Combined Synopisis-Solicitation - W1 Blanks.docx

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Place of Performance: Contractor’s Facility

Attachments:

1. Statement of Work

2. Price/Cost Schedule

3. Bill of Lading Template

4. Drawing A-W1-1 Rev B dated 2019-8-15

5. Sample Review Form for W1 Blanks

6. Contract Discrepancy Report (CDR)

7. Past Performance Questionnaire

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products prepared in accordance with part 12. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Quoters are being requested, and a separate written solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation number 36C78626Q0018 is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ) for the Off-Site Manufacture of W1 Blank Granite Markers for Nationwide Distribution. This acquisition is set aside for Small Businesses (SBs) under NACIS code 327991. The Business Size Standard is 500 employees. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses by reference. The full text of provisions and clauses may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov.

Quoters are responsible for obtaining all amendments or additional information concerning this announcement at SAM.gov.

Solicitation Questions. All questions regarding this solicitation are to be submitted to the Contracting Officer, via email, no later than 10:00 AM CST on 10 February 2026. 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 interested Quoters, the offer will be considered Non-Responsive.

Instructions to Quoters. Quoters MUST be registered and active with the System of Award Management (SAM) at http://www.sam.gov and must compete the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) at http://www.sam.gov prior to the solicitation closing date and time. Failure to comply will result in the Quoters being considered Non-Responsive.

Response time. Quotes will only be considered from Quoters who are regularly established in the business called for, who are financially responsible, and who have the necessary equipment and personnel to furnish the supplies required under this contract. Quoters will only be accepted electronically via email to Patara Mcdonald (Contract Specialist) at Patara.Mcdonald@va.gov and Weston Worsham (Contracting Officer) at Weston Worsham@va.gov no later than 02 March 2026 at 10:00 AM Central Standard Time (CST).

Responses to this announcement will result in a firm-fixed priced Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract. 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 Submittal. Quoters shall submit a physical sample and Volumes A through D in four (4) separate files (Volumes A, C & D in Adobe Acrobat (pdf.) & Volume B in an Excel spreadsheet (xlsx.)).

Each Volume will be identified as follows:

1. Company’s information (Volume A)

2. Pricing (Volume B)

3. Company’s relevant experience in providing W1 Blank Granite Markers (Volume C)

4. Past Performance (Volume D)

Quoters shall include only one copy of each Volume in their submittal.

Interested Quoters who fail to submit the four (4) separate documents (3 pdf and 1 Excel) and the sample submission will be considered non-responsive and ineligible for award. In the event an Interested Quoter has issues with Quote submittal, 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. 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. 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 date and time may also constitute an Interested Quoter as Non-Responsive.

Sample Submission by Potential Quoters

Potential quoters shall submit at Quoter’s expense one sample based on the requirements stated in the PRICE SCHEDULE of the solicitation in accordance with the dimensions listed below:

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

Each sample shall be representative of the material required for use in the production of markers under the contract. The granite sample shall conform to government specifications and shall be submitted for approval. The sample shall establish the acceptable product for granite to be used in production 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 If a Quoter submits multiple samples from different quarries they must establish one quarry for production upon award of the contract.

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

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 finished product. Failure to meet any of the requirements shall result in the rejection of the sample. Quoters will not be allowed to submit another sample if a sample is deemed unacceptable. 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. All samples shall be manufactured using the dimensions above. Potential Quoters shall be responsible for any transportation charges for the return of the refused delivery. Samples must be manufactured and packaged to prevent damage during shipment. Quoters shall not contact MPS or MPS CORs regarding the results.

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

Evaluation. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible quoter whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

Price Technical Past Performance

Technical and Past Performance when combined is less important than price.

The Government will first evaluate total price for balance and reasonableness. Quotes will be considered in order of lowest total evaluated price.

Options: The Government will evaluate Quoters for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that a Quote is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. The evaluation of options does not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). Unbalanced refers to a situation where an Quoters places unreasonably high values on certain items and an unreasonable low value on others within a unit price contract. An unbalanced Quote may be rejected if it raises concerns about the overall cost effectiveness of the Quote, as it could lead to the Government paying unreasonably high prices for contract performance.

The Government will evaluate the marble sample for the quote with the lowest total evaluated price. Any quote that receives an Unacceptable rating under the Marble Sample subfactor will be eliminated from further consideration for award.

The Government will evaluate the remaining non-price factors of the lowest-priced quote. Award may be made to the lowest-priced proposal that is determined to be technically acceptable without further evaluation of higher-priced proposals.

The Government reserves the right to evaluate additional quotes or all quotes, as determined to be in the best interest of the Government.

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.

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

• SAM Unique Entity Identification (UEI).

• Company’s Point of Contract Name and Title

• Telephone Number

• Email Address. Failure to provide POC, telephone number and email address will result in the Interested Quoter being considered non-responsive.

• Solicitation Amendments acknowledgement. Quoters shall acknowledge all amendments by submitting a written statement confirming their receipt and acceptance of each amendment. Failure to acknowledge all subsequent Amendments will result in the Interested Quoters being considered non-responsive.

Pricing (Volume B). Price will be evaluated based on price analysis techniques that ensure prices are fair and reasonable. Price reasonableness will be based on competitive quotations or Quoters. Fair and reasonable price describes the price that a prudent businessperson would pay for supplies under competitive market conditions, given a reasonable knowledge of the marketplace. Quoters shall submit a pricing schedule utilizing Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet will provide pricing for the base year and subsequent option years.

Technical (Volume C): The following shall be included as part of the Quoters’ technical submission, Volume C.

• Experience: Offeror shall provide a targeted capabilities statement detailing the Offeror’s relevant experience and capabilities that specifically highlight the company’s strengths and resources in providing W1 blank granite markers. This information shall clearly demonstrate the Offeror’s understanding of and ability to meet the Government’s requirements by thoroughly detailing its experience and qualifications relevant to the solicitation.

• Key Personnel Identification. Offeror shall provide at a minimum:

· Resumes of managerial and other key personnel (i.e. site manager, program/operations manager, and staff who will perform key functions). Information shall reflect personnel’s qualifications and abilities to provide the required products/supplies as well as years of experience, skills, relevant education/training and description of duties.

• 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 specifications and requirements to provide quality supplies/products.

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

Past Performance (Volume D). Past performance will be considered from a wide variety of sources both inside and outside the Government. This includes reviewing performance information reported to the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), as well as other sources of information.

Past Performance will be evaluated for recent and relevant experience. To demonstrate recency and relevancy, the Quoters shall submit at least three (3) past performance questionnaires (PPQ) from projects worked on within the last five (5) years. The questionnaires are for contracts that are similar in size, scope, and complexity. When submitting PPQs, the past performance information must meet the requirement’s size, scope, and complexity. Should the past performance information not be of similar stature the Quoter will receive a Neutral rating. Additionally, past performance information submitted that is not recent and relevant combined will also receive a Neutral rating. Recent past performance is defined as past performance completed within the last 5 years. Relevancy is defined as past performance that must align with the current requirement.

In the event a Quoter uses past performance information owned by another contractor without providing a team agreement or joint venture the past performance information will also be considered Neutral. Experience gained by Key Personnel on government contracts with other companies will be considered Key Personnel’s individual experience, will not be recognized as a Quoters’ past performance experience, and will be given a Neutral rating.

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

Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

52.203-17 Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights. (NOV 2023) 52.203-19 Prohibition on Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements. (JAN 2017)

52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons. (NOV 2021) (DEVIATION NOV 2025) 52.222-54 Employment Eligibility Verification. (JAN 2025) (DEVIATION NOV 2025) 52.222-62 Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706. (JAN 2022) (DEVIATION NOV 2025) 52.223-23 Sustainable Products. (MAY 2024) (DEVIATION NOV 2025) 52.226-8 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving. (MAY 2024)

52.233-4 Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim. (OCT 2004) (DEVIATION NOV 2025) 52.240-91 Security Prohibitions and Exclusions. (DEVIATION NOV 2025) 52.244-6 Subcontracts for Commercial Products and Commercial Services. (JAN 2025) (DEVIATION OCT 2025) 52.216-1 Type of Contract (APR 1984) (DEVIATION NOV 2025) The Government contemplates award of a firm-fixed price IDIQ contract resulting from this solicitation.

(End of provision) 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 base year or option year start date through 365 days.

(b) All delivery orders or task orders are subject to the terms and conditions of this contract. In the event of conflict between a delivery order or task order and this contract, the contract shall control.

(c) A delivery order or task order is considered "issued" when—

(1) If sent by mail (includes transmittal by U.S. mail or private delivery service), the Government deposits the order in the mail;

(2) If sent by fax, the Government transmits the order to the Contractor's fax number; or

(3) If sent electronically, the Government either—

(i) Posts a copy of the delivery order or task order to a Government document access system, and notice is sent to the Contractor; or

(ii) Distributes the delivery order or task order via email to the Contractor's email address.

(d) Orders may be issued by methods other than those enumerated in this clause only if authorized in the contract.

(End of clause) 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 $5000 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 20,000 EA.

(2) Any order for a combination of items in excess of 100,000 EA; or

(3) A series of orders from the same ordering office within 30 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 3 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.

(End of clause) 52.216-22 Indefinite Quantity (OCT 1995) (DEVIATION NOV 2025)

(a) This is an indefinite-quantity contract for the supplies or services specified, and effective for the period stated, in the Schedule. The quantities of supplies and services specified in the Schedule are estimates only and are not purchased by this contract.

(b) Delivery or performance shall be made only as authorized by orders issued in accordance with the Ordering clause. The Contractor shall furnish to the Government, when and if ordered, the supplies or services specified in the Schedule up to and including the quantity designated in the Schedule as the "maximum." The Government shall order at least the quantity of supplies or services designated in the Schedule as the "minimum."

(c) Except for any limitations on quantities in the Order Limitations clause or in the Schedule, there is no limit on the number of orders that may be issued. The Government may issue orders requiring delivery to multiple destinations or performance at multiple locations.

(d) 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 the order end date.

(End of clause) 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (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 30 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 365 days.

(End of clause)

(End of clause) 52.252-6 Authorized Deviations in Clauses (NOV 2020) As prescribed in 52.107(f), insert the following clause in solicitations and contracts that include any FAR or supplemental clause with an authorized deviation. Whenever any FAR or supplemental clause is used with an authorized deviation, the contracting officer shall identify it by the same number, title, and date assigned to the clause when it is used without deviation, include regulation name for any supplemental clause, except that the contracting officer shall insert "(DEVIATION)" after the date of the clause.

Authorized Deviations in Clauses (Nov 2020)

(a) The use in this solicitation or contract of any Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR Chapter) clause with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the date of the clause.

(b) The use in this solicitation or contract of any (48 CFR CHAPTER 8) clause with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the name of the regulation.

(End of clause)

VAAR Provisions

VAAR Clauses

Enclosures:

End of Document