Instructions to Offerors Evaluations Addendum.docx

E.1 ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212-1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Provisions that are incorporated by reference (by Citation Number, Title, and Date), have the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available.

The following provisions are incorporated into 52.212-1 as an addendum to this solicitation.

A. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: This section provides general guidance for preparing the proposal, as well as specific instructions on the format and content of the proposal. The offeror’s proposal must include all data and information requested and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. The offer shall be compliant with the requirements as stated in the Solicitation. Non-compliance with the instructions to the Solicitation may result in an unfavorable proposal evaluation and may be grounds to eliminate the proposal from consideration for contract award.

Offeror should thoroughly review the specifications and become familiar with the requirement prior to submitting a proposal. Failure to understand the contract requirements shall not relieve the successful offeror from performing in accordance with the strict meaning and intent of the specifications.

Submission of offerors. Offeror must complete and return a complete package of all items required prior to the time specified in the Solicitation to be considered for award.

Please review the following items before submitting your proposal:

[ ] Have you completed and signed the 1449?

[ ] Have you completed the Price Schedule (Attachment A Price Schedule Rock Island National Cemetery)?

[ ] Have you acknowledged any amendment (s), if applicable?

[ ] Have you included the requested information required for responding to the non-price and price evaluation factors?

[ ] Have you completed and signed the VAAR 852.219-75 VA NOTICE OF LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING-CERTIFICATE OFCOMPLIANCE FOR SERVICES AND CONSTRUCTION (NOV 2022)?

[ ] Have you submitted three or more completed Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ)?

Incomplete offers are unacceptable and ineligible for award. As such, they shall not be evaluated.

B. TYPE OF ACQUISITION: This acquisition is a competitive solicitation. Award will be made to the offeror who represents the best value to the Government. See Section E.2 EVALUATION.

C. PERIOD OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFERS: The Offeror agrees to hold prices in its offer firm for a period of sixty (60) calendar days from the closing date of the solicitation.

D. POST-AWARD/PRE-PERFORMANCE CONFERENCE: A post-award/pre-performance conference will be scheduled by the Contracting Officer (CO) and held prior to the commencement of any work. The offeror and/or their duly authorized representative(s) is/are highly encouraged to attend the post-award/pre-performance conference. The CO and COR shall meet with the Contractor to discuss details of the contract, the Guards sites and schedules, emergency contact information, handbook, and any other information pertinent to the performance of the contract.

E. POINTS OF CONTACT (POC): Written requests for clarification, questions, and/or concerns may be sent to the following:

Olalekan Ismail Contracting Officer olalekan.ismail@va.gov

F. VENDOR SITE VISIT

A Vendor Site Visit will be held at the Rock Island National Cemetery, which is located at Building 118 Rodman Avenue, Moline IL 61265.

A Vendor Site Visit will be held on April 2, 2026, from 9:00AM through 11:00AM Central Standard Time (CST). Only one site visit is scheduled, but attendance is voluntary. Access to national cemetery personnel is limited to the vendor site visit and some areas are available by escort only.

Access: Park in the visitor parking area and enter the Administration Building Lobby. Space is limited to two (2) people per company.

Agenda: Brief reception in the Administration building followed by a tour of the cemetery grounds.

RSVP: Due to the room size limitations, offerors are encouraged to notify the Contracting Officer and the COR of their plan to attend. Notification should include Company Name, Address, Names of Attendees, and Phone No. Attendance Notification should be received by the Contracting Officer and COR via e-mail olalekan.ismail@va.gov and jacob.moulton@va.gov no later than March 31, 2026, at 5PM PST.

Questions. Any questions must be submitted via email by April 3, 2026, at 5PM CST to: olalekan.ismail@va.gov. All questions shall be addressed via an amendment to the Solicitation on/about April 8, 2026.

Safety and Privacy Concerns: Participants’ clothing should be suited for indoor and outdoor conditions that may include hot or cold, wet, windy weather. Closed-toe shoes are encouraged for safety reasons. Some parking and walking areas are graveled and may be uneven. NOTE: Rattlesnakes, coyotes, wild boar, rabbits, birds of prey, and other wildlife are present on cemetery grounds and may be encountered.

G. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

Submission via email to: olalekan.ismail@va.gov Subject line: 36C78626R50129 _Company Name Submission deadline: April 13, 2026, 12:00PM CST

Do not make any changes to the files or the format of the files of the Solicitation and any attachments. Offerors who make any changes without prior written consent from the CO may be eliminated from further consideration.

· It is the offeror’s responsibility to ensure that documents are complete, and submission is viewable/ readable and arrives to the CO/CS by the date and time required.

· Please complete the price schedule in the solicitation document.

· If any required documents are omitted with submission, the offer may be precluded from further consideration.

H. RESPONSES TO EVALUATION FACTORS:

Factor 1 – Technical Capability and Key Personnel (Submission Requirements): This factor will be used to assess the offeror’s experience providing grounds maintenance as required in the PWS. For this factor, Offeror’s shall provide a narrative demonstrating their experience providing grounds maintenance as required. 50 pages maximum (including attachments), any additional pages beyond the maximum may not be reviewed.

Offerors shall submit a Technical Capability package that demonstrates their ability to meet all requirements of the Performance Work Statement (PWS). At a minimum, the submission shall include:

1. Grounds Maintenance Plan (PWS A.1.101): The offeror shall submit a comprehensive Grounds Maintenance Plan. The plan shall include:

· Task frequencies shown in daily, weekly, monthly, and annual formats, as applicable.

· Planned duration and staffing for each task.

· Pesticide and fertilizer information in accordance with PWS requirements.

· A description of the offeror’s proven experience and expertise performing Grounds Maintenance Services at a cemetery of comparable size and scope.

2. Staffing Approach: The offeror shall provide a detailed staffing approach describing:

· Staffing levels for each major task area.

· How personnel will be managed and supervised.

· The availability of backup/replacement staff.

3. Key Personnel: Offerors shall identify all Key Personnel required by the PWS and provide:

· Resumes or letters of commitment (if employment is contingent upon award).

· Qualifications and experience relevant to PWS.

· Specific documentation showing that the on‑site Supervisor meets required minimum experience (e.g., four (4) years supervising at least five (5) personnel performing grounds maintenance).

· Documentation for land surveyors, if applicable.

4. Required Licenses and Certifications: Offerors shall provide copies of required licenses and certifications, including but not limited to:

· A current State of Illinois commercial pesticide/herbicide applicator license.

· Any professional licenses required to perform surveying or specialized work under the PWS.

NOTE: Incomplete or partial submissions may be determined non‑responsive and may not be considered for award.

Factor 2 - Past Performance (Prime Contractor Only): The Government will evaluate the past performance of the Prime Contractor to assess the level of confidence in the offeror’s ability to successfully perform the requirements of this solicitation. The evaluation will consider the relevance, quality, and recentness of prior work performed by the Prime Contractor.

1. Submission Requirements (Prime Contractor).

The Prime Contractor shall submit no fewer than three (3) relevant past performance references for work comparable in size, scope, and complexity to the requirements of the Rock Island National Cemetery. Projects must have been performed within the last five (5) years. The Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) included in this solicitation shall be used.

2. Relevance Standard.

Relevant past performance includes cemetery operations, national cemetery contracts, large‑scale grounds maintenance, turf and vegetation management, headstone or monument maintenance, land surveying support, or other service contracts of similar complexity and performance frequency.

3. Government Review.

The Government may consider information from any available source, including CPARS, PPQs, Federal/State/Local agency records, and commercially available databases. The Government is not required to contact every reference submitted and may contact references not identified by the Prime Contractor.

4. Evaluation Approach.

The Government will assign an overall Confidence Assessment based on:

· Relevance of the work performed

· Quality and timeliness of performance

· Conformance with contract requirements

· Effectiveness of management, staffing, and key personnel

· Customer satisfaction

5. Neutral Rating.

If the Prime Contractor does not have relevant past performance, or if no past performance information is available, the Prime Contractor will receive a Neutral Confidence rating. A Neutral rating is not assessed favorably or unfavorably.

Factor 3: Price - This factor shall be used to assess the fair and reasonableness of the Offeror’s proposed price. For this factor, Offerors shall submit their Price Schedule of Services of this. Offerors are advised that if their proposed price exceeds the amount of funding available for this procurement for the base period of performance, their proposal may be rejected on that basis and be removed from further consideration for contract award.

(End of Addendum to 52.212-1)

E.2 52.212-2 EVALUATION – COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014)

(A) Basis for Award.

This procurement is being conducted pursuant to FAR Part 15 procedures. The Government intends to award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. A trade‑off process will be used, and the Government may award to other than the lowest‑priced offeror if doing so is determined to provide the best value to the Government.

(B) Evaluation Factors The following factors will be evaluated as part of the trade‑off analysis:

(1) Factor 1 – Technical Capability and Key Personnel The Government will evaluate the offeror’s ability to meet the requirements of the PWS based on the submitted Grounds Maintenance Plan, staffing approach, Key Personnel, required licenses, and qualifications as specified in the Instructions to Offerors. The evaluation will assess the extent to which the offeror demonstrates an understanding of the PWS requirements and a feasible approach to successful performance.

(2) Factor 2 – Past Performance The Government will evaluate the Prime Contractor’s past performance on contracts comparable in size, scope, and complexity to assess the expected level of confidence in the offeror’s ability to successfully perform the requirements of this solicitation. Past performance information may include, but is not limited to, Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs), CPARS records, and information obtained from other Government or commercial sources.

The evaluation will consider the relevance, quality, and recentness of past performance, including the offeror’s record of meeting contract requirements, providing timely and quality services, effective management of personnel and equipment, and maintaining compliance and professionalism on similar grounds maintenance or service contracts.

The Government may consider information from any available source and is not required to contact all or any references submitted by the offeror. The Government may also consider information obtained from entities or individuals not identified by the offeror.

Offerors that lack relevant past performance, or for whom past performance information is not available, will receive a Neutral Confidence rating. A Neutral rating will not be assessed favorably or unfavorably.

(3) Factor 3 – Price The Government will evaluate the reasonableness of the offeror’s proposed price. Offerors shall submit the completed Price Schedule included in the solicitation. The Government may reject offers that exceed available funding or that are determined to be unbalanced.

(C) Relative Importance of Factors For the purposes of this evaluation, factors are listed in descending order of importance.

Non‑price factors, when combined, are significantly more important than price. The Government may award to other than the lowest‑priced offeror if it is determined to be in the Government’s best interest.

(D) Options The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options does not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(E) Notice of Award A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(End of provision)