Amendment for 36C25626R0073 - Wheelchair Transportation - Q and A .pdf

Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

*= Required Field Amendment to a Previous Combined Solicitation

SUBJECT* Non-Emergent Wheelchair Transportation Contract (VA-26-00049394)

GENERAL INFORMATION

CONTRACTING OFFICE’S ZIP CODE* 77056-5643

SOLICITATION NUMBER* 36C25626R0073

RESPONSE DATE/TIME/ZONE 07-29-2026 13:00 CENTRAL TIME, CHICAGO, USA

ARCHIVE 5 DAYS AFTER THE RESPONSE DATE

RECOVERY ACT FUNDS N

SET-ASIDE SDVOSBC

PRODUCT SERVICE CODE* V212

NAICS CODE* 485991

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS Department of Veterans Affairs

Network Contracting Office 16 5075 Westheimer Road, Suite 750 Houston TX 77056-5643

POINT OF CONTACT*

Oney Kelly @ Oney.kelly@va.gov

DESCRIPTION

The Purpose of this amendment is to post Question & Answer (Q&A) for this solicitation. This concludes the Question and & Answer portion of this solicitation. Please see below for details.

Question & Answer (Q&A) For RFP 36C25626R0073 – Non-emergent Wheelchair Transportation Services

Questions Answers

The solicitation documents indicate a preference or condition relating to Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small

Businesses (SDVOSB). Could you please clarify if this procurement is a total SDVOSB set-aside where a business must meet all of those combined conditions (Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned, and Small Business) to be eligible for award?

Alternatively, are regular small businesses or other business types permitted to submit a bid for evaluation under this solicitation?

Total SDVOSB Set-aside

Can the Government provide historical workload information for the incumbent contract covering the previous twenty-four

(24) months, including:

• Annual trip volume

• Monthly trip volume:

• Average daily trips

• Peak daily trips

• Annual obligated dollars

• Annual contract expenditures

Additionally, can the Government provide estimated versus actual utilization for each CLIN under the incumbent contract?

• Annual trip volume (FY25: 20,552)

• Monthly trip volume: Approx 1800 between FY25 and now

• Average daily trips; Approx 65

• Peak daily trips: Approx 90

• Annual obligated dollars: Varys and updates on the needs of the facility and multiple vendors currently used.

Annual contract expenditures: No Incumbent

Contract

Can the Government provide the approximate distribution of transportation requests by origin and destination, including:

• MEDVAMC Campus: Destination

• Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs):

• Veteran residences: Destination

• Community Care providers: Destination

• Other VA facilities

• MEDVAMC Campus:

Destination (Approx 70%), Origin

(Approx 10%)

• Community Based Outpatient Clinics

(CBOCs):

Destination (Approx 10%), Origin

(Approx 5%)

• Veteran residences:

(Approx 80%)

• Community Care providers:

(Approx 5%)

Other VA facilities – Destination

(Approx 5%), Origin (Approx 2%)

Can the Government provide the approximate percentage of:

• Recurring scheduled transports

• Dialysis transports

• Radiation/Oncology transports

• Same-day discharge transports

• On-demand transports

• Weekend transports

• Holiday transports:

• After-hours transports

Not Tracked by the Government

Can the Government provide historical mileage information including:

• Average one-way mileage

• Median mileage

• Percentage of transports exceeding the mileage threshold

• Longest historical trip

Average one-way mileage: 30

• Median mileage: Ave 30

• Percentage of transports exceeding the mileage threshold: 40%

• Longest historical trip: not tracked

Can the Government provide the approximate hourly distribution of transportation requests throughout a typical weekday and weekend so offerors may appropriately size dispatch operations?

Everything is scheduled in Vetride at least the day before. Ones requested on the same day are primarily discharges.

Can the Government provide the approximate percentage of transportation requests received:

• More than 24 hours in advance:

• Same day:

• Within four hours:

• Within one hour:

• More than 24 hours in advance: 94%

• Same day: 4%

• Within four hours: 1%

• Within one hour: 1%

Can the Government provide historical percentages for:

• Dry runs:

• Patient no-shows:

• Patient refusals:

• Same-day cancellations:

• Contractor-cancelled transports (if tracked):

• Dry runs: 0%

• Patient no-shows: 0%

• Patient refusals: 2%

• Same-day cancellations:2%

• Contractor-cancelled transports (if tracked): Not tracked

Can the Government provide historical information regarding average billable wait time, including the percentage of transports for which wait-time reimbursement was requested?

No Incumbent Contract

Will all proposed vehicles require Government inspection prior to commencement of performance? If so, please clarify:

• Inspection timeline

• Inspection locations

• Whether additional vehicles may be added after contract start following Government approval

Must Meet All State and Federal

Requirements

Can the Government confirm whether VetRide onboarding, user provisioning, testing, training, and operational readiness activities will occur during the thirty-day transition period following contract award?

During onboarding the Vetride training, checks and testing will be done

To assist offerors in proposing performance management processes aligned with the Government's operational expectations, can the Government provide historical contract performance information, including:

• On-time pickup performance

• Customer complaint rates

• Service recovery metrics

• Incident rates

• Other Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) metrics routinely monitored

Additionally, were there any significant operational lessons learned or recurring performance challenges under the incumbent contract that resulted in revisions to the current solicitation?

Can the Government provide:

• Current contract number

• Original award date

• Current period of performance

• Number of option periods exercised

Can the Government confirm whether there were any material changes between the Sources Sought Notice

(36C25626Q0508) and the final solicitation that offerors should carefully consider when preparing their proposals?

The SSN gave industry the basic needs of what is required and should not be used to make a determination or comparison. The formal solicitation shall be used.

Can the Government identify any anticipated contract transition constraints, facility access requirements, credentialing timelines, or security onboarding activities that could affect contractor readiness during the thirty-day transition period?

Unknown

Attachment B Past Performance Questionnaire states “This survey should be completed by an evaluator with sufficient familiarity of the offeror’s performance and returned to the contracting office by the evaluator no later than 07/15/2026

(1300, CST) the closing date of the solicitation by e-mail to

Oney.kelly@va.gov.” QUESTION: Will the VA please revise the due date for questionnaires to 7/29/2026 which is the closing date of the solicitation?

Questionnaire shall be submitted by closing date of 07/29/2026 @ 13:00 pm cst.

Page 77 of the solicitation states “Attachment A & B - Vendor's

Questionnaire for Technical Evaluation (attached) filled out by the offeror with the page number for each area. The offeror shall clearly state its capability to fulfill all requirements in the

Performance Work Statement (PWS). Offeror shall provide evidence of all factors listed in Attachment B - Vendor

Questionnaire.”

QUESTION: The solicitation documents do not contain an

Attachment A, will the VA please provide Attachment A?

Verbiage regarding attachment A is hereby removed, only attachments are Relevant

Experience and Past Performance

Questionnaire.

mailto:Oney.kelly@va.gov

Page 78 of the solicitation states “The offeror shall clearly state its capability to perform all requirements in the PWS within the

Technical documents, which will be provided in Volume II, which includes Attachment A & B - Vendor's Questionnaire for

Technical Evaluation.”

QUESTION: Will the please specify which document is intended to be used for Attachments A & B? There is no

Attachment A provided and Attachment B is to be completed by the references and submitted directly to the VA.

Verbiage regarding attachment A is hereby removed, only attachments are Relevant

Experience and Past Performance

Questionnaire.

Page 78 of the solicitation states” The proposal that provides the lowest price of all the proposals received and is otherwise technically acceptable shall be selected for award.”

QUESTION: The solicitation mandates that contractors submit past performance information; however, past performance does not seem to be an evaluation factor. Can the

VA please detail how past performance will be evaluated?

Past performance shall only be used to show vendor has the capability to perform as past performance is not an evaluation criteria

Page 31, Section 2-B and Section 3.

QUESTION: Are offerors required to show proof of the local and state licensing/permits to operate as NEMT provider upon submission of the proposal? Will an offeror be deemed

“acceptable” by demonstrating a plan to obtain the licensing/permits or that the licensing/permits have been applied for?

(1) Yes; (2) Yes, if they will be acquired prior to transporting how many vehicles are needed for this contract.

There is not set number just enough vehicles to cover on average over 30 to 40 round trips for Veterans a day and discharges

Is there any type of advancement that can be claimed prior to contract.

No

Is this contract the Houston area only because I saw San

Antonio as an area that was in the contract.

Primarily Houston including all area within our catchment area but some transports will be out of the local area

This will be my first contract. The only work I have done was with other companies and I also did transportation for the company that I worked for as a transport nurse aide.

will that be a problem because I know the daily work and have done it plenty of times just not for my own company just only private pay.

As long as the requirements are met

Will I be responsible for the gps ipad system or is that something that you provide if you provide it? Is there a program that I am able to utilize.

We do not provide any hardware just access to the VA’s Vetride program

If awarded, when does the contract start? I was seeing that it started Aug 1st Just needed to know so that I can have all the requirements that are needed for this contract as I am working on them now.

That is the projected date

I have all the documents needed for this set aside. I just need to really know if I need to hire out of Houston or can I hire out of

San Antonio.

Not our decision

There is a dramatic increase in estimated transportation volume from prior Solicitations released over the past few years. What is driving that and should we expect any additional increases over the term of the contract?

Changes have been made to the National

Travel Program regarding eligibility and better access to transportation services have been put in place

What % of transports originate from Oklahoma, Arkansas, and

Louisiana?

1%

What % of transports occur after normal business hours?

5%

Is this location utilizing VetRide?

Yes, as mandated by the National Program

Office

What constitutes a missed scheduled clinic appointment? What if driver arrives within 15 minutes, but patient is late for appointment (or “misses”) due to uncontrollable circumstances (traffic, accident, etc.)?

Contact can be made to the dispatchers to coordinate should uncontrollable circumstances occur

Is it the responsibility of the Contractor to drop patient at place of appointment?

Yes

Does Contractor have ability to adjust scheduling to ensure adequate time is provided from pick up to drop off?

The contractor can reach out to the coordinators if adjustments need to be made

Are return trip times prescheduled or will-call?

Both

Is there any specific/special license required in Houston?

You would have to review their website for licensing to operate NEMT

The PWS requires the contractor to provide wheelchair transportation services 365 days per year, 24 hours per day, regardless of distance, and also requires communication methods available at all times for requests and incidents. Please confirm whether contractor drivers, dispatch personnel, or other covered service employees who are required to remain available, on-call, assigned to shifts, or otherwise restricted in order to meet these 24/7 requirements must be compensated in accordance with the applicable Service Contract Labor

Standards wage determination for all compensable hours worked, including standby/readiness periods where the employee is engaged to wait.

Information available at https://sam.gov/wage-determinations

The solicitation states that the Department of Labor has held that contractors must pay employees the Service Contract

Labor Standards wage while driving both to and from destinations for VA. Please confirm whether compensable time includes not only loaded patient time, but also required travel to pickup, return travel, repositioning/deadhead travel, pre-trip/post-trip inspections, dispatch communications, waiting time, vehicle readiness tasks, documentation, and other required activities performed in support of VA transportation.

The VA cannot be billed for unloaded loaded mileage

For purposes of price evaluation, should offerors price labor based only on active one-way transports, or should offerors include the cost of maintaining sufficient paid staffing, dispatch, vehicle readiness, and coverage capacity to meet the

PWS 24/7 availability, response, VetRide/telephone request, and after-hours requirements? The solicitation states that prices will be evaluated for reasonableness, completeness, and fairness; please confirm whether a price that omits required readiness/coverage labor may be considered incomplete or unrealistic for the stated requirements.

Price should reflect the vendors determination

The solicitation states that contractors must have dedicated staff available to monitor the VetRide or VA-approved transportation portal 24/7. Please clarify whether this dedicated monitoring function must be performed by paid personnel during all required coverage periods, and whether offerors should include those costs in their proposed pricing.

Included in the PWS

The PWS states that it is estimated that 90% of requests will be placed by telephone, and also references AOD/authorized personnel handling after-hours requests. Please provide historical workload data showing the percentage of transports requested during normal business hours versus after-hours, weekends, and federal holidays, and the number of same-day or short-notice requests requiring immediate driver/vehicle availability.

Approx 85% Prescheduled, After Hours, Weekends, Holidays 5%, Same Day 10%

The PWS states that return-trip patients should not wait more than 30 minutes for pickup, no matter where the patient lives.

Please clarify how the Government expects the contractor to maintain sufficient driver and vehicle availability to meet this requirement across the full place of performance, and whether pricing should include paid standby/readiness capacity necessary to meet this performance expectation.

Determined by the Contractor

The price schedule includes a waiting-time CLIN and states that waiting time over 30 minutes shall be paid in 15-minute increments. Please clarify when waiting time begins, what documentation is required, whether the initial 15- or 30-minute waiting period is non-billable to the Government, and whether the contractor is nevertheless responsible for compensating employees for all compensable waiting time under applicable labor law.

After 30 minute wait time, in 15 minutes increments can be billed

The solicitation states that if subcontracting or partnership agreements are part of the plan to meet the PWS, offerors must clearly identify this intent and indicate whether such agreements are already in place. Please confirm that the use of subcontractors, teaming partners, or SDVOSB joint venture/partner structures will not be treated as a weakness or performance risk solely because subcontracting is used, provided the offeror demonstrates prime control, compliance with limitations on subcontracting, and capability to meet the

PWS.

Every submission is reviewed with no bias

Please confirm how the Government will evaluate compliance with FAR 52.219-14 and VAAR 852.219-75 where an

SDVOSB prime uses similarly situated SDVOSB/VOSB subcontractors or joint venture partners. Will the Government require offerors to describe the anticipated division of work, labor source, dispatch responsibilities, vehicle responsibilities, See Solicitation and percentage of work performed by the prime, similarly situated entities, and non-similarly situated subcontractors?

The solicitation states that the Fleet Management and Quality

Control Plan will be evaluated and that the QCP must demonstrate a management approach for the fleets. Please clarify whether offerors must already possess vehicles and local drivers at the time of proposal submission, or whether it is sufficient to demonstrate a compliant mobilization plan, vehicle availability plan, staffing plan, and 30-day post-award performance-start plan.

All services are needed to be ready by contract start date

The PWS states performance will begin 30 calendar days following contract award unless an alternate date is mutually established. Please confirm that the Government will not evaluate offerors more favorably merely because they are already performing in the geographic area or have an existing local incumbent footprint, unless such preference is expressly stated in the evaluation criteria

Every submission is reviewed with no bias

For Technical Capability and Relevant Experience evaluation, will relevant experience and past performance of similarly situated subcontractors, teaming partners, or joint venture members who are proposed to provide a substantive portion of the PWS be favorably evaluated by the government. If so, please clarify how subcontractor or teaming partners experience will be credited relative to prime contractor’s experience

All experience listed in the submission is reviewed.

The solicitation is a 100% SDVOSB set-aside under VAAR

852.219-73. Will the VA accept an offer where an SBA-certified SDVOSB firm serves as the prime contractor and a non-SDVOSB transportation provider serves as a subcontractor, provided that no more than 50% of the contract labor value is paid to the non-SDVOSB entity?

This is a total SDVOSB Set-aside; The

Government will consider proposal(s) submission that IAW VAAR 852.219.73

If a prime contractor intends to utilize a subcontractor for the majority of trip execution (i.e., vehicle fleet and drivers), must the subcontracting agreement be fully executed prior to proposal submission, or is a letter of intent or teaming agreement sufficient?

All services are needed to be ready by contract start date

Does the VA require the prime contractor to have an established Texas business address, or is the SBA SDVOSB certification the only eligibility requirement for the set-aside?

No

The PWS states that services may extend into Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Can the VA provide the approximate percentage of total trip volume expected outside of the greater Houston/Harris County area? Specifically, what percentage of estimated trips are expected to be cross-state or long-distance (defined as trips beyond 100 miles one-way)?

2%

Can the VA confirm whether the estimated quantities in the price schedule (22,500 TRP for CLIN 0001; 7,000 TRP for

CLIN 0002; 30,000 MI for CLIN 0003) represent the government's best estimate of annual volume, and whether these figures reflect historical trip data from a prior contract?

The Government's best estimate of annual volume

Is there currently an incumbent contractor performing these services? If so, can the VA provide the current contract number and period of performance?

No Incumbent Contract

Will the contractor be expected to transport Veterans to VA facilities outside of VISN 16 (e.g., other states) as part of routine performance, or would those trips be handled through a separate mechanism?

Yes

The PWS states mileage charges must not exceed +5% of the current Bing Standard Mileage Guide. Can the VA confirm whether CLIN 0003 (mileage beyond 30 miles) is priced per one-way mile or per round-trip mile?

One Way

For trips that do NOT originate or terminate at the MEDVAMC

(facility-to-facility trips), the PWS states the contractor deducts

30 miles from the total calculated mileage. Can the VA confirm this 30-mile deduction applies per leg (one-way) and not per round trip?

One Way

Are bariatric trips (CLIN 0002, over 300 lbs) expected to require specialized bariatric wheelchair transport equipment distinct from standard wheelchair vans? If so, can the VA describe the required equipment specifications?

Vehicles/Lifts/Ramps must be able to accommodate the increased size and weight of the wheelchair including passenger

Can the VA confirm that CLIN 0004 (Waiting Time) is only billable when waiting time exceeds the 15-minute grace period at both origin AND destination combined, or does the grace period apply separately at each stop?

After 30 minute wait time, in 15 minutes increments can be billed

Will the Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) wage determination(s) be incorporated into the solicitation by amendment? If so, which wage determination(s) apply and for which geographic areas? Does the VA intend to include a fuel escalation clause or economic price adjustment provision in the resulting contract?

Information can be found https://sam.gov/wage-determinations. Also see clause 52.222-43

How soon after contract award will the VA provide VetRide

Vendor Portal access and training? Will this occur within the

30-day mobilization period, and if so, on what timeline should the contractor plan for system onboarding?

All targeted within the 30-day mobilization period

Does the contractor need any specific technology infrastructure

(hardware, software, or internet speed requirements) to access and operate the VetRide Vendor Portal? If so, can the VA provide those specifications in advance

No specifics, it has to ensure no delays in notification from the Vetride portal.

The PWS requires the contractor to provide a toll-free number for VA calls. Is this required to be operational on Day 1 of performance (30 days after award), and does it need to be a dedicated line for VA use only?

All services are needed to be ready by contract start date

The PWS states the VA will contact the contractor by 3:30 PM

CST the day prior for next-day scheduling. Will same-day or on-demand trip requests also be made, and if so, what is the expected frequency of same-day requests relative to total trip volume?

Approx 85% Prescheduled, After Hours, Weekends, Holidays 5%, Same Day 10%

The PWS requires drivers to be 25 years of age or older. Is this a strict requirement with no waiver provision, or may the

Contracting Officer grant exceptions for highly qualified drivers under age 25?

Contractor must adhere the requirement under the PWS

The PWS states that all contractor personnel must clear a VA background investigation (National Agency Check with

Written Inquiries) before contract performance. If a driver's background check has not been adjudicated by the VA by the performance start date, is the contractor permitted to use that driver on a provisional basis, or must clearance be completed before the driver performs any service?

All services are needed to be ready by contract start date.

Must all vehicles be registered in Texas, or may a contractor that operates primarily in Texas utilize vehicles registered in another state as long as those vehicles meet all applicable operational requirements?

Contractor should review City of Houston’s website for local and state licensing/permits to operate as NEMT provider

The PWS requires vehicles to have NEMT signage per applicable local law, noting requirements vary by city and locality. Can the VA provide guidance or a reference list for the signage requirements in the primary jurisdictions (City of

Houston, Harris County, Jefferson County, Montgomery

County) to avoid non-compliance?

Contractor should review City of Houston’s website for local and state licensing/permits to operate as NEMT provider

The solicitation requires a Quality Control Plan (QCP) to be submitted with the proposal. Can the VA provide the preferred format, page limit, or outline for the QCP to ensure it addresses all elements required for a technically acceptable rating?

Information can be found https://buy.gsa.gov/find-samples-templates-tips?sort_by=title&sort_order=asc&page=1

Beyond the signed SF 1449, completed price schedule, and

QCP, what additional documents or certifications must be included in the proposal package to be considered technically acceptable and responsive?

See/Review posting

Will the VA accept proposals submitted electronically via email, or must proposals be submitted through a specific portal or delivered in hard copy?

See/Review posting

(End of Q&A) https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbuy.gsa.gov%2Ffind-samples-templates-tips%3Fsort_by%3Dtitle%26sort_order%3Dasc%26page%3D1&data=05%7C02%7C%7C67ff42b332844a57c22608dede796550%7Ce95f1b23abaf45ee821db7ab251ab3bf%7C0%7C0%7C639192810134771986%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Eo1TMoAJkbRSrzrfTu4IitX6I5vC%2BChT%2FHXeIGLk7cA%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbuy.gsa.gov%2Ffind-samples-templates-tips%3Fsort_by%3Dtitle%26sort_order%3Dasc%26page%3D1&data=05%7C02%7C%7C67ff42b332844a57c22608dede796550%7Ce95f1b23abaf45ee821db7ab251ab3bf%7C0%7C0%7C639192810134771986%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Eo1TMoAJkbRSrzrfTu4IitX6I5vC%2BChT%2FHXeIGLk7cA%3D&reserved=0