve (12)-point font. A minimum of 10-point font for tables, graphics and illustrations is allowed. Should an Interested Quoter submit more than forty (40) pages, only the first 40 pages will be considered. A cover page and table of contents does not count towards the forty (40) page limit. The following shall be included as part of the Quoter’s technical submission:

1. Provide a narrative demonstrating your experience providing services as describe in the statement of work, to include:

· Company’s Targeted Capabilities Statement

· The Offeror’s relevant experience to the solicitation requirements, specifically to include on-site inscription services.

· Identify any proposed subcontractor or joint ventures and what role will they be providing in the contract.

· Have you done this type of work for the Federal Government previously?

· Physical Address of Contractor’s facility where work will be performed.

2. Managerial & Technical Qualifications of Key Personal to include Resumes: Quoter shall demonstrate a Management Team who has the required experience in providing on-site inscription services as defined in the Statement of Work. At a minimum, the Key Personnel shall include site manager, program/operations manager and staff who will perform key functions and shall include years of experience and description of duties previously provided to support their abilities in satisfying the Agency’s requirement.

3. Work Plan/Staffing Plan & Gantt Chart: Information to address how services required are to be accomplish. Gantt chart shall contain the employees, equipment and hours for all tasks for inscribing an upright, a niche marker and a reverse.

Offeror shall provide at a minimum for Work Plan/Staffing Plan:

· Individuals in charge of work plan/staffing plan

· Methodology

· List of equipment/vehicles to be used

· Staffing levels to complete all services

· Plan for when equipment needs repair/replacement

· Plan for coverage during absences, shortages, etc.

· Plan to ensure limited damage during transit

· Hiring process and training program for new employees

· Frequency of upper management on-site

4. Quality Control Plan (QCP): Offeror shall provide at a minimum:

· Individual(s) responsible for quality control,

· Specific procedures and methods used to ensure compliance with the daily, weekly, and monthly requirements of the Statement of Work,

· Details about the method(s) of accountability including documentation or reports to be used.

5. Safety Plan: Offeror shall provide at a minimum:

· Individual(s) responsible for safety and safety training,

· List of safety equipment

· Frequency and length of safety training.

Factor 1: Technical (Volume B2) This Volume contains the same exact information and documents as Volume B1; however, anything that identifies someone or the business, which includes but is not limited to all names, phone numbers, addresses, cemetery names, and letterhead, shall be redacted.

Factor 2: Past Performance (Volume C) The following shall be included as part of the Quoter’s Past Performance submission, Volume C.

This factor shall be used to assess an Quoter’s history of performance on prior contracts for similar and relevant services as required in this solicitation. List National Cemetery Administration (NCA) contracts first followed by non-NCA contracts. For this factor:

· Quoters shall use the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) to provide no more than five (5) references for performance on prior contracts for on-site inscription services in the past five (5) years. Contracts listed may include those entered with the federal government, state or local agencies, or commercial customers. Should an Interested Quoter submit more than five (5) references, only the most current five PPQs will be considered.

· Quoters shall provide a description of any material legal proceedings against the Contractor by a Federal or state regulatory agency that might impact a contract for these services.

· The Government reserves the right to obtain past performance information from any available source and may contact customers other than those identified by the Quoter when evaluating past performance.

Factor 3: Pricing (Volume D) This factor shall be used to assess the reasonableness of the Quoter’s proposed price. For this factor, Quoters shall submit their price quote using Attachment A- Price/Cost Schedule.

Options: The Government will evaluate quotes for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation – Commercial Items (Nov 2021)

EVALUATION PROCESS: The Government intends to award a firm-fixed price (FFP) contract resulting from this Solicitation to the responsible Quoter whose quote provides the best benefit to the Government, price and other factors considered. Quotes will be evaluated by performing a comparative evaluation in accordance with FAR 13.106-2(b)(3) to determine which response represents the “best” as a whole. Award will be based upon a comparative evaluation of quotes in accordance with the Simplified Acquisition Procedures of FAR 13. Comparative evaluation is the side by side pairwise comparison of quotes based on factors resulting in a Contracting Officer decision for the quote most favorable to the Government. Options will be evaluated at time of award.

Quotes will be evaluated by performing a direct comparison of one quote with another in a uniform manner to determine which Offeror provides the best overall quote as identified in the RFQ. The Government reserves the right to consider a response that offers more than the minimum and select that response if it provides a benefit to the Government. The Government has the discretion to accept other than the lowest priced offer that provides additional benefits. The Government also has the discretion to make an award based on whether the lowest priced quote having the highest past performance rating possible represents the best benefit to the Government. Pricing will be evaluated for reasonableness.

Factor 1: Technical Approach and Understanding of the Work:

This factor will be used to assess the Quoter’s approach in executing the requirement and understanding of the services required in the solicitation.

Factor 2: Past Performance:

This factor shall be used to assess the Quoter’s history of performance in providing services that are similar to size and complexity as the solicitation.

Factor 3: Price: This factor shall be used to assess the price reasonableness of the Quoter’s proposed price.

SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES:

52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions- Commercial Items (NOV 2023) Addendum to FAR 52.212-4 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html (FAR) and https://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaar/index.asp (VAAR)

FAR Clauses 52.203-16 Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest (JUN 2020) 52.203-17 Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights and Requirement to Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights (NOV 2023) 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (OCT 2018) 52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (AUG 2020) 52.204-19 Incorporation by Reference of Representations and Certifications (Dec 2014) 52.204-21 Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems (Nov 2021) 52.216-18 Ordering (AUG 2020) (a)Any supplies and services to be furnished under this contract shall be ordered by issuance of delivery orders or task orders by the individuals or activities designated in the Schedule. Such orders may be issued from 01 October 2025 through 30 September 2030.

52.216-19 Order Limitations (OCT 1995) (a)Minimum order. When the Government requires supplies or services covered by this contract in an amount of less than $2000, the Government is not obligated to purchase, nor is the Contractor obligated to furnish, those supplies or services under the contract.

(b)Maximum order. The Contractor is not obligated to honor-

(1) Any order for a single item in excess of $300k;

(2) Any order for a combination of items in excess of $1M; or

(3) A series of orders from the same ordering office within 15 days that together call for quantities exceeding the limitation in paragraph (b)(1) or (2) of this section.

(c)If this is a requirements contract (i.e., includes the Requirements clause at subsection 52.216-21 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)), the Government is not required to order a part of any one requirement from the Contractor if that requirement exceeds the maximum-order limitations in paragraph (b) of this section.

(d)Notwithstanding paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, the Contractor shall honor any order exceeding the maximum order limitations in paragraph (b), unless that order (or orders) is returned to the ordering office within 5 days after issuance, with written notice stating the Contractor’s intent not to ship the item (or items) called for and the reasons. Upon receiving this notice, the Government may acquire the supplies or services from another source.

52.216-21 Requirements (OCT 1995) (f)Any order issued during the effective period of this contract and not completed within that period shall be completed by the Contractor within the time specified in the order. The contract shall govern the Contractor’s and Government’s rights and obligations with respect to that order to the same extent as if the order were completed during the contract’s effective period; provided, that the Contractor shall not be required to make any deliveries under this contract after 30 September 2030.

52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999) The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 5 days.

52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contact (MAR 2000)

(a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor within 5 days provided that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 15 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.

(b) If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause.

(c) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed five (5) years.

52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2020) 52.219-9 Small Business Subcontracting Plan (JAN 2025) 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting (OCT 2022) 52.219-16 Liquidated Damages – Subcontracting Plan (SEP 2021) 52.219-28 Post Award Small Business Program Representation (JAN 2025) 52.222-3 Convict Labor (JUN 2003) 52.223-23 Sustainable Products and Services (MAY 2024) 52.232-18 Availability of Funds (APR 1984) 52.232-19 Availability of Funds for the Next Fiscal Year (APR 1984) 52.236-13 Accident Prevention, Alternate I (Nov 1991) 52.242-13 Bankruptcy (JUL 1995) 52.242-15 Stop-Work Order (AUG 1989) 52.245-1 Government Property (SEP 2021) 52.245-9 Use and Charges (APR 2012)

VAAR Clauses 852.201-70 Contracting Officer’s Representative (DEC 2022) 852.203-70 Commercial Advertising (MAY 2018) 852.204-70 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel (MAY 2020) 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests (NOV 2018) 852.237-75 Key Personnel (OCT 2019) 852.242-71 Administrative Contracting Officer (OCT 2020) 852.246-71 Rejected Goods (OCT 2018)

(End of Addendum to 52.212-4)

52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items (SEP 2021) FAR Provisions 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (SEP 2023)

Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html (FAR) and http://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaar/index.asp (VAAR) 52.204-7 System for Award Management (OCT 2018) 52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (AUG 2020) 52.204-20 Predecessor of Offeror (AUG 2020) - Attached 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (NOV 2021) 52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation (OCT 2020) 52.209-7 Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (OCT 2018) 52.209-10 Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations 52.233-2 Service of Protest (SEPT 2006)

VAAR Provisions 852.233-70 Protest Content/Alternative Dispute Resolution 852.233-71 Alternate Protest Procedure 852.252-70 Solicitation Provisions or Clauses Incorporated by Reference (JAN 2008)

(End of Addendum to 52.212-1)

52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items (OCT 2014) 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (FEB 2021)

Enclosures:

A. Price/Cost Schedule B. Statement of Work C. Appendices A-C D. Drawings E. REMOVED Service Contract Act Wage Determination 2015-4281 Rev 32 dated 23 Dec 2024 F. Sample Weekly Status Report G. Sample Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR) H. Sample Review Forms I. Past Performance Questionnaire J. FAR 52.204-20, Predecessor of Offeror

End of Document