CLINICAL WEST QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES PSC347298_Amendment 00001.pdf

CLINICAL WEST QUESTIONS

PSCFOH-Clinical West-PSC347298_West

Amendment 00001 - February 17, 2026

QUESTIONS RESPONSES

1 Could you please confirm whether Large

Businesses will be permitted to respond to this RFI, or if the requirement is expected to remain a Small Business set aside?

No, this sources sought is for small business only.

The results of the sources sought will help to determine the acquisition strategy.

2 Please confirm whether the requirement will be awarded as a single-award or multiple-award contract and, if multiple, the anticipated number of awards.

Single Award IDIQ.

3 If multiple awards are anticipated, please confirm whether task orders will be competed among awardees or issued directly based on predefined site or regional assignments.

No, this is a Single Award IDIQ.

4 Please confirm the contract type to be used at the task order level, for example, fixed-price labor hour, time-and-materials, or a hybrid structure.

Time and Materials with fixed-price rates.

5 Please confirm whether the Government will provide estimated labor hours by labor category and site, including steady-state and ad hoc hours, for pricing and evaluation purposes.

Yes, estimated labor hours by labor category and site will be provided.

6 Please clarify the price realism evaluation methodology, including how the Government will account for mandatory disincentives, PRN utilization requirements, vacancy backfill timelines, and security clearance processing when evaluating proposed rates.

FOH will monitor the deliverables monthly and assess disincentives outlined in those deliverables.

The COR will also utilize professional judgement in assessing any disincentives that are not clearly defined or are questionable.

7 Please confirm whether past performance from non-FOH federal occupational health contracts will be considered relevant and recent for evaluation purposes. Pg. 3; Section E.

Yes, past performance will be considered.

8 Please confirm whether a transition-in plan is required at proposal submission and whether transition activities will be separately funded or must be absorbed within proposed pricing. Pg.

29; Section C.53

Yes, please include a transition-in plan. Upon contract award/transition, all labor and other contract related costs will be paid to the current vendor. The incumbent vendor is required to provide continued services for up to thirty (30) days to assist with the transition.

9 Please confirm whether the Government intends to disclose incumbent staffing information by site and labor category prior to proposal submission to support transition planning.

The staffing information by site and labor category and/or any pertinent information will be part of the solicitation.

10 Please confirm whether full staffing is required on Day One of performance or whether a defined phased ramp-up period will be permitted at contract start for hard-to-fill locations.

Yes, full staffing is required on day one of performance. There is a maximum thirty (30) day transition period in which the incumbent will work directly with current vendor to ensure a seamless transition of contractual responsibilities.

11 Please confirm whether staff retention and turnover will be evaluated at the proposal stage and, if so, whether offerors will be required to submit verifiable historical turnover data.

No, staff retention and turnover will not be evaluated at the proposal stage.

12 Please confirm whether the disincentives described in Section C.51 are subject to any annual or task-order cap and whether multiple disincentives may be assessed concurrently for a single site or event. Pg. 25; Section C.51

No, the disincentives described in Section C.51 are not subject to any annual or task-order cap. Yes, there may be instances in which multiple disincentives may be assessed concurrently.

13 Please confirm whether the Government will consider an offeror’s financial capacity and working capital sufficiency as part of the technical or risk evaluation to support rapid hiring, onboarding, and backfill requirements across a multi-state region.

The government is in the process of determining the criteria. This information will be included in the solicitation.

14 Please provide the anticipated acquisition timeline, including the proposal submission date, evaluation period, award decision timeframe, and expected contract start date.

The anticipated award date is fourth (4th) quarter fiscal year (FY) 2026.

15 Please confirm whether any small business or socioeconomic set-aside will be considered.

This Source Sought is a Total Small Business Set- Aside.

16 Please confirm the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code the Government intends to use for the FOH Clinical West solicitation and whether any changes are anticipated prior to solicitation release.

Please indicate the NAICS code you believe is/are most appropriate for this requirement. Refer to Excel attachment in published Sources Sought Notice ID # PSCFOH-ClinicalWest-PSC347298.

17 Please confirm the anticipated total contract value and ceiling for the FOH Clinical West procurement.

The government is in the process of determining the information.

18 Please confirm whether the Government will consider aggregate staffing across multiple occupational health contracts, including smaller site-based programs operating across multiple states, as evidence of scale and operational capability in lieu of a single contract supporting a minimum number of FTEs.

Evaluation criteria shall be:

• Either geographically dispersed in at least three (3) different states or

• Similar scope, size and complexity has been performed in three (3) separate states (through the issuance of separate contracts in each) that cumulatively meet the quantities of each full and part time staff of 75 or more.

19 Please confirm the evaluation factors and relative weighting the Government intends to use, including whether the award will be based on a best-value tradeoff and how technical capability, staffing approach, past performance, transition risk, and price will be scored.

The government is in the process of determining the criteria. This information and/or any pertinent information will be included in the solicitation.

20 Please confirm whether Joint Commission accreditation or certification will be required as a pass or fail condition for the prime contractor, teaming partners, joint ventures, or any combination thereof.

Yes, TJC Accreditation/Certification will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis.

21 Please confirm whether, for joint ventures or teaming arrangements, Joint Commission accreditation held by one member will satisfy the requirement for the overall offeror.

For Joint Venture entities, if one of the entities is TJC accredited and/or certified, then this will fulfill the TJC requirement. However, whichever entity (prime, subcontractor, joint venture, or teaming partner) is responsible for the provision of the direct-patient care services, then that entity must be TJC Accredited.

22 Please confirm whether the Government intends to use a phased proposal approach and whether any pass or fail criteria will be applied in an initial proposal phase.

Yes, there is an intention to utilize a phased approach in reviewing proposals. The TJC Accreditation/Certification requirement is phase 1 and is a pass/fail criteria.

23 Please confirm the security clearance requirements applicable to this contract, including clearance level, submission timelines, and whether incumbent personnel with existing FOH clearances may transition without resubmission.

All employees shall have at least a Tier 2 Moderate Risk Background Security Clearance from FOH and renewed every 5 years. Submission of packages is varying and there is a requirement for complete package submissions. If packages are received as incomplete, there will be disincentives that apply.

Incumbent staff may be required to be re-badged;

their existing security clearances will still apply and not need to be resubmitted.

24 Please confirm whether the Government will evaluate an offeror’s credentialing, privileging, security clearance, and quality assurance infrastructure, including invoice accuracy and reporting compliance, as part of the technical or risk evaluation.

The government is in the process of determining the criteria. This information and/or any pertinent information will be included in the solicitation.

25 Please confirm the Government’s invoice processing and payment approach, including whether disputed disincentive deductions delay payment of the full invoice or only the disputed portion. Pg. 24; Section C.50

FOH works with offerors utilizing “draft invoices” and documentation to resolve any monthly discrepancies that exist prior to final invoice submission into the Invoice Processing Payment (IPP) system. There is considerable coordination between FOH and its vendors in the “draft invoice” process to ensure there are no disputed disincentives that would delay payment after submission into IPP.

26 Please confirm whether the RFI Question sheet is included in the ten (10) page maximum limit for responses, or if the page limit applies only to the narrative and open-ended answers. RFI Section F- Information Submission, pg 3

No, the excel RFI Question sheet is not included in the ten (10) page maximum limit for responses, the page limit applies only to the narrative and open-ended answers.

27 If the prime contractor holds current TJC (The Joint Commission) certification or accreditation, does this fulfill the TJC requirement for all proposed personnel, or is it necessary for each individual team member and subcontractor to also hold TJC certification or accreditation. Draft SOW- C.5 Requirements (Occupational Health Standards) pg 6

Please refer to item #21 for response

28 Is there a preferred format or template for the Sources Sought response?

Yes, refer to the instructions in Notice ID # PSCFOH-ClinicalWest-PSC347298.

29 Please confirm whether the required formatting (single-spaced, 12-pt font, margins) applies to all content, including tables and graphics?

Yes, the required formatting (single-spaced, 12-pt font, margins) applies to all content, including tables and graphics.

30 Does the 10-page limit include the cover letter? No, the Cover letter will be outside of the 10 pages limit. The Cover Letter should address the specific information that is required in the Notice ID # PSCFOH-ClinicalWest-PSC347298.

31 Are appendices allowed, or should everything be within the page limit?

Yes, everything should be within the page limit.

32 Please confirm whether FOH has a preferred file format for submission (e.g., PDF vs. Word)?

Prefer format is PDF.

33 Is FOH planning a single-award or multiple-award contract?

This is a Single Award IDIQ.

34 Are there priority or high-volume locations in the Clinical West Region?

All sites are considered a priority. Volume of each site ebbs and flows depending upon the agency workload; which is always fluctuating.

35 Is active Joint Commission certification required at the time of proposal submission?

Yes.

36 Will FOH consider firms that are in the process of obtaining or renewing Joint Commission certification?

TJC Accreditation/Certification must be obtained and/or current at time of proposal submission.

37 Does FOH anticipate seasonal or event-driven staffing surges during the contract period?

Yes.

38 Will task orders be primarily steady-state staffing or short-term/ad hoc requirements?

Task Orders will primarily be steady-state but there are times that short-term/ad hoc may be required and will be communicated as far in advance as possible.

39 Will FOH consider subcontractor or teaming partner past performance as part of the evaluation?

The term “offeror” is inclusive of the prime, predecessor companies, key personnel and subcontractors for which past performance will be evaluated. FOH will consider the relevancy and quality of the offeror’s past performance to assess the risk of unsuccessful contract performance. If quality information is not available for a reference, the reference will not be evaluated for relevance, nor considered in determining the overall risk rating.

40 Is FOH open to retaining incumbent clinical staff, subject to FOH approval and credentialing?

Yes.

41 Please confirm the intended contract type and ordering construct (e.g., single-award vs multiple-award; IDIQ vs requirements-type; use of task orders/work orders). The draft SOW references task orders/work orders and task-order-driven scope changes; confirmation will affect pricing and staffing risk.

Single Award IDIQ.

42 Please provide the current Site Staffing Plan (Attachment J.2) and labor category requirements (Attachment J.3), or a notional staffing plan if these will be released later.

Provided in separate attachment.

Without these, offerors cannot size recruitment pipelines, PRN pools, and transition-in activities.

43 Please clarify whether SPS additions/deletions (Section C.41) are expected to be frequent and how often the Site Staffing Plan is typically updated.

SPS additions/deletions occur and are not expected frequently. However, the frequency of such is not in FOH’s control as all work performed supports differing federal agencies whose workload may increase/decrease dependent upon their individual needs. The Site Staffing Plan is updated at any point there is a needed revision due to additions/deletions and made available to all necessary staff.

44 The draft SOW allows FOH to require staffing outside the West region via task order and supplemental price proposal (SPP). Please clarify expected frequency and whether limits (geographic, hours, ceiling) will be established for these out-of-region requests.

Very low frequency of this occurring as there are other regional staffing contracts, performed by other vendors, responsible for this type of work. As FOH manages these separate regional staffing contracts, the intent behind this statement is to ensure assistance can occur between the regions if needed.

In the event this must occur, all reasonable accommodations will be made to limit inconveniences.

45 Please provide the incumbent staffing roster by SPS and labor category (or an anonymized staffing count by site) to support realistic transition planning and recruiting lead times.

FOH will provide to the offeror within five (5) business days after contract award.

46 Please confirm whether FOH anticipates any changes to hours of operation/staffing during the base period, and how far in advance such changes are typically communicated.

FOH cannot predict the future of any hour of operation changes at clinics. If this does occur, notification will be provided as far in advance as possible.

47 Please clarify the expected approach for PRN pool sizing. The draft SOW states that no baseline is established; will FOH provide historical absence/vacancy rates or expected PRN utilization by month/season (e.g., during the influenza campaign season)?

While a baseline is not established for how many PRN PerSCs is required, the Contractor should maintain the PRN pool at an adequate level to ensure continuous clinic operations.

48 Please confirm whether job-sharing is permitted for all steady-state positions or only by exception, and what the expected approval timeline is.

Yes, it is permitted. The Offeror can use Job- Sharing using two (2) PerSCs to cover a single steady- state position on the Site Staffing Plan. Job sharing shall be approved in writing in advance by the COR or their designee prior to any Job-Sharing performance start.

49 Please clarify whether PerSCs are expected to travel between SPSs, and how commuting vs reimbursable travel is defined for this requirement (including outreach activities).

PerSC’s may be required to travel between SPS’s. If PerSC’s are required to travel to an SPS to provide coverage for another staff member’s absence, no travel will be reimbursed as there is a general requirement to ensure all clinics are in an “open” status. There is no reimbursement of commuting.

There may be reimbursable travel in events such as a staff member needing to travel to a differing SPS in order to provide orientation services or similar events. In those events, a request and subsequent authorization must be requested and provided.

50 Please describe the end-to-end security clearance workflow for PerSCs (forms, systems used, common rejection reasons, and typical cycle times by facility type). The SOW includes daily disincentives for incomplete packages; cycle-time clarity reduces rework and vacancy risk.

Provided in separate attachment.

51 Please confirm whether FOH accepts credentialing/privileging packets via a secure portal, encrypted email, or another method; and whether a standardized checklist will be provided.

Yes, a secure “Box” account is utilized to submit packets. A standardized checklist will be provided.

52 Please clarify whether different customer agencies impose additional clearance steps beyond FOH (e.g., elevated site security that limits email access) and whether those steps vary by SPS.

Yes, there are some customer agencies that impose additional clearance steps beyond FOH’s. These steps vary by agency and assistance will be provided by FOH to accomplish any additional clearances.

53 Please confirm the minimum credentialing artifacts required for each labor category (beyond Attachment J.5) and identify any SPSs with known state-specific licensure constraints for certain activities.

The minimum credentialing documents for Licensed Independent Practitioners are listed in FOH HR ATT

153.3 Credentials Required for Privilege

Consideration. For other Labor Categories, the credential requirements are listed in FOH HR SOP

152.1 Credentials Verification Procedures. State-

specific licensure constraints are determined by type of provider and type of activity. The vendor should adhere to applicable state-specific constraints for activities.

54 Please clarify what FOH considers acceptable evidence of working knowledge of TJC-AC standards and FOH policies for PerSCs (e.g., completion certificates, competency checklists, mock survey participation).

Knowledge of and strict adherence to safety, quality, documentation and all standards set forth by TJC;

knowledge of and adherence to all FOH policies and procedures; completion of all quizzes, competencies, mock drills, trainings, and other requirements for the position; maintenance of all licensures and certifications as required for the position.

55 Please confirm which training is FOH-provided vs contractor-provided, and which is billable vs non-billable (e.g., nurse/LIP orientation hours are billable at the PerSC hourly rate).

FOH will provide the required training/s associated with each labor category to perform at the required level of performance – any work performed under this capability is billable. It is difficult to elaborate on trainings that are non-billable now; the COR and the offeror will work together to determine the status of “billable/non-billable” trainings as they arise during the performance of the contract.

56 Please confirm whether FOH will provide templates for the recurring reports (vacancy report, license verification report, site schedule report, AED/BBP reports, etc.) and the preferred secure transmission method.

Yes, FOH will provide these templates.

57 Please clarify whether invoice deduction caps or cure periods will be applied to certain administrative deliverables to avoid unintended performance distortions while maintaining accountability.

There are no caps on disincentives; all deliverables should be submitted according to the stated requirements. COR discretion is applicable for disincentives and discussions can occur between COR and offeror to resolve any issues as they arise