JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL-SFVAMC-SMT SERVICES (1 YR BRIDGE) - Redacted.pdf

Effective Date: 02/01/2022 Page 1 of 4

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION UNDER SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL

ITEMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 13.5

Acquisition Plan Action ID:_36C261-22-AP-3841

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Regional

Procurement Office West, Network Contracting Office 21 on behalf of VA Sierra Pacific Network 21 (VISN 21), San Francisco Veteran Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC).

VA 2237: 662-22-4-826-0086

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Processed: This procurement is for Special Mode

Transportation (SMT) Services for the San Francisco Veteran Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC) in accordance with FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items and specifically FAR

13.501 Special Documentation Requirements, where acquisitions conducted under Simplified Acquisition Procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6, but still require a justification using the format of FAR 6.303-2.

The proposed procurement is for a Firm Fixed Price, Single Award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) bridge contract with a term of one year to prevent a break in service and allow adequate time for a long-term contract to be solicited with maximum competition. The Independent Government Cost Estimate for this one-year bridge contract is . To allow for fluctuations in quantities, the IDIQ will have a maximum ceiling of . The current contract, VA261-16-D-0101, expires on July 31st 2022.

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency’s Needs: The contractor is required to provide all personnel, management, supplies, transportation, equipment and reports necessary to provide special mode ground transportation services for qualified Veteran patients. The contractor transports non-ambulatory veterans on gurneys, litters, wheelchairs, and/or Geri-chairs to and from the SFVAMC, Veterans’ residences, community nursing homes or any other authorized care facilities including the extended care facilities and the six outlying community-based outpatient clinics (CBOC), 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to include Federal Holidays.

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Restricted Competition: FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain

Commercial Items. The statutory authority for applying the Simplified Procedures for Commercial Items of FAR 13.5 is 41 U.S.C. § 1901 and is implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b)(2) for restricting competition on this procurement. Competition is restricted on this procurement for the reason below:

( X ) Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements

( ) Unusual and Compelling Urgency ( ) Industrial Mobilization, Engineering, Developmental or Research Capability or Expert

Services ( ) International Agreement ( ) Authorized or Required by Statute ( ) National Security ( ) Public Interest

Effective Date: 02/01/2022 Page 2 of 4

5. Demonstration that the Contractor’s Unique Qualifications or Nature of the Acquisition Requires the Use of the Authority Cited Above (applicability of authority): Only One Responsible Source - .

The current contract ends on July 31st, 2022, and due to multiple abrupt departures of key personnel involved with this procurement within the past six months to include the initially assigned contracting officer for this procurement there is not adequate time to solicit a long-term contract with maximum competition. This procurement provides special mode transportation services for qualified Veteran patients with special care and transportation needs. This transportation is to and from the SFVAMC, Veterans’ residences, community nursing homes or any other authorized care facilities including the extended care facilities and the six outlying community-based outpatient clinics (CBOC), 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to include Federal Holidays. Historically, the Government has averaged 120-160 trips per day to and from the SFVAMC, with 30-35 transport vehicles and drivers utilized per day for this requirement. To adequately provide the require services new vendors typically require an average 30 – 45 days set up time for hiring, arranging of resources, and planning to support a requirement of this size and scope. Key resources required to be in place by July, 31st to adequately meet the VA’s needs include but are not limited to: 1) a minimum of 30 vehicles, 2) a functioning and fully staffed dispatch center, 3) vetted patient safety procedures as well as coordination on request procedures between the vendor and facility. The appointments that the patients are being transported to and from are critical and, in some situations, have mortality implications. The VA must have full assurances that all necessary resources are in place and available at the expiration of the current contract for these critical services to continue. Therefore, to meet that assurance, a one-year bridge contract is proposed to prevent any lapse or interruptions in services to the VA Patients and allow adequate time for a long-term contract to be solicited with maximum competition.

6. Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable: A Notice of Intent to Sole Source will be posted of the VA’s intent to issue a one-year bridge contract for this requirement. Additionally, preparations will begin to solicit the requirement as a long-term contract with maximum competition.

7. Determination by the CO that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and Reasonable: While the Government has established an Independent Government Cost Estimate, it is expected that due to recent economic strains i.e., labor shortages, significant supply chain costs increase to include fuel cost increases that prices may be higher than previously established.

However, every effort will be made to ensure prices are consistent with Consumer Price Index increases, and ultimately fair and reasonable.

8. Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons

Market Research Was Not Conducted: Special Mode Transportation Services are transportation services provided for qualified Veteran patients with special care and transportation needs. Based on a search within the Veterans Information Portal (VIP), Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) and the electronic Contract Management System (eCMS), there are more than two Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses that can provide SMT services. However, due to the reasons stated in Paragraph 5, only Owl Incorporated can fulfill the Government’s requirement in the time available prior to the current contract expiration. A Notice of Intent to Sole Source will be posted to notify any potential vendors that the VA intends to issue a one (1) year bridge contract for this requirement.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other than Full and Open Competition: The required services cannot be provided by any other vendor in the time available before the current contract expiration without a gap in services. The lack of other vendors capable of providing this service in the time needed is due to the