Solicitation 36C25626Q1048 Tree removal.pdf

A.1 COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

1. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with part 12. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Offers are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued.

This requirement will be evaluated on a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable basis.

2. Combined synopsis/solicitation number 36C25626Q1048 is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ) for the removal of twenty three (23) dead or dying trees or limbs located at the Alexandria Veterans Affairs Medical Center as marked by the Government.

3. Solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular FAC 2026-01 (eff. 03/13/2026)

4. This requirement is a Total Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Set Aside. The North American Industry Classification System number is 561730 with a size standard of $9.5M. Only quotes from Small Business Administration certified SDVOSB will be accepted in consideration of award.

5. Place of Performance:

Alexandria VA Medical Center (AVAMC) 2495 Shreveport Highway Pineville, LA 71360

6. Period of Performance: August 3, 2026 through September 30, 2026.

7. SITE VISIT: A site visit is scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, 2026. The time and location are detailed below:

Date/Time: July 22, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. (CST) Location: Alexandria VA Medical Center

2495 Shreveport Highway Pineville, LA 71360-4044

**Quoters are urged and expected to inspect the site where work will be performed, attendance of the site visit is strongly encouraged.

Site Visit Facilitator: Roberto Oneal | Roberto.Oneal@va.gov | (318) 466-2304

Contractors wishing to view the location of service requirements identified in this solicitation are encouraged to attend this site visit. Attendance is not mandatory, but quotes could be affected.

This responsibility is on the Contractor. No other site visit will be scheduled. Please confirm via email to Contracting Officer (CO) and Site Facilitator via email if contractor anticipates attending.

CS: Tammy DeMille, tammy.demille@va.gov Facilitator: Roberto Oneal, Roberto.Oneal@va.gov

8. All questions regarding this solicitation shall be submitted via email to the Contract Specialist, Tammy DeMille at tammy.demille@va.gov no later than 12:00PM Central Time on July 24, 2026.

9. Quotes are due no later than July 28, 2026 at 2:00PM Central Time and shall be submitted electronically via e-mail to the Contract Specialist, Tammy DeMille at tammy.demille@va.gov.

APPLICABLE Provisions and Clauses:

The provision at 52.212-1 Introduction to Offerors – Commercial, applies to this acquisition.

The provision at 52.212-2 EVALUATION – COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JAN 1999) applies to this acquisition.

The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and a statement. The addendum to FAR 52.212-4 also applies to this acquisition.

Addendum to FAR 52.212-4 Show FAR clauses followed by VAAR clauses in numeric order.

Solicitation contains a list of all clauses incorporated by reference in numeric order under 52.252-2 (see below), starting first with FAR and followed by VAAR.

36C25626Q1048

Table of Contents

A.1 COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

SECTION B – CONTINUATION OF COMBINED SYNOPSIS-SOLICITATION

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

B.2 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

ITEM INFORMATION

B.3 DELIVERY SCHEDULE

B.4 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

SECTION C - CONTRACT CLAUSES

C.1 52.222-42 STATEMENT OF EQUIVALENT RATES FOR FEDERAL HIRES (MAY

2014)

C.2 52.222-90 ADDRESSING DEI DISCRIMINATION BY FEDERAL CONTRACTORS

(DEVIATION APR 2026)

C.3 52.240-91 SECURITY PROHIBITIONS AND EXCLUSIONS (NOV 2025)

(DEVIATION)

C.4 52.252-6 AUTHORIZED DEVIATIONS IN CLAUSES (NOV 2020)

C.5 VAAR 852.219-73 VA NOTICE OF TOTAL SET-ASIDE FOR CERTIFIED

SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES (JAN 2023)

(DEVIATION)

C.6 VAAR 852.219-75 VA NOTICE OF LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING—

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE FOR SERVICES AND CONSTRUCTION (JAN 2023)

(DEVIATION)

C.7 52.252-2 CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

C.8 VAAR 852.242-71 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTING OFFICER (OCT 2020)

SECTION D - CONTRACT DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, OR ATTACHMENTS

D.1 SERVICE CONTRACT ACT WD # 2015-5175

SECTION E - SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

E.1 52.209-2 PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH INVERTED DOMESTIC

CORPORATIONS—REPRESENTATION (NOV 2015)

E.2 52.209-11 REPRESENTATION BY CORPORATIONS REGARDING DELINQUENT

TAX LIABILITY OR A FELONY CONVICTION UNDER ANY FEDERAL LAW (FEB 2016)

E.3 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (NOV 2025) (DEVIATION)

E.4 52.219-1 SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM REPRESENTATIONS (NOV 2025)

(DEVIATION)

E.5 52.240-90 SECURITY PROHIBITIONS AND EXCLUSIONS REPRESENTATIONS

AND CERTIFICATIONS (NOV 2025) (DEVIATION)

E.6 52.252-5 AUTHORIZED DEVIATIONS IN PROVISIONS (NOV 2020)

E.7 VAAR 852.252-70 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS OR CLAUSES INCORPORATED

BY REFERENCE (JAN 2008)

E.8 52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB

1998)

52.212-2 EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (NOV 2021)

SECTION B – CONTINUATION OF COMBINED SYNOPSIS-

SOLICITATION

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

1. Contract Administration: All contract administration matters will be handled by the following individuals:

a. CONTRACTOR: Quoter shall complete the following – Business’ name and address:

Business’ Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):

Business’ Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code:

Point of Contact information:

b. GOVERNMENT: Contracting Officer 36C256 Tammy DeMille, tammy.demille@va.gov Contract Specialist 36C256 Alan Scanio alan.scanio@va.gov

Department of Veterans Affairs Network Contracting Office 16 5075 Westheimer Road, Suite 750 Houston TX 77056-5643

2. CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: All payments by the Government to the contractor will be made in accordance with:

[X] 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—System For Award

Management, or [X] 52.232-36, Payment by Third Party

3. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears:

a. Quarterly []

b. Semi-Annually []

c. Other [X] Upon completion of contract performance.

4. GOVERNMENT INVOICE ADDRESS: All Invoices from the contractor shall be submitted electronically in accordance with VAAR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS: The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the Solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

AMENDMENT NO DATE

B.2 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE

ITEM INFORMATION

ITEM

NUMBE

R

DESCRIPTION OF

SUPPLIES/SERVI

CES

QUANTI

TY

UNI

T UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

1.00 JB _______________

Contractor shall remove and dispose of twenty-three (23) dead or dying trees and limbs as indicated by the Government in accordance with the Performance Work Statement herein.

Contract Period: Base POP Begin: 08-03-2026 POP End: 09-30-2026 PRINCIPAL NAICS CODE: 561730 - Landscaping Services PRODUCT/SERVICE CODE: S208 - Housekeeping - Landscaping/Groundskeeping

MANUFACTURER PART NUMBER (MPN): N/A

GRAND TOTAL _______________

B.3 DELIVERY SCHEDULE

ITEM

NUMBER SHIPPING INFORMATION QUANTITY

DELIVERY

DATE

0001 SHIP TO: Department of Veterans Affairs Alexandria VA Healthcare System 2495 Shreveport Hwy Pineville, LA 71360

USA

1.00 08/03/2026 through 09/30/2026

MARK FOR: Robert Oneal

(318) 466-2304 Roberto.Oneal@va.gov

B.4 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Scope:

The Alexandria Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center located in Alexandria, Louisiana, requires the one-time removal of twenty three (23) trees and limbs as identified and marked by the Government. The Contractor shall provide all labor, equipment, tools, materials, and supervision necessary to remove dead and damaged trees as well as damaged limbs from all campus grounds in open areas, the grounds surrounding the Quarters, in the areas near parking areas and building, and near roadways, sidewalks, steps, and ramps as needed to protect property, personnel, our Veterans and VA Campus visitors, vehicles, and vehicular traffic on the Alexandria

– VA Medical Center grounds. This is a non-personal services contract.

1. The Government has scheduled a site visit on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 10:00AM CST. Potential attendees shall contact Roberto Oneal, Roberto.Oneal@va.gov , (318) 466- 2304, prior to July 22, 2026 to notify Mr. Oneal of their intent to attend. Potential quoters are urged and expected to inspect the site where services are to be performed and to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of contract performance, to the extent that the information is reasonably obtainable. In no event shall failure to inspect the site constitute grounds for a claim after contract award.

All questions regarding this solicitation shall be submitted via email to Tammy DeMille at tammy.demille@va.gov no later than 12:00PM CST on July 24, 2026.

2. Contract performance period shall be from August 3, 2026 through September 30, 2026.

3. Place of performance:

Alexandria Veterans Affairs Medical Center 2495 Shreveport Hwy Pineville, LA 71360 Point of Contact: Roberto Oneal, Roberto.Oneal@va.gov , (318) 466-2304

4. The Contractor shall remove dead and damaged trees as well as damaged limbs (23 trees are affected and are marked for removal by the Government) at the Alexandria – VA Health Care System (VA) grounds providing all equipment necessary, to include but not limited to, cranes, saws, stump grinders, and debris removers, to remove these dangerous tree hazards. The tree removal shall be completed in manner to produce and maintain safe passage for pedestrians and vehicles, as well as maintaining building and property safety and appearance. See Attachment A for a sampling of photographs for the trees to be removed. Most of the trees are between 30 and 55 feet tall.

5. The Contractor shall provide cranes, saws, and appropriate equipment as needed to remove dead and damaged trees as well as damaged limbs without creating unsafe conditions to Veterans, Visitors, VA Personnel, buildings, other campus properties, power lines, or vehicles.

6. The Contractor shall coordinate tree removal with Roberto Oneal, Roberto.Oneal@va.gov ,

(318) 466-2304 to start dead and damaged tree removal as well as damaged limbs in each area until the danger of the dead or damaged trees are safely removed. No work will be conducted on VA or Federal Holidays.

7. All equipment used and stored, all materials used and stored, and all removal methods used to remove dead and damaged trees as well as damaged limbs shall be done in such a manner as to not cause damage to grass (turf), landscaping, trees, shrubs, vehicles, structures, fixtures, and people. Pertinent codes and regulations shall be adhered to including but not limited to EPA, NFPA, OSHA, ANSI Z133 safety standards, etc.

8. Dead and damaged trees as well as damaged limbs may be ground, chipped, and cleaned up as needed to safely remove tree debris from the Alexandria – VA Medical Center property.

9. In the event of special circumstances, i.e. excessive rain, wind, or excessive lightning strikes that make dead and damaged tree removal as well as damaged limbs efforts dangerous, permission may be given by the Mr. Oneal to discontinue tree removal until weather permits.

10. The COR will inspect all areas where trees are removed prior to completion of the job to make sure all VA property and equipment isn’t damaged. Contractor shall rake or smooth over the ground and remove tree limbs after completion of stump grinding. (VA grounds personnel will return the area to pre-tree removal status).

11. Restoration: Ruts in lawn areas created by the contractor (e.g. equipment, vehicles, etc.)

shall be repaired, filled and SODDED to match existing as required (seeding will not be accepted) at the Contractor’s expense. Any other site or building damage because of contractor operations shall be restored to ‘match existing’ condition at the Contractor’s expense.

12. Alexandria - VA Health Care System will provide space in front of the Campus in areas of Buildings #1; #7;#45 and the Quarters for the Contractor to store tree removal equipment if needed. Space available is able to accommodate:

one (1) or two (2) tree removal cranes one or two stump grinders gasoline and/or diesel cans of OSHA-approved safety type. All equipment will be filled out of doors. Safety cans will be stored in flammables storage cabinet provided by the VA.

13. The Contractor shall check in through the VA medical center’s Police Department upon arrival to do tree removal activities to receive an Occupancy Badge and leave their Identification to verify their presence on the Campus.

14. The Contractor shall check out through the VA medical center’s Police Department and return their Occupancy Badge and retrieve their Identification when ready to leave the medical center upon completion of tree removal activities for the day.

15. A walk through of the property shall be conducted with the contractor and Mr. Oneal on a daily basis at the conclusion of tree removal activities for the day. Walk through shall look for hazards caused by

16. Hours of Operation: The contractor is responsible for providing services, between the hours of 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings. The Contractor must always maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the Government facility is not closed for the above reasons. This includes the presence of a worker on site daily (Work Week) picking up trash and debris. The Contractor shall ensure stability and continuity in their workforce.

GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL OBSERVED HOLIDAYS: The Government hereby provides notice and Contractor hereby acknowledges receipt that Government personnel observe the listed days as holidays:

New Year's Day January 1 Martin Luther King's Birthday Third Monday in January

President's Birthday Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Juneteenth June 19 Independence Day July 4 Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Veterans Day November 11 Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November Christmas December 25

In addition to the days designated as holidays, the Government observes the following days:

1. Any other day designated by Executive Order;

2. Any other day designated by the President’s Proclamation; and

3. Any other day designated by Federal Statute.

17. Protection of Property:

The contractor shall protect all items from damage. The contractor shall take precaution against damage to the building(s), grounds and furnishings. The contractor shall repair or replace any items related to building(s) or grounds damaged accidentally or on purpose due to actions by the Contractor.

18. Invoice and Payment

Offeror shall submit quotes upon completion. See VAAR Clause 852.232-72, Electronic Submission of Payment Requests for invoicing procedures. Payment will be made upon receipt of a properly prepared detailed invoice, prepared by the Contractor, validated by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). A properly prepared invoice will contain:

a) Invoice Number and Date

b) Contractor’s Name and Address

c) Accurate Purchase Order Number

d) Supply or Service provided

e) Total Amount Due

Payments shall be made in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act out of the Government annual appropriated funds obligated in a task order which will be issued after the contract is awarded.

Note: Invoices that are not in compliance with the aforementioned requirements under this paragraph will be rejected for payments and required to be resubmitted.

SECTION C - CONTRACT CLAUSES

ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS—COMMERCIAL

PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

Clauses 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 clauses are incorporated into 52.212-4 as an addendum to this contract:

C.1 52.222-42 STATEMENT OF EQUIVALENT RATES FOR FEDERAL HIRES

(MAY 2014)

In compliance with the Service Contract Labor Standards statute and the regulations of the Secretary of Labor (29 CFR Part 4), this clause identifies the classes of service employees expected to be employed under the contract and states the wages and fringe benefits payable to each if they were employed by the contracting agency subject to the provisions of 5 U.S.C.5341 or 5332.

This Statement is for Information Only:

It is not a Wage Determination

Employee Class Monetary Wage-Fringe Benefits

(End of Clause)

C.2 52.222-90 ADDRESSING DEI DISCRIMINATION BY FEDERAL

CONTRACTORS (DEVIATION APR 2026)

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause—

Program participation means membership or participation in, or access or admission to:

training, mentoring, or leadership development programs; educational opportunities; clubs;

associations; or similar opportunities that are sponsored or established by the contractor or subcontractor.

Racially discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities means disparate treatment based on race or ethnicity in the recruitment, employment (e.g., hiring, promotions), contracting (e.g., vendor agreements), program participation, or allocation or deployment of an entity's resources.

(b) In connection with the performance of work under this contract, the Contractor agrees as follows:

(1) The Contractor will not engage in any racially discriminatory DEI activities;

(2) The Contractor will furnish all information and reports, including providing access to books, records, and accounts, as required by the Contracting Officer, for purposes of ascertaining compliance with this clause;

(3) In the event of the Contractor's or a subcontractor's noncompliance with this clause, this contract may be canceled, terminated, or suspended in whole or in part, and the Contractor or subcontractor may be declared ineligible for further Government contracts;

(4) The Contractor will report any subcontractor's known or reasonably knowable conduct that may violate this clause to the Contracting Officer and take any appropriate remedial actions directed by the Contracting Officer; and

(5) The Contractor will inform the Contracting Officer if a subcontractor sues the Contractor and the suit puts at issue, in any way, the validity of this clause.

(6) The Contractor recognizes that compliance with the requirements of this clause are material to the Government's payment decisions for purposes of 31 U.S.C. 3729(b)(4).

(c) The Contractor must include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (c), in subcontracts at any tier, including those for commercial products and commercial services, except those where the place of delivery or performance is outside the United States.

(End of Clause)

C.3 52.240-91 SECURITY PROHIBITIONS AND EXCLUSIONS (NOV 2025)

(DEVIATION)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause—

American Security Drone Act-covered foreign entity means an entity included on a list that the Federal Acquisition Security Council (FASC) develops and maintains and publishes in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov (section 1822 of Pub. L. 118-31, 41 U.S.C. 3901 note prec.).

Backhaul means intermediate links between the core network, or backbone network, and the small subnetworks at the edge of the network (e.g., connecting cell phones/towers to the core telephone network). Backhaul can be wireless (e.g., microwave) or wired (e.g., fiber optic, coaxial cable, Ethernet).

Covered application means the social networking service TikTok or any successor application or service developed or provided by ByteDance Limited or an entity owned by ByteDance Limited.

Covered article, as defined in 41 U.S.C. 4713(k), means:

(1) Information technology, as defined in 40 U.S.C. 11101, including cloud computing services of all types;

(2) Telecommunications equipment or telecommunications service, as those terms are defined in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153);

(3) The processing of information on a Federal or non-Federal information system, subject to the requirements of the Controlled Unclassified Information program (see 32 CFR part 2002); or

(4) Hardware, systems, devices, software, or services that include embedded or incidental information technology.

Covered foreign country means The People’s Republic of China.

Covered telecommunications equipment or services means—

(1) Telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities);

(2) For the purpose of public safety, security of Government facilities, physical security surveillance of critical infrastructure, and other national security purposes, video surveillance and telecommunications equipment produced by Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, or Dahua Technology Company (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities);

(3) Telecommunications or video surveillance services provided by such entities or using such equipment; or

(4) Telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services produced or provided by an entity that the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence or the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, reasonably believes to be an entity owned or controlled by, or otherwise connected to, the government of a covered foreign country.

Critical technology means—

(1) Defense articles or defense services included on the United States Munitions List set forth in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations under subchapter M of chapter I of title 22, Code of Federal Regulations;

(2) Items included on the Commerce Control List set forth in Supplement No. 1 to part 774 of the Export Administration Regulations under subchapter C of chapter VII of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, and controlled—

(i) Pursuant to multilateral regimes, including for reasons relating to national security, chemical and biological weapons proliferation, nuclear nonproliferation, or missile technology; or

(ii) For reasons relating to regional stability or surreptitious listening;

(3) Specially designed and prepared nuclear equipment, parts and components, materials, software, and technology covered by part 810 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (relating to assistance to foreign atomic energy activities);

(4) Nuclear facilities, equipment, and material covered by part 110 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (relating to export and import of nuclear equipment and material);

(5) Select agents and toxins covered by part 331 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, part 121 of title 9 of such Code, or part 73 of title 42 of such Code; or

(6) Emerging and foundational technologies controlled pursuant to section 1758 of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4817).

FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system means an unmanned aircraft system manufactured or assembled by an American Security Drone Act—covered foreign entity.

FASCSA order means any of the following orders issued under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act (FASCSA) requiring removing covered articles from executive agency information systems or excluding one or more named sources or named covered articles from executive agency procurement actions, as described in 41 CFR 201-1.303(d) and (e):

(1) The Secretary of Homeland Security may issue FASCSA orders that apply to civilian agencies, to the extent not covered by paragraph (2) or (3) of this definition. This type of FASCSA order may be referred to as a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) FASCSA order.

(2) The Secretary of Defense may issue FASCSA orders that apply to the Department of Defense (DoD) and national security systems other than sensitive compartmented information systems. This type of FASCSA order may be referred to as a DoD FASCSA order.

(3) The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) may issue FASCSA orders that apply to the intelligence community and sensitive compartmented information systems, to the extent not covered by paragraph (2) of this definition. This type of FASCSA order may be referred to as a DNI FASCSA order.

Information technology, as defined in 40 U.S.C. 11101(6)—

(1) Means any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment, used in the automatic acquisition, storage, analysis, evaluation, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information by the executive agency, if the equipment is used by the executive agency directly or is used by a contractor under a contract with the executive agency that requires the use—

(i) Of that equipment; or

(ii) Of that equipment to a significant extent in the performance of a service or the furnishing of a product;

(2) Includes computers, ancillary equipment (including imaging peripherals, input, output, and storage devices necessary for security and surveillance), peripheral equipment designed to be controlled by the central processing unit of a computer, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources; but

(3) Does not include any equipment acquired by a Federal contractor incidental to a Federal contract.

Intelligence community, as defined by 50 U.S.C. 3003(4), means the following—

(1) The Office of the Director of National Intelligence;

(2) The Central Intelligence Agency;

(3) The National Security Agency;

(4) The Defense Intelligence Agency;

(5) The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency;

(6) The National Reconnaissance Office;

(7) Other offices within the Department of Defense for the collection of specialized national intelligence through reconnaissance programs;

(8) The intelligence elements of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Department of Energy;

(9) The Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the Department of State;

(10) The Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of the Treasury;

(11) The Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security; or

(12) Such other elements of any department or agency as may be designated by the President, or designated jointly by the Director of National Intelligence and the head of the department or agency concerned, as an element of the intelligence community.

Interconnection arrangement means arrangements governing the physical connection of two or more networks to allow the use of another’s network to hand off traffic where it is ultimately delivered (e.g., connecting a customer of telephone provider A to a customer of telephone company B) or sharing data and other information resources.

Kaspersky Lab-covered article means any hardware, software, or service that—

(1) Is developed or provided by a Kaspersky Lab-covered entity;

(2) Includes any hardware, software, or service developed or provided in whole or in part by a Kaspersky Lab-covered entity; or

(3) Contains components using any hardware or software developed in whole or in part by a Kaspersky Lab-covered entity.

Kaspersky Lab-covered entity means—

(1) Kaspersky Lab;

(2) Any successor entity to Kaspersky Lab, including any change in name, e.g., “Kaspersky”;

(3) Any entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with Kaspersky Lab;

or

(4) Any entity of which Kaspersky Lab has a majority ownership.

National security system, as defined in 44 U.S.C. 3552, means any information system (including any telecommunications system) used or operated by an agency or by a contractor of an agency, or other organization on behalf of an agency—

(1) The function, operation, or use of which involves intelligence activities; involves cryptologic activities related to national security; involves command and control of military forces; involves equipment that is an integral part of a weapon or weapons system; or is critical to the direct fulfillment of military or intelligence missions, but does not include a system that is to be used for routine administrative and business applications (including payroll, finance, logistics, and personnel management applications); or

(2) Is protected at all times by procedures established for information that have been specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order or an Act of Congress to be kept classified in the interest of national defense or foreign policy.

Roaming means cellular communications services (e.g., voice, video, data) received from a visited network when unable to connect to the facilities of the home network either because signal coverage is too weak or because traffic is too high.

Sensitive compartmented information means classified information concerning or derived from intelligence sources, methods, or analytical processes, which is required to be handled within formal access control systems established by the Director of National Intelligence.

Sensitive compartmented information system means a national security system authorized to process or store sensitive compartmented information.

Source means a non-Federal supplier, or potential supplier, of products or services, at any tier.

Subsidiary means an entity in which more than 50 percent of the entity is owned directly by a parent corporation or through another subsidiary of a parent corporation.

Substantial or essential component means any component necessary for the proper function or performance of a piece of equipment, system, or service.

Unmanned aircraft means an aircraft that is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft (49 U.S.C. 44801(11)).

Unmanned aircraft system means an unmanned aircraft and associated elements (including communication links and the components that control the unmanned aircraft) that are required for the operator to operate safely and efficiently in the national airspace system (49 U.S.C.

44801(12)).

(b) Prohibitions on providing or using specific products or services in performance of contract.

Unless a waiver or exception applies, the Contractor is prohibited from providing any products or services to the Government or using in the performance of the contract any of the following:

(1) A covered application on any information technology owned or managed by the Government, or on any information technology used or provided by the Contractor under this contract, including equipment provided by the Contractor’s employees (section 102 of Division R of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328));

(2) A Kaspersky Lab-covered article (Section 1634 of Division A of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Pub. L. 115-91));

(3) Covered telecommunications equipment or services used as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system (paragraphs (a)(1)(A) of section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232)). This does not prohibit contractors from providing—

(i) A service that connects to the facilities of a third-party, such as backhaul, roaming, or interconnection arrangements; or

(ii) Telecommunications equipment that cannot route or redirect user data traffic or cannot permit visibility into any user data or packets that such equipment transmits or otherwise handles.

(c) Prohibition on unmanned aircraft systems manufactured or assembled by American Security Drone Act—covered foreign entities.

(1) Prohibition. The Contractor is prohibited from—

(i) Delivering any FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system, which includes unmanned aircraft (i.e., drones) and associated elements (sections 1823 and 1826 of American Security Drone Act of 2023, within the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, Pub. L.

118-31, Div. A, Title XVIII, Subtitle B, 41 U.S.C. 3901 note prec.);

(ii) On or after December 22, 2025, operating a FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system in the performance of the contract (section 1824 of Pub. L. 118-31); and

(iii) On or after December 22, 2025, using Federal funds to procure or operate a FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system (section 1825 of Pub. L. 118-31).

(2) Procedures. The Contractor shall search SAM for the FASC-maintained list of American Security Drone Act—covered foreign entities before proposing, or using in performance of the contract, any unmanned aircraft system. Also, the Contractor shall ensure any effort or expenditure associated with a FASC-prohibited unmanned aircraft system is consistent with a corresponding exemption, exception, or waiver determination expressly stated in the contract.

(3) Exemptions, exceptions, and waivers. The prohibitions in paragraph (c) of this clause do not apply where the agency has determined an exemption, exception, or waiver applies, and the contract indicates that such a determination has been made. See sections 1823 through 1825 and 1832 of Public Law 118-31 for statutory requirements pertaining to exemptions, exceptions, and waivers.

(d) Prohibition on using or providing specific products or services or conducting certain transactions regardless of connection to contract.

(1) Certain telecommunications and video surveillance equipment, systems, or services.

(i) Unless an applicable waiver has been issued by the Government, the Contractor cannot use any equipment, systems, or services that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system (paragraph (a)(1)(B) of section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232)).

(ii) This prohibition applies to using covered telecommunications equipment or services, regardless of whether that use is in performance of work under a Federal contract. This does not prohibit the contractor from using—

(A) A service that connects to the facilities of a third party, such as backhaul, roaming, or interconnection arrangements; or

(B) Telecommunications equipment that cannot route or redirect user data traffic or cannot permit visibility into any user data or packets that such equipment transmits or otherwise handles.

(2) Office of Foreign Assets Control Restrictions.

(i) Except as authorized by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in the Department of the Treasury, the Contractor shall not acquire, for use in the performance of this contract, any supplies or services if any proclamation, Executive order, or statute administered by OFAC, or if OFAC’s implementing regulations at 31 CFR chapter V, would prohibit such a transaction by a person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

(ii) Except as authorized by OFAC, most transactions involving Cuba, Iran, and Sudan are prohibited, as are most imports from Burma or North Korea, into the United States or its outlying areas.

(A) For lists of entities and individuals subject to economic sanctions, see OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/specially-designated-nationals-and-blocked-persons-list-sdn-human-readable-lists.

(B) For more information about these restrictions, as well as updates, see OFAC’s regulations at 31 CFR chapter V and at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/office-of-foreign-assets-control-sanctions-programs-and-information.

(C) To conduct electronic screens of potential parties to regulated transactions, see the consolidated screening list at https://www.trade.gov/consolidated-screening-list, which consolidates multiple export screening lists of the Departments of Commerce, State, and the Treasury.

(3) Sudan prohibition. The Contractor is prohibited from conducting any restricted business operations in Sudan in accordance with Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110- 174).

(4) Iran prohibitions.

(i) Unless an exception applies according to paragraph (d)(4)(iii) or the Government grants a waiver, the contractor shall not engage in certain activities or transactions relating to Iran (section 6(b)(1)(A) of Iran Sanctions Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 note).

(ii) Unless an exception applies according to paragraph (d)(4)(iii) or the Government grants a waiver, contractor shall not export certain sensitive technology to Iran, as determined by the President, and has an active exclusion in SAM (22 U.S.C. 8515).

(iii) The prohibition in paragraphs (d)(4)(i) and (d)(4)(ii) do not apply if the acquisition is subject to trade agreements and the offeror certifies that all the offered products are designated country end products or designated country construction material (see part 25).

(iv) Unless an exception applies or the Government grants a waiver, contractors are prohibited from knowingly engaging in any significant transaction (i.e., over $15,000) with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps or any of its officials, agents, or affiliates, the property and interests in property of which are blocked according to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (section 6(b)(1)(B) of Iran Sanctions Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 note)).

(e) Governmentwide exclusion and removal orders.

(1) Unless the Government has issued an applicable waiver, contractors shall not provide or use as part of the performance of the contract any covered article, or any products or services produced or provided by a source, if the covered article or the source is prohibited by an applicable FASCSA order as follows:

(i) For solicitations and contracts awarded by a Department of Defense contracting office, DoD FASCSA orders apply.

(ii) For all other solicitations and contracts, DHS FASCSA orders apply.

(2) The Contractor shall search for the phrase “FASCSA order” in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov to locate applicable FASCSA orders.

(3) The Government may identify in the solicitation other FASCSA orders that are not in SAM, which are effective and apply to the solicitation and resulting contract.

(4) A FASCSA order issued after the date of solicitation applies to this contract only if added by an amendment to the solicitation or modification to the contract (see FAR 40.204-1(c)).

(f)Reasonable inquiry. The contractor shall conduct a reasonable inquiry to determine if there are any prohibited products or services. The inquiry will look at any information in the entity’s possession but does not need to include an internal or third-party audit.

(g) Removal of prohibited products and services. For Federal Supply Schedules, Governmentwide acquisition contracts, multi-agency contracts or any other procurement instrument intended for use by multiple agencies, upon notification from the Contracting Officer, during the performance of the contract, the Contractor shall promptly make any necessary changes or modifications to remove any product or service produced or provided by a source that this clause prohibits.

(h) General report.

(1) If the Contractor identifies or is notified by any source, (including a subcontractor at any tier), that any product or service provided or used (or to be provided or used) during contract performance does not comply with any prohibition in this clause, then the Contractor shall report the following information, or as much information is known, in writing to the contracting office as identified in paragraph (h)(2) within 72 hours:

(i) Contract number and order number, if applicable;

(ii) The specific prohibition the product or service is not complying with;

(iii) A description of the products or services that the Contractor identifies or has reason to suspect is prohibited (include brand; model number, such as the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) number, manufacturer part number, or wholesaler number; and item description, as applicable);

(iv) The entity that produced the product or service (include entity name, unique entity identifier, Contractor and Government Entity (CAGE) code, facilities responsible for design, fabrication, assembly, packaging, and test of the product, and whether the entity was the OEM or a distributor (provide manufacturer codes and distributor codes used for the product));

(v) Description of the functionality of the product or service and how that functionality impacts the risk to the product or service;

(vi) An explanation of any factors relevant to determining if the product or service should be permitted by an applicable exception, exemption, or waiver (if the contractor would like the Government to consider a waiver, and asks for such a waiver);

(vii) Whether alternative products or services are available that would comply with the prohibition;

(viii) If the product or service is related to item maintenance, include the following information on the item being maintained:

(A) Brand;

(B) Model number, OEM number, manufacturer part number, or wholesaler number; and

(C) Item description, as applicable.

(ix) Any readily available information about mitigation actions implemented or recommended.

(2) If a report must be submitted to a contracting office, the Contractor shall submit the report as follows:

(i) If a Department of Defense contracting office, the Contractor shall report to the website at https://dibnet.dod.mil.

(ii) For all other contracting offices, the Contractor shall report to the Contracting Officer.

(iii) For indefinite delivery contracts, the Contractor shall report to both the contracting office for the indefinite delivery contract and the contracting office for any affected order.

(3) If the report provided does not contain any of the information required by paragraph (h)(1) of this clause, and the contractor later discovers new information that is required by paragraph

(h)(1) of this clause, then the contractor shall submit a subsequent report within 72 hours of discovering the new information.

(4) The contractor shall also report the information in paragraph (h)(1) if the contractor wishes to ask for a waiver of the requirements of a new FASCSA order being applied through modification.

(i) New FASCSA orders report.

(1) During contract performance, the Contractor shall review SAM at least once every three months, or as advised by the Contracting Officer, to check for covered articles subject to FASCSA order(s), or for products or services produced by a source subject to FASCSA order(s) not currently identified under paragraph (e) of this clause.

(2) If the Contractor identifies a new FASCSA order(s) that could impact their supply chain, then the Contractor shall conduct a reasonable inquiry to identify whether a covered article or product or service produced or provided by a source subject to the FASCSA order(s) was provided to the Government or used during contract performance. The inquiry will look at any information in the entity’s possession but does not need to include an internal or third-party audit.

(3) The Contractor shall submit a report to the contracting office identified in paragraph (h)(2) of this clause if the Contractor identifies, including through any notification by a subcontractor at any tier, that a covered article or product or service produced or provided by a source was provided to the Government or used during contract performance and is subject to a FASCSA order(s). For indefinite delivery contracts, the Contractor shall report to both the contracting office for the indefinite delivery contract and the contracting office for any affected order. The Contractor shall report the following information within 72 hours for each covered article or each product or service produced or provided by a source, where the covered article or source is subject to a FASCSA order:

(i) Contract number and order number, if applicable;

(ii) Name of the covered article or source subject to a FASCSA order;

(iii) The specific FASCSA order the product or service does not comply with;

(iv) The elements of (h)(1)(iii) through (ix) of this clause.

(j) Subcontracts. The Contractor shall insert the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (j) but excluding subparagraphs (d)(1) and (i)(1), in all subcontracts and other contractual instruments, including subcontracts for acquiring commercial products or commercial services.

(End of Provision)

C.4 52.252-6 AUTHORIZED DEVIATIONS IN CLAUSES (NOV 2020)

(a) The use in this solicitation or contract of any Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR Chapter 1) clause with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the date of the clause.

(b) The use in this solicitation or contract of any VAAR (48 CFR Chapter FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR Chapter 1)) clause with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of "(DEVIATION)" after the name of the regulation.

(End of Clause)

C.5 VAAR 852.219-73 VA NOTICE OF TOTAL SET-ASIDE FOR CERTIFIED

SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES (JAN 2023)

(DEVIATION)

(a) Definition. for the Department of Veterans Affairs, ‘‘Service-disabled Veteran-owned small business concern or SDVOSB’’:

(1) Means a small business concern—

(i) Not less than 51 percent of which is owned by one or more service-disabled Veterans or, in the case of any publicly owned business, not less than 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more service-disabled Veterans or eligible surviving spouses (see VAAR 802.201, Surviving Spouse definition);

(ii) The management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more service-disabled Veterans (or eligible surviving spouses) or, in the case of a service-disabled Veteran with permanent and severe disability, the spouse or permanent caregiver of such Veteran;

(iii) The business meets Federal small business size standards for the applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code identified in the solicitation document;

(iv) The business has been certified for ownership and control pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 8127, 13 CFR 128, and is listed as certified in the SBA certification database at https://veterans.certify.sba.gov/; and

(v) The business agrees to comply with VAAR subpart 819.70 and Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations regarding small business size, government contracting, and the Veteran Small Business Certification Program at 13 CFR parts 121, 125, and 128.

(2) The term ‘‘Service-disabled Veteran’’ means a Veteran, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(2), with a disability that is service-connected, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(16).

(3) The term ‘‘small business concern’’ has the meaning given that term under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).

(4) The term ‘‘small business concern owned and controlled by Veterans with service-connected disabilities’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans’’ under section 3(q)(2) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(q)(2)).

(5) The term “SDVOSB participant” or certified SDVOSB means a small business that has been certified in the SBA Veteran Small Business Certification Program and listed in the SBA certification database (see 13 CFR 128.102).

(b) General. In order for a concern to submit an offer and be eligible for the award of an SDVOSB set-aside or sole source contract, the concern must qualify as a small business concern under the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned to the contract and be listed as an SDVOSB participant in the SBA certification database as set forth in 13 CFR 128.

(1) Offers received from entities that are not certified SDVOSBs and listed in the SBA certification database at the time of offer shall not be considered.

(2) Any award resulting from this solicitation shall be made to a certified SDVOSB listed in the SBA certification database who is eligible at the time of submission of offer(s) and at the time of award.

(3) The requirements in this clause apply to any contract, order or subcontract where the firm receives a benefit or preference from its designation as an SDVOSB, including set-asides, sole source awards, and evaluation preferences.

(c) Representation. Pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 8127(e), only certified SDVOSBs listed in the SBA certification database are considered eligible to receive award of a resulting contract. By submitting an offer, the prospective contractor represents that it is an eligible and certified SDVOSB as defined in this clause, 13 CFR 121, 125, and 128, and VAAR subpart 819.70.

(d) Agreement/LOS certification. When awarded a contract action, including orders under multipleaward contracts, an SDVOSB agrees that in the performance of the contract, the SDVOSB shall comply with requirements in VAAR subpart 819.70 and SBA regulations on small business size, and government contracting programs at 13 CFR part 121 and part 125, including the non-manufacturer rule and limitations on subcontracting (LOS) requirements in 13 CFR 121.406(b) and 13 CFR 125.6. For the purpose of limitations on subcontracting, only certified SDVOSBs listed in the SBA certification database (including independent contractors) shall be considered eligible and/or ‘‘similarly situated’’ (i.e., a firm that has the same small business program status as the prime contractor). An otherwise eligible firm further agrees to comply with the required LOS certification requirements in this solicitation (see 852.219–75 or 852.219–76 as applicable). These requirements are summarized as follows:

(1) Services. In the case of a contract for services (except construction), the SDVOSB prime contractor will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to the prime for contract performance to firms that are not certified SDVOSBs listed in the SBA certification database (excluding direct costs to the extent they are not the principal purpose of the acquisition and the SDVOSB/ VOSB does not provide the service, such as airline travel, cloud computing services, or mass media…