RFP and Evaluation Instructions VR Simulators Version 1.docx

Request for Proposal

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Place of Delivery: 3 National Cemeteries (See Statement of Work for specific addresses)

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.603 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation is issued as a Request for Proposal solicitation number 36C78624Q50378.

This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2024-06, dated 7/31/2024.

SOLICITATION NOTICE OF TIERED EVALUATIONS:

This procurement is set-aside based on an order of priority as established in 38 USC 8127.

TIERED EVALUATIONS INCLUDING SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS: This solicitation is being issued as a tiered evaluation for SDVOSB concerns, or in the alternative, a tiered evaluation for VOSB concerns, or in the alternative, a set-aside for other small business concerns. If award cannot be made, the solicitation will be cancelled, and the requirement resolicited as an unrestricted requirement.

Any vendor claiming SDVOSB or VOSB status must be registered as such at Veteran Small Business Certification (sba.gov) before the solicitation closes. Any offer rendered, of which SDVOSB or VOSB status is claimed which are not registered, will be considered non-responsive and will not be accepted.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE:

The (NAICS) code for this procurement is 333310. The business size standard 1,000 employees.

This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach.

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, anticipates the award of an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract. IDIQ Contracts does not procure or specify a firm quantity of services (other than a minimum or maximum quantity). The awardee shall be issued via Task Orders (TOs) for the performance of services during the period of the contract. This IDIQ Contract is for the National Cemetery Administration. Supplies will be distributed to various National Cemeteries.

RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: Proposals are due to the Contracting officer no later than 15:00 EST on 09/05/2024. Responses to this announcement will result in an 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. Offerors are responsible for obtaining all amendments or additional information concerning this announcement.

SOLICITATION QUESTIONS:

All questions regarding this solicitation are to be submitted to the Contracting Officer, via email, no later than close of business, 8/29/2024. Questions pertaining to this announcement shall be sent by email to: Paul.Zagaruyka@va.gov with a copy to Katherine.Iacovelli@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 the interested Offeror, the proposal will be considered Non-Responsive.

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS:

Interested Offerors MUST be registered 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. Failure to comply will result in the offeror being considered non-Responsive.

All offers are to be submitted to the Contracting Officer, via email at Kathereine.Iacovelli@va.gov, with a copy to Paul.Zagaruyka@va.gov no later than 15:00 on 9/5//2024.

PROPOSAL PREPARATON INSTRUCTIONS: Offerors shall submit pricing and marketing information as detailed below:

Company Information:

The following information shall be included:

· Legal Business/Company Name (as listed in www.sam.gov)

· Complete Company Address (No P.O. Boxes)

· SAM Unique Entity ID

· Company Point of Contact Name and Title

· Point of Contact Telephone Number

· Point of Contact Email Address

· One (1) Signed Copy of all Solicitation Amendments

· One (1) copy of Completed FAR Provisions 52.212-3 “Certifications and Representations” or indicate whether contractor has completed the annual representation and certifications electronically at www.sam.gov (copy of current SAM status)

· Marketing information, brochures, not only links to a website.

SUMMARY INTRODUCTION

The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) National Training Center (NTC) is building a comprehensive Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO) Training program. This program will be enhanced through the acquisition of Virtual Reality (VR) Simulators. These simulators will be initially used across three regional training sites to conduct multiple HEO training courses annually, thereby reducing the backlog of NCA equipment operators.

The Simulators will be portable so that the training sites can be moved as needed. This contract will significantly enhance the NCA’s HEO training capabilities, ensuring compliance with OSHA requirements, reducing safety violations, and fostering a proficient workforce. NCA has various types of heavy equipment, including articulated dump trucks, backhoes, mini-excavators, and compact track loaders (skid steer).

NCA is soliciting for a Base + 4 Option Year contract with delivery, installation, and testing of all equipment with user training in the Base Year and updates, maintenance and extended warranties if available in the Option Years.

Statement Of Work:

The scope includes the provision of 12 VR training simulators, 3 instructor units, necessary software, installation, and testing, user training, technical support services and warranty to facilitate comprehensive HEO training at three designated regional training sites. Delivery is included.

· Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, CA 92518,

· Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, 20953 West Hoff Road, Elwood, IL 60421 and

· Calverton National Cemetery, 210 Princeton Boulevard, Calverton, NY 11933-1031.

Simulators must be desktop/laptop units without VR goggles and replicate at a minimum:

· articulated dump trucks,

· backhoes,

· mini-excavators, and

· compact track loaders or skid steers

Accessories should include:

· monitor,

· steering wheel,

· foot pedals,

· gear shifts,

· hand controls and

· any other control needed to realistically duplicate the controls of the previously mentioned heavy equipment.

Accessories should be easily detachable to allow simulator to realistically duplicate number of pedals and type of maneuvering and implement use in various types of heavy equipment.

The instructor units should enable the instructor to monitor the progress at each station. The simulators should have the ability to change weather, traction, obstacles, and other commonly changing real-life elements. The simulators must be compatible with various brands of equipment (Case, Caterpillar, Komatsu, New Holland, Kubota, Bobcat, JCB, Dosan, Volvo, Liebherr, Sandvik, John Deere, Kubota, Coyote, and Wacker Neuson).

Simulations shall promote safety and compliance with OSHA regulations.

Software will have the ability to test participants skills in real time based on industry standard metrics including cycle times, accuracy, incident/near miss tracking, safety infractions, task completion, scenario-based performance, and environmental/situational awareness. Data that is captured will be used to provide detailed performance reports (e.g., score, where and when mistakes happened, etc.), technical reports (equipment operation) and soft skills reports (e.g., decision making, safety awareness). A built-in scoring system will automatically track and evaluate performance metrics such as accuracy, efficiency, and adherence to safety protocols, and will yield consistent results across different participants and over repeated trials, with the ability for both progressive learning (basic skills advancing to more complex skills) and self-guided learning (progress at own pace with opportunities for self-assessment and reflection).

Physical or digital user manuals are required.

Transport cases shall be included. Units shall be portable to enable training at multiple National Cemeteries.

Initial on-site in-person training of user instructors at installation sites will be scheduled in agreement with each site. Training is to be performed during the first month after delivery or as scheduled by the sites. Training dates will be staggered.

Further training at no cost to the Government for major updates and upgrades if NCA requires it. These trainings shall be through live web-based seminars and offered a maximum-twice each to account for differing time zones or once each if Government can accommodate. Upgrades shall be provided to keep equipment relevant, effective, and compliant with Federal standards.

A user help desk is required Monday-Friday, from 9 AM to 6 PM EST.

All data generated is the property of the National Cemetery Administration.

Contractor’s Technical Proposal:

The following shall be included as part of the Offeror’s technical submission:

· Equipment specifications and capabilities.

· Detailed warranty information, estimated number and type software updates.

· List of coverages provided by the annual maintenance fee.

· Estimated length of serviceable usage of the items and accessories composing of the training units especially those subject to physical use, i.e. foot pedals joysticks, etc.

· Documentation showcasing their capabilities and experience in providing the specified service/equipment in field settings which include narrow spaces, foliage, steep grades, weather related issues, and

· Screen shots of the real time data collected and the performance metrics of the software/equipment.

· Documentation showing trainers have the ability to demonstrate the use of the system to multi-level users, answer questions knowledgably and trouble shoot issues that arise during the hands-on trainings.

· Documentation showing the help desk personnel have the qualifications and knowledge to quickly provide correct answers, troubleshooting and technical assistance when contacted.

Past Performance Information Interested Offerors shall list any government contracts involving Heavy Equipment Virtual Reality Simulators using the Past Performance Questionnaire included in this Request for Proposal. No more than 4 references in the past three years.

Pricing Proposed pricing shall be submitted on the Price Schedule. Proposed price should be best and final and all-inclusive of items, labor, training, shipping, travel, training, warranties, upgrades and updates, and all other requirements in this document. Due to the size of this order and potential for four Option Years, volume discounting should be considered.

EVALUATION PROCESS:

Overview The Government intends to award an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract resulting from this Solicitation to the responsible Offeror whose Offer/Proposal provides the best benefit to the Government, price and other factors considered. Proposals/Offers will be evaluated by performing a comparative evaluation in accordance with FAR 13.106-2(b)(3) to determine which response represents the “best” as a whole.

Proposals/Offerors will be evaluated by performing a direct comparison of one Proposal/Offer with another in a uniform manner to determine which Proposal/Offer provides the government with its needs, as identified in the Request for Proposal. The government reserves the right to consider a response that Proposal or Offers more than the minimum and select that response if it provides a benefit to the Government.

The proposal will first be evaluated for the vendor’s response to the above requirements to determine if it contains the required information. Any proposals missing the required information listed in Company Information above, the Past Performance Questionnaires and the Price Schedule filled out and not manipulated will be removed from further considerations as technically non-responsive.

Next the proposal and marketing materials will be reviewed for compliance with NCA’s requirements as listed in the Summary Introduction, Statement of Work and Contractor’s Technical Proposal Sections. The submission will be reviewed and compared on how it demonstrates a sound, thorough and viable technical approach, demonstrates subject matter expertise and an understanding of the requirement.

Price:

A fair and reasonable price determination will be made through any combination of the following methods per FAR 15.404.

1. Comparison of proposed prices received in response to the solicitation.

2. Comparison of proposed prices with independent Government cost estimates.

The government has the discretion to accept other than the lowest priced Proposal/Offer that provides additional benefits. The government also has the discretion to make an award based on whether the lowest priced of the Proposal/Offer having the highest past performance rating possible represents the best benefit to the government.

TIERED EVALUATION INFORMATION

This procurement is set-aside based on an order of priority as established in 38 U.S.C. 8127. This solicitation is being issued as tiered evaluation that includes the following tiers: (1) SDVOSB concerns, (2) VOSB concerns, (3) small business (SB) concerns, with HUBZone small business concerns and 8(a) participants having priority and (4) large business (LB) concerns. If award cannot be made in any of these tiers, the solicitation will be canceled and the requirement re-solicited. Adequate competition exists if; (1) proposals are received from at least one responsible offeror if SDVOSB or VOSB or two if SB; (2) each of whom can satisfy the contract's requirements.

independently; (3) both contend for a contract which will be won by the offeror whose proposal meets or exceeds technical requirement and; (4) price is reasonable.

If adequate competition is met as described in above and a proposal also meets the standards for the factors, the award procedure will be initiated. If adequate competition is not met, or prices are not reasonable, competition will proceed at the next tier.

The process through the tiers will be executed as needed in the manner below:

a. Offers submitted by eligible SDVOSB concerns will be evaluated in accordance with the solicitation and the CO will determine if an award can be made within the SDVOSB tier. If an award can be made within this tier, offers from the remaining tiers will not be considered for award. If no offers are submitted by eligible SDVOSB concerns, or if none of the offers will result in award at a fair and reasonable price, the evaluation will proceed to the next tier for VOSB concerns.

b. Offers submitted by eligible VOSB concerns will be evaluated in accordance with the solicitation and the CO will determine if an award can be made within the VOSB tier. If an award can be made within this tier, offers from the remaining tiers will not be considered for award. If no offers are submitted by eligible VOSB concerns, or if none of the offers will result in award at a fair and reasonable price, the evaluation will proceed to the next tier for small business concerns.

c. Offers submitted by eligible small business concerns will be evaluated in accordance with the solicitation and the CO will determine if an award can be made within the small business tier. Within this tier, HUBZone small business concerns WOSB and 8(a) participants will have priority overall other small business concerns. Among the HUBZone small business concerns, WOSB and 8(a)participants, there is no order of precedence. If no offers are submitted by eligible SB concerns, or if none of the offers will result in award at a fair and reasonable price, the evaluation will proceed to the next tier for large business concerns.

d. Offers submitted by eligible LB concerns will be evaluated in accordance with the solicitation and the CO will determine if an award can be made within the LB tier. If no offers are submitted by LB concerns, or if none of the offers will result in award at a fair and reasonable price, the solicitation will be canceled.

e. If only one proposal is received and evaluated in a tier, award can be made to the sole offeror if the proposal meets or exceeds the requirements of the solicitation, the proposed price is determined fair and reasonable, and the offeror is otherwise eligible for award.