Sources Sought Notice 36C24525Q0685.docx

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

The Hershel “Woody” Williams VAMC

1540 Spring Valley Drive Huntington, WV, 25704

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist Naana Owusu-Ansah naana.owusu-ansah@va.gov

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

1540 Spring Valley Drive

Huntington WV

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

DESCRIPTION

PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES

The Hershel “Woody” Williams VAMC located at 1540 Spring Valley Drive, Huntington, WV, 25704 is conducting this Sources Sought to identify contractors who possess capabilities to provide the services described in the Statement of Work below.

As permitted by FAR Part 10, this is a market research tool being utilized for the informational and planning purposes. Your responses will assist the Government in the development of its acquisition strategy.

Response is strictly voluntary – it is not mandatory to submit a response to this notice to participate in formal RFQ process that may take place in the future. However, it should be noted that information gathered through this notice may significantly influence our acquisition strategy. All interested parties will be required to respond separately to any solicitation posted as a result of this sources sought notice.

Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. We appreciate your interest and thank you in advance for responding to the sources sought.

This service will be implemented using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 562112.

If a small business is interested in this procurement, they must provide at least 51 percent of the services rendered.

NOTES

All Capability Statements/Responses to this Sources Sought Notice shall be submitted via email only naana.owusu-ansah@va.gov. Telephone, Fax, or any other form of communication inquiries will not be reviewed or accepted. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice must be received no later than August 11, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time). This Sources Sought Notice may or may not assist the VA in determining sources only. A solicitation is not currently available. If a solicitation is issued, it may or may not be announced at a later date, and all interested parties shall respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this Sources Sought Notice.

DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked a proprietary will be handled accordingly in accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e), RFIs may be used when the Government does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes. Responses to these notices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses incurred associated with responding to this RFI.

INTERESTED & CAPABLE RESPONSES

NCO 5 is seeking responses from businesses that are interested in this procurement and consider themselves to have the resources, rights, and capabilities necessary to provide these services. Please respond with your:

1. Business name (including Unique Entity ID (SAM.gov), business type, socio-economic status (e.g., Veteran-Owned, Woman-Owned, Disadvantaged Small Business, 8(a), etc.), person of contact (including telephone number & email address).

2. Capability statement

3. GSA Contract number, if applicable, to include NAICS

4. Brief summary of categories of professional services that your company can provide.

5. Applicable Certification(s)/Licenses

STATEMENT OF WORK

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

a. Introduction: The Hershel “Woody” Williams VAMC located at 1540 Spring Valley Drive, Huntington, WV, 25704, provides care to more than 28,000 Veterans in both inpatient and outpatient settings. This care involves the use of pharmaceuticals that need to be disposed of properly. The medical center has a need for the management of pharmaceutical waste.

b. Background: This procurement will establish the formation of a base plus four option year contract for pharmaceutical waste management for the Hershel “Woody” Williams VAMC in Huntington (VAMC). The management plan is a critical activity of the medical center to ensure compliance with The Joint Commission (TJC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and regulations for the state of West Virginia (WVDEP). The Medical Center is committed to complying with all regulations and to promote a healthy environment.

c. Scope of Work:

i. Program Components

1. Pharmaceutical waste identification and characterization

2. Staff training and education

3. Transport and disposal of all pharmaceutical waste

4. After Care (follow-up surveys)

5. Provide waste manifest and poundage reports by pharmaceutical class.

ii. The vendor will provide all containers, labor, equipment, material, and supervision to perform the work as listed in the work requirements (section 2-work requirements) below.

iii. The vendor will provide pharmaceutical waste bins that are labeled in compliance with 40 CFR 266, Subpart P.

iv. The vendor will provide all labor, packaging, collection, removal, transportation, for pickup, disposal, and treatment of pharmaceutical waste in accordance with Federal, State (WV), local, EPA, and DOT regulations.

v. Vendor will provide copies of all final manifests for waste disposal, complete with poundage and classification, to the medical center safety office.

d. Certifications necessary: The vendor will provide documentation certifying the following:

i. The company representative has Department of Transportation training that meets the requirements of 49 CFR 172.704

ii. Name and license of the final disposal company to ensure compliance with 64CSR56 (WV State Regulations)

iii. The vendor is permitted to subcontract out the transporting of the hazardous waste provided the subcontractor is permitted and licensed in the state of West Virginia to transport hazardous waste. A copy of the contractor/or subcontractor’s WV license must accompany the contract.

2. WORK REQUIREMENTS

a. Implementation of the Program

i. Vendor will set up a pharmaceutical waste container system in patient care and pharmacy areas.

1. These will be referred to as satellite accumulation areas (SAA).

2. There is a need for approximately 50 containers, consisting of 2-gallon and 8-gallon.

3. The medical center proposes black reusable bins with 6 mil liners. Liners would be removed and replaced by vendor and then packaged into drums for disposal.

ii. Vendor will set up a walk through of the facility with subject matter experts of the medical center to determine location, type, and number of containers needed for each department.

iii. Vendor will provide consultation and recommend SAAs during this walk through.

iv. Vendor will use black (hazardous) containers, labeled in accordance with Subpart P requirements and meeting all requirements of closure and leak-proof.

v. Vendor will help set-up the central accumulation area (CAA) in collaboration with subject matter experts of the medical center, taking into account all waste stored in CAA and method of pharmaceutical waste disposal.

b. Transport and Disposal of Pharmaceutical Waste

i. The vendor will go throughout the VAMC in Huntington, WV, to collect pharmaceutical waste.

ii. Vendor will handle all packaging, transporting, and disposing of the pharmaceutical waste generated from this medical center.

iii. Vendor will provide all DOT shipping containers, complete with labeling.

iv. Vendor will collect pharmaceutical waste from SAA at least once a week.

1. Scheduling of waste collection from areas of the medical center will occur during normal operational areas outlined Section 4. Supporting Information.

2. Medical center proposes work can be done in approximately 4 hours a week; 2 hours-2 days a week or 1 day of four hours.

v. Disposal and off-site transport of the drums is to be completed quarterly.

1. The amount of waste and number of drums being transported may vary.

vi. Disposal must be in accordance with Federal regulations.

c. After Care (Follow-Up Surveys)

i. Provide follow up surveys to maintain compliance with EPA/RCRA, DOT, and TJC.

ii. Provide documentation of our progress of the program and to assure our compliance.

iii. Inspect waste containers, SAA, and CAA.

iv. Report inspection findings.

v. Provide manifest and waste reports to the contracting officer representative (COR).

d. Pharmaceutical waste Identification and Characterization

i. Be able to maintain a proprietary database with National Drug Codes.

ii. The database will be monitored and updated as needed.

iii. A custom formulary for VAMC Huntington will be created from the National Drug Code.

iv. The waste characterization will include a determination of both the proper EPA/RCRA and DOT waste determinations.

v. Work with our pharmacists to research and characterize compounded drugs in our formulary.

vi. Develop a coding system to identify inventoried pharmaceuticals that are hazardous and non-hazardous.

vii. New drugs that are added to the formulary will be characterized on an ongoing basis.

viii. The facility intends to utilize the PharmEcology Program.

e. Staff Training and Education

i. Training will be conducted by subject matter experts and will include:

1. An introductory training module.

2. EMS training module.

3. Clinician, nursing, and pharmacist training module including unit to unit training.

4. Annual refresher training.

f. Documentation

i. A manifest of each pickup listing the number of pounds removed and certifying the number and size of containers, as well as the types of waste removed, will be provided to the COR or a designee at the time of pickup.

ii. A final copy will be sent to the COR at the address below within 30 days of pickup.

iii. Hershel “Woody” Williams VA Medical Center Safety Service 581/138S 1540 Spring Valley Drive Huntington, WV 25704

3. Pharmaceutical Waste Description

a. All pharmaceutical waste generated at the medical center is classified as controlled or hazardous.

b. All pharmaceutical waste generated at the medical center is segregated at the point of disposal by the employee disposing of the waste.

c. The vendor is not responsible for the handling of controlled substance pharmaceutical waste under this contract.

d. All other pharmaceutical waste is designated as hazardous:

i. Black bin hazardous

ii. Black bin hazardous-aerosols (segregated from other pharmaceutical waste)

iii. Black bin hazardous-flammable silver nitrate (segregated from other pharmaceutical waste)

e. Average amount of generated pharmaceutical waste subject to this contract is 5,600 pounds per year.

4. SUPPORTING INFORMATION

a. Location

i. This contract is for the pharmaceutical waste management program at the Hershel “Woody” Williams VAMC located at 1540 Spring Valley Drive, Huntington, WV.

ii. The vendor will go throughout the VAMC in Huntington, WV, to collect waste.

iii. The Huntington VAMC has a central accumulation area for all pharmaceutical waste.

iv. Locations of collection within the buildings may change at the discretion of the contracting officer representative. The vendor will be notified of these in writing prior to those changes being implemented.

b. Period of Performance:

i. Contract is for a base plus four option years.

1. Base year: October 1, 2025—September 30, 2026.

2. Option year 1: October 1, 2025—September 30, 2027.

3. Option year 2: October 1, 2025—September 30, 2028.

4. Option year 3: October 1, 2025—September 30, 2029.

5. Option year 4: October 1, 2025—September 30, 2030.

ii. The VAMC recognizes eleven (11) Federal holidays.

1. The vendor will not be permitted to pickup waste on these days.

2. The vendor is expected to work with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) to schedule the in-lieu of day for pickup should a holiday fall on the regular exchange or pickup day.

3. Recognized Federal holidays are: New Years Day, Martin Luther King’s Birthday, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

4. Federal holidays as a result of a Presidential proclamation are not considered Federal holidays for this contract.

c. Spills:

i. The vendor will report any spills to the COR.

ii. The vendor will be responsible for promptly cleaning any spill as a result of loading or unloading the waste.

1. This includes spills emanating from equipment furnished by the vendor, such as hydraulic fluid from the pickup truck.

d. Data:

i. All data collected and information developed in any format shall be considered sensitive and shall be deemed confidential property of the VA. Nondisclosure of information specified within this scope and all related information, plans, research, and technologies shall be enforced.

ii. Data required to be reported to the state of West Virginia must be reported to the state and a copy of the report furnished to the COR.

e. Pricing and invoicing:

i. Invoices will be submitted monthly and paid in arrears. Each invoice must include the date(s) of service.

ii. The vendor will only charge for the net weight of waste, excluding the weight of the containers or the number of pickups.

iii. The vendor will provide a firm fixed price (monthly) for the waste management program.

5. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

a. Supervision/Communications. During the performance, the vendor shall be available by phone or email.

b. The COR is responsible for the inspection of the work called for in this job. The COR will be identified in the task order by name, telephone number and location. Inspections made by the COR are for the sole benefit of the Government and do not relieve the Contractor of any quality control responsibilities.

c. Contractor Furnished Materials: The vendor shall supply all supplies for collection, packaging, and shipping to conduct work as listed in the Statement of Work above.

d. The vendor representative is required to wear a uniform that identifies the person as an employee of the vendor and a badge that clearly states the employee’s name. A picture badge is preferred.

e. The Certification and Accreditation (C&A) requirements do not apply, and a security accreditation package is not required. This acquisition does not involve the storage, generating, transmitting, or exchanging of VA sensitive information. It does not require a C&A or MOU-ISA for system interconnection.

f. The facility 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 the facility shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Any Contractor rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20.

g. All medical center properties and locations are smoke/vape-free.

h. In the event the services are not furnished and the medical center must obtain services from another source, the medical center reserves the right to charge the vendor for these services.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The Hershel “Woody” Williams VAMC 1540 Spring Valley Drive Huntington, WV, 25704

Sources Sought Notice