HT940826RE017_Instructions_52.212-1.docx

CUI//PROCURE

HT940826RE017 – NUTRITION CARE SERVICES

ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212-1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) intends to award a single firm-fixed-price contract for the Nutrition Care Services for the following Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs):

1. Weed Army Community Hospital (Fort Irwin, California)

2. General Leonard Wood Community Hospital (Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri)

3. Irwin Army Community Hospital (Fort Riley, Kansas)

4. Winn Army Community Hospital (Fort Stewart, Georgia)

5. Keller Army Community Hospital (West Point, New York)

Offerors are hereby advised that the Randolph-Sheppard Act (RSA) (20 U.S.C. 107) applies to this solicitation. In addition to the evaluation criteria stated in the solicitation, and in the event that one or more RSA State Licensing Agencies (SLA) submit(s) a proposal, the source selection will be carried out in accordance with 20 U.S.C. 107, 34 C.F.R. 395.33, and other relevant laws and regulations. This notice is not intended to discourage competition, as the solicitation is for a full and open competitive acquisition.

1. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1.1. Proposal Preparation and Responsiveness

This section provides guidance for preparing proposals as well as specific instructions on the format and content of the proposals. Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors. Failure to provide or omission of any of the identified information and/or documents set forth in this solicitation may result in a determination that the Offeror is unresponsive. Offerors that are unresponsive will be ineligible for award.

1.2. Points of Contact

The Contracting Officer (CO) and Contract Specialist (CS) are the points of contact for this acquisition:

1.3. Questions

Offerors shall submit questions regarding this solicitation via email to the CO and CS no later than ten (10) business days after issuance of this solicitation. The Government is not required to answer any questions received after this deadline. All email correspondence shall contain a subject line that reads: HT940826RE017 - Nutrition Care Food Services.

1.4. Verification and Proposal Validity

All proposal information is subject to verification by DHA. The documentation shall be in the Offeror’s name as submitted in Block 17a of the Standard Form (SF) 1449 with a corresponding Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number. The proposal shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims.

The proposal shall not simply rephrase or restate the Government's requirements, but rather shall provide convincing rationale, methods, processes, and procedures to address how the offeror intends to meet these requirements. Offerors shall assume DHA has no prior knowledge of their company, and DHA will rely solely on documentation provided in the Offeror’s proposal. By signing the SF 1449, the Offeror acknowledges that their proposal is valid for a minimum of 180 calendar days after the proposal due date in Block 8.

1.5. Formatting Requirements

Files shall not contain classified data and must adhere to the page limitations in Table 1 (Proposal Organization). DHA will not read or evaluate pages exceeding any limitation identified in Table 1. Offerors shall adhere to the formatting requirements below:

· Page Size: 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper (if printed)

· Paragraph Spacing: Separated by at least one blank line

· Page Numbering: Sequentially numbered within each volume

· Font: Times New Roman or Arial; 12-point minimum font size

· Margins: 1 inch on all sides (Top, Bottom, Left, Right)

· Tables, Graphs, and Illustrations: Times New Roman or Arial; 12-point minimum font size

· Page Layout: Portrait or landscape orientation is acceptable

1.6. Electronic Files Format

The proposal shall be submitted in a format readable by Microsoft (MS) Office 365. The offeror shall save files in default format only (e.g., Word Document .docx and Excel spreadsheets .xlsx). Portable Document Format (PDF) files must be submitted using Adobe Acrobat only.

Offerors shall not submit any PDF documents that are copied as "images" and must ensure that all PDF files enable textual search and copy functions. Offerors shall not lock, encrypt, copy as an image, password-protect, or otherwise place barriers to opening files. In the event DHA cannot access the electronic proposal, DHA will consider the offer unresponsive, and the proposal may be deemed ineligible for award.

1.7. Representations and Certifications

Offerors shall ensure that their entry in the System for Award Management (SAM) database is current, complete, and applicable to this solicitation.

1.8. Cross-Referencing

Each volume shall be written on a standalone basis so that its contents may be evaluated with no requirement to cross-reference to other volumes of the proposal. Information required for proposal evaluation which is not found in its designated volume will be assumed to have been omitted. Offerors are responsible for the accuracy of their proposals, and the Government will not search for information that is not provided in the required volume.

2. PROPOSAL ORGANIZATION

The Offeror shall organize the proposal as set forth in Table 1, Proposal Organization. Proposals shall be submitted labeled by volume number and title as follows:

Table 1: Proposal Organization

Subpart 1: Technical Approach

Subpart 2: Transition Plan

Subpart 3: Corporate Experience and Management

Subpart 4: Staffing and Recruiting Plan

Subpart 5: Quality Control Plan

Subpart 6: Contingency Plan

Subpart 7: Therapeutic Diets Training Plan

Subpart 1: Reference 1 (with applicable attachments)

Subpart 2: Reference 2 (with applicable attachments)

Subpart 3: Reference 3 (with applicable attachments)

Subpart 4: Reference 4 (with applicable attachments) – optional

Subpart 5: Reference 5 (with applicable attachments) – optional

3. DETAILED VOLUME INSTRUCTIONS

3.1. Volume I – Administrative. In this volume, the Offeror shall provide the following administrative documents:

· 3.1.1. Subpart 1 - SF 1449 and SF 30 Amendments: Complete blocks 12, 17A, 23, 24, 30A, 30B, and 30C of the SF 1449, as well as blocks 8, 15A, 15B, and 15C of any SF 30 amendments. The Offeror must include a signed Page 1 of the SF 1449 and all SF 30 amendments. The signature must be from an individual authorized to obligate and negotiate on behalf of the Offeror.

· 3.1.2. Subpart 2 – Company Information:

· Authorized Personnel: Provide the name, title, telephone number, and email of the point of contact responsible for the proposal who can obligate your company contractually. Identify those individuals authorized to negotiate with DHA.

· Company Details: Provide company/division street address, county, CAGE code, and UEI.

· Teaming/Organizational Structure (Attachment 1): If subcontractors or teaming partners are proposed, complete Attachment 1. Clearly identify company names and addresses of all teaming partners or subcontractors performing under this contract.

· Joint Venture (JV) Requirements: If the Offeror is a Joint Venture, submit a copy of the JV certification documentation. If the Offeror is part of a Mentor-Protégé agreement or an 8(a) JV, provide a copy of the SBA-approved Mentor-Protégé agreement and/or JV certification.

· Teaming Restrictions: Companies shall not participate as a prime contractor or teaming partner/subcontractor on more than one (1) offer submitted in response to this Nutrition Care Food Service acquisition. Offerors must ensure teaming partners and subcontractors are not teamed with other competitors.

· 3.1.3. Subpart 3 - Representations and Certifications: Complete the necessary fill-ins and certifications in Sections D through K of FAR 52.212-3. Section K must be returned in its entirety. For Sections D through I, submit only those pages requiring a fill-in.

· 3.1.4. Subpart 4 – Table of Contents: Provide a master table of contents in the Administrative Volume outlining all files provided in electronic format, their file names, folder locations, and brief descriptions of the documents.

· 3.1.5. Subpart 5 – Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI): Provide a statement confirming the Offeror has reviewed the known names associated with this solicitation and that no OCI exists. If an OCI exists, submit a detailed mitigation plan. Offerors are reminded of their disclosure requirements under FAR 52.203-13.

· 3.1.6. Subpart 6 – Small Business Subcontracting Plan Acknowledgment: If the Offeror is other than a small business (i.e., classified as a large business), the Offeror must submit a statement in Volume I acknowledging that if they are selected as the apparent successful offeror (tentative awardee), they will submit and negotiate a fully compliant Small Business Subcontracting Plan in accordance with FAR 19.702(a)(1) and DFARS 219.7 prior to performance start. No plan is required from certified small businesses or state licensing agencies.

3.2. Volume II – Technical Capability (70-Page Limit TOTAL)

The Technical Capability volume must demonstrate a thorough and complete understanding of the requirements of the PWS. To enable proper evaluation against the criteria in FAR 52.212-2, the Offeror must organize this volume into the following seven (7) subparts, providing comprehensive operational details and narrative processes rather than restating the requirements:

· 3.2.1. Subpart 1 – Technical Approach: Provide a highly detailed narrative, technical workflows, and standard operating procedures demonstrating how the company will execute the requirements of PWS Section 1 and Section 5. The approach must cover:

· PWS Section 1 (General Requirements): Explicitly address clinical coordination, administrative communication, security, facility cleanliness, and general operations (Specifically tasks 1.3–1.9, 1.15, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19, and 1.22).

· PWS Section 5 (Specific Tasks): Detail execution plans for nutritional services, including meal preparation, therapeutic diet compliance, patient tray assembly, bulk nourishment supply, dining room operations, cash collection management, and facility sanitation (specifically tasks 5.2 through 5.8).

· 3.2.2. Subpart 2 – Transition Plan: Submit a transition plan in accordance with PWS Section 1.16 detailing:

· A master milestone schedule showing the implementation of services leading up to the performance start date.

· Approach to achieving a seamless, risk-free transition of current workloads, staff, and inventories.

· A detailed pre-performance training curriculum scheduled during the transition window to ensure 100% of the workforce is prepared to meet PWS Section 5.7.7 requirements upon day one.

· 3.2.3. Subpart 3 – Corporate Experience and Management: Submit an organizational chart outlining reporting relationships at each MTF and corporate levels.

· Identify the Government Point of Contact (POC) and alternative POC channels.

· Describe communication protocols between on-site MTF supervisors, corporate headquarters, and Government administration.

· Detail management practices for subcontractors and teaming partners, including their specific roles, responsibilities, and accountability mechanisms.

· 3.2.4. Subpart 4 – Staffing and Recruiting Plan:

· Recruitment and Retention: Provide a detailed explanation of your plan to recruit, background-check, onboard, and retain qualified personnel. Provide a detailed timeline demonstrating how the company will achieve a 100% fill-rate by the start of full contract performance. Outline corporate retention policies, benefits, and incentives to minimize turnover.

· Staffing Plan & Schedule (Attachment 2): Propose labor categories, FTEs, and schedule hours necessary to successfully execute all functions at each MTF. The narrative must justify your staffing density for: Therapeutic Diet Education, Patient Room Service, Bulk Nourishments, Dining Room and Grab-and-Go Services, Cash Collection, and Cleanliness/Sanitation.

· Cross-Utilization: Explain your cross-training and cross-utilization practices. Specify which positions will be cross-utilized, how their qualifications align, and how this strategy minimizes performance risk and turnover while optimizing cost efficiency.

· Key Personnel: Identify all key on-site management positions for each facility and provide a summary of their clinical or administrative experience in military or commercial medical treatment facilities.

· 3.2.5. Subpart 5 – Quality Control Plan (QCP): Provide a draft Quality Control Plan based on the Performance Requirements Summary (PWS Exhibit A) and PWS Section 1.11. The plan must contain:

· An inspection system outlining inspection frequencies, methods, and checklists.

· A continuous training and competency assessment program.

· Detailed cleaning and sanitization schedules utilizing alternative procedures listed in TB MED 530 Tri-Service Food Code.

· Proactive methods to identify, document, prevent, and correct service deficiencies before they affect patient care.

· A complaint feedback and resolution system.

· A sample format of inspection logs and reports to be maintained.

· 3.2.6. Subpart 6 – Contingency Plan: Provide a detailed contingency plan in accordance with PWS Section 1.21. The plan must outline specific procedures, key personnel roles, backup logistics, and emergency resource management models to ensure high-priority clinical patient feeding remains fully operational without delay during mobilization/military surges, heightened security levels, natural disasters, prolonged utility outages, and/or labor disputes.

· 3.2.7. Subpart 7 – Therapeutic Diets Training Plan: Submit a comprehensive clinical training plan in accordance with PWS Section 5.1 detailing:

· How the Registered Dietitian (RD) will design, implement, and oversee a therapeutic nutrition training and competency assessment program.

· How the program aligns with evidence-based practices from accredited organizations, such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

· Specific tray assembly, verification, and accuracy procedures.

· Safe patient interaction protocols, emphasizing the strict verification of patient clinical identifiers.

· Specialized delivery procedures tailored for sensitive or restricted clinical areas, including behavioral health units, isolation rooms, and high-precaution wards.

3.3. Volume III – Past Performance

· 3.3.1. Number and Scope of References: Submit at least three (3) but no more than five (5) past performance references.

· To be considered recent, references must represent contracts that are ongoing or completed within the past three (3) years from the issuance date of this solicitation.

· To be considered relevant, the reference should match the clinical food service scope, patient-feeding complexities, and multi-location magnitudes required by this solicitation (refer to FAR 52.212-2 Addendum for relevancy definitions).

· If teaming partners, subcontractors, or Joint Ventures are proposed, at least three (3) of the maximum five (5) references must be for the Prime Offeror; the remaining references may be for teaming partners or subcontractors performing major aspects of the PWS.

· 3.3.2. Reference Package Components: All past performance documents must be compiled into a single PDF file and must include:

· Contractor Performance Assessment Reports (CPARs): Submit completed, finalized CPAR evaluations for each reference within the recency window.

· Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) (Attachment 4): A PPQ is required only if a completed, official CPAR is unavailable for a given reference. The Offeror is responsible for sending Attachment 4 to the customer Point of Contact (POC). The customer POC must complete, sign, and email the PPQ directly to the CO and CS.

· Subcontractor/Teaming Partner Consent Letter (Attachment 5): Required for any reference involving a subcontractor or teaming partner, authorizing the release of past performance data to the prime Offeror.

· Client Authorization Letter (Attachment 6): Submit if required by commercial or private clients to release past performance history to the Government.

3.4. Volume IV – Pricing

· 3.4.1. SCLS and CBA Compliance: This requirement is subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS). A Department of Labor (DoL) Wage Determination and/or Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is in force at each MTF location (see PWS Exhibits J1, J2, J3, J4, and J5). Failure to fully apply and comply with SCLS/CBA requirements in the price proposal will be considered a material omission, resulting in proposal rejection.

· 3.4.2. Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data: In accordance with FAR 15.403-1(b)(3), certified cost or pricing data is not required because this is a commercial acquisition. However, the Offeror must provide "other than certified cost or pricing data" in the form of a detailed cost element breakout and an explanatory narrative.

· 3.4.3. Labor Breakout and Reconciliation: Provide a comprehensive spreadsheet breaking down proposed staffing by labor category for each location. Show:

· Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs).

· Productive labor hours.

· Hourly labor rates (fully burdened).

· This breakout must reconcile perfectly with the labor categories and FTE numbers proposed in Volume II (Technical Staffing Plan), though pricing figures must only appear in Volume IV.

· 3.4.4. Pricing Sheet Template (Attachment 7): Complete the designated tabs on the Pricing Sheet Template (Attachment 7). Input data in the green-shaded areas only. Do not alter formulas, locked cells, or pre-populated numbers.

· 3.4.5. Location of Price Information: Pricing information shall be addressed ONLY in Volume IV. If any pricing, hourly labor rates, or cost figures are disclosed in Volumes I, II, or III, the proposal will be considered non-compliant and may be excluded from evaluation.

· 3.4.6. CLIN Structure and Non-Priced Items (SF 1449):

· Firm-Fixed Price CLINs (0001–0005, 1001–1005, 2001–2005): Provide FFP rates per location in accordance with the applicable wage determination or CBA.

· Transition Period (CLIN 0006): If the Offeror elects not to charge for the transition period, enter "NSP" (Not Separately Priced) to confirm your intent.

· Government Pre-Determined CLINs (0007, 1007, 2007): These CLINs represent a pre-determined Government amount for small wares and must not be filled in or altered by the Offeror.