ready to post DRAFT Sources Sought DESCRIPTION SPS_12.10.docx

Sources Sought Notice

DESCRIPTION

This is a sources sought notice that is for information purposes only and it is not a solicitation announcement or an obligation or commitment by the Government. This notice is intended strictly for market research.

The Department of Veterans Affairs - Network Contracting Office 17 is seeking information in response to this Sources Sought Notice for market research purposes only. Interested Service- Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Small Business Administration Section 8a, Women-Owned, and other socio-economically disadvantaged small businesses who believe they possess the experience and qualifications to successfully perform the scope of work described below are encouraged to respond in order for us to make a set-aside determination. Any business, regardless of business size may respond to this sources sought notice.

Responses are being sought from qualified businesses capable of providing the required supplies and services outlined in the draft SOW below. The anticipated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code(s) for the work is:

811210, Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance (Small Business size standard of $34 Million dollars annually).

Summary of Project Scope The Department of Veterans Affairs - Network Contracting Office 17 is seeking to determine if the capability exists for Sterile Processing Service (SPS) located in Abilene Texas. The Abilene Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) requires a contractor to perform SPS services (primarily dental and urological ultrasound). All items must be shipped/received and processed by the company/contractor, at the company’s/contractor’s site, with a 48-hour turnaround timeframe. Service is to include transport of instruments and probes to be cleaned and sterilized at the contractor’s facility, and returned to the Abilene CBOC. This service is intended for use by the West Texas Veterans Health Care System, located at 300 W Veterans Blvd, Big Spring, TX 79720-5566. Please refer to the draft Statement of Work below for additional details.

Interested Parties Potential candidates having the capabilities necessary to provide the stated services at a fair and reasonable price are invited to respond to this Sources Sought Notice via email. Contract Specialist Romya Turner at Romya.turner@va.gov, no later than December 15th, 2025, 4:30 PM CST. No telephone inquiries will be accepted.

All responses to this notice MUST provide the following information:

1. Company name, address, SAM UEI number, point of contact name, phone number and email address.

2. Business size and representation(s) of the company (i.e., Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Hubzone, Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Large Business, etc.)

3. If SDVOSB or VOSB, can business comply with clause VAAR 852.219-75 - VA NOTICE OF LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING—CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE FOR SERVICES AND CONSTRUCTION (JAN 2023) (DEVIATION) in fulfilling the requirements within the draft Statement of Work?

4. Is the company considered a small business under the NAICS code 811210 identified under this sources sought?

5. Capability statement as it relates to the attached draft Statement of Work and any other information that can aide in determining capability (i.e. compatibility requirements).

6. Does the company have a current federal contract (i.e., GSA, NAC, SAC, NASA SEWP etc.)? If so, provide the contract type, number, and expiration date.

7. If the company has a current federal contract, are the services being offered available on the contract?

In addition to the information above and demonstration to the government that the interested party can provide the required supplies that fulfill the required specifications in the draft SOW, please provide:

• Any questions/concerns in regard to the Draft SOW.

Disclaimer and Important Notes: This Sources Sought Notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. This Sources Sought Notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. The Government will treat any information received as proprietary and will not share such information with other companies. Any organization responding to this Sources Sought Notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. The Government may or may not issue a solicitation as a result of this announcement. There is no solicitation available at this time.

/END OF NOTICE/

**DRAFT STATEMENT OF WORK

WEST TEXAS VETERANS’ HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (WTVAHCS)

SPS Sterilization Services

Description of Services:

The contractor shall supply all tools, parts, materials, equipment, and supplies for decontaminating, reprocessing and repackaging reusable medical devices (RMD) for pick up, cleaning and sterilization and shipment back to the Abilene Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). DRAFT

Scope: The Abilene CBOC requires a contractor to perform Sterile Processing Service (SPS) services (primarily dental and urological ultrasound). All items must be shipped/received and processed by the company/contractor, at the company’s/contractor’s site, with a 48-hour turnaround timeframe. Services must include transport for instruments and probes to be cleaned and sterilized at the contractor’s facility, and returned to the Abilene CBOC. Pickup and delivery shall occur daily, Monday through Friday. Cleaning and sterilization shall be completed with the vendor’s equipment and supplies. The suggested equipment the company can use includes ultrasonic washers, instrument washers, steam sterilizers, and low temperature sterilizers such as Sterrad or VIPRO. It is expected the contractor will have necessary equipment such as the aforementioned to complete the needed sterilization. Turnaround time shall not exceed 48hrs from pickup to delivery. The contracting facility will need to provide critical water results performed for their sterile processing department in accordance with AAMI ST 108 Water for the Processing of Medical Devices.

Instrument Defect and Loss: Upon receipt, the contractor shall inspect all equipment and RMD for defects, such as staining or corrosion. Defective RMD shall not be processed for cleaning, sterilization or repackaging. If discovered, the contractor shall return the RMD to the CBOC in marked packaging labeled as defective.

Locations: The contractor must have backup facilities for the decontamination and sterilization of RMD to allow for flexibility and continuity of care in case one facility cannot accommodate the VA during required timeframes.

Special Requirements: WTVAHCS will provide, at the time of pickup, a complete list of surgical trays, cassettes, peel packs, and instruments, including count sheets, which are part of the delivery and are to be completely reprocessed by vendor's staff. If necessary, the WTVAHCS SPS Staff will also provide manufacturers’ instructions, recommendations, or guidelines for the decontamination and sterilization of the surgical trays and instruments delivered. WTVAHCS staff will also perform an inventory prior to pickup to ensure chain of custody during the entire process at the contractor’s site.

CONTINGENCY:

In the event there is an inability to provide reprocessing resources due to failure in the sterilization equipment and/or limited utilization or availability of equipment of the contractor, the contractor shall provide additional resources to provide for coverage of the procured services for the Abilene CBOC (i.e., alternate facility, mobile etc.).

INVOICE: DRAFT

The Contractor shall invoice for the instrument sets, wrapped sets and peel packs sent for decontamination, reprocessing and repackaging and shipment back to the Abilene CBOC monthly.

The Contractor shall issue a monthly detailed invoice to the POC for the usage of the facility, equipment, and supplies. All invoices are paid in arrears. All items must be received before invoicing.

PHYSICAL SECURITY: The contractor shall safeguard all government property provided for Contractor use. At the close of each work period, Contractor facilities, government property, and materials shall be secured.DRAFT

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS: In performing work under this contract, the contractor shall:

a. Conform to the safety requirements contained in the contract for all activities related to the accomplishment of the work.

b. Take such additional immediate precautions as the contracting officer may reasonably require for safety and mishap prevention purposes.

c. Provide protection of government property to prevent damage during the period of time the property is under the control or in possession of the contractor.

d. Record and report promptly (within one hour) to the contracting officer or designated government representative all available facts relating to each instance of damage to government property.

e. In the event of an accident/mishap, take reasonable and prudent action to establish control of the accident/mishap scene, prevent further damage to persons or property, and preserve evidence until released by the accident/mishap investigative authority through the contracting officer.

f. If the government elects to conduct an investigation of the accident/mishap, the Contractor shall cooperate fully and assist WTVAHCS personnel to conduct the investigation until the investigation is completed.

GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY:

The WTVAHCS SPS Chief will provide the Contractor with one electronic and/or hard copy of all count sheets for instrument sets to be processed onsite at the Contractor’s facility.

No work shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer.

National Holidays: The 11 Holidays observed by the Federal Government are:

New Year’s Day Labor Day

Independence Day

*And any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a National Holiday.

Any overtime and/or holiday pay that may be entitled to the personnel performing under this contract shall be the sole responsibility of the Contractor and shall not be billed to nor reimbursed by the Government.DRAFT

RECORDS MANAGER:

All records (administrative and program specific) created during the period of the contract belong to the West Texas Veterans Affairs Health Care System (WTVAHCS) and must be returned to WTVAHCS at the end of the contract or destroyed in accordance with the VHA Record Control Schedule (RCS)10-1.DRAFT

WTVAHCS staff shall comply with all applicable records management laws and regulations, as well as National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records policies, including but not limited to the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. chs. 21,29,31, and33) NARA regulations at 36CFR Chapter XII Subchapter B, and those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a). These policies include the preservation of all records, regardless of form or characteristics, mode of transmission, or state of completion.

In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for Government use and delivered to, or falling under legal control of, the Government are Federal records subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21,29,31,and 33, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C 552), as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statue or regulation.

In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, WTVAHCS shall maintain all records created for Government use or created in the course of performing the contract and/or delivered to, or under the legal control of the Government and must be managed in accordance with Federal Law. Electronic records and associated metadata must be accompanied by sufficient technical documentation to permit understanding and use of the records and data.

WTVAHCS and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of WTVAHCS or destroyed except for in accordance with the provisions of the agency records schedules and with the written concurrence of the Head of the Contracting Activity.

Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. In the unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration or destruction of records, Contractor must report to ELPSHAHCA records officer. The agency must report promptly to NARA in accordance with 36 CFR 1230.

The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate Contracting Officer upon discovery of any inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of information, data, documentary materials, records or equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorizes personnel with a need-to-know as described in the contract. The Contractor shall ensure that the appropriate personnel, administrative technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is properly protected. The Contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems or facilities or systems operated or maintained on the Governments behalf, without the express written permission of the Head of Contracting Activity. When all information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment are no longer required, it shall be returned to WTVAHCS control, or the Contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items returned to the Government shall be hand carried, mailed, emailed, or securely electronically transmitted to the Contracting Officer or address prescribed in the contract. Destruction of records is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4).DRAFT

WTVAHCS is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, contracts. The contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and WTVAHCS guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary information, classified, and controlled unclassified information.

The WTVAHCS staff shall only use Government IT equipment for purposes specifically tied to or authorized by the contract and in accordance with WTVAHCS policy.

The Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy act of 1974 or that which is generally protected from public disclosure by an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act.

WTVAHCS owns the rights to all data and records produced as part of this contract. All deliverables under the contract are the property of the U.S. Government for which [Agency} shall have limited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Any Contractors rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20.

//End of Notice//DRAFT