Sources Sought Notice - Nickel Cadmium Batteries 642 - 36C24426Q0775.docx

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

Network Contracting Office 4

3900 Woodland Avenue Philadelphia, PA, 19104

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist McDaniel Brayboy III mcdaniel.brayboy@va.gov 916-841-7834

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

3900 Woodland Avenue

Philadelphia PA

COUNTRY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This Sources Sought Notice is intended for information and planning purposes only at this time; and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Because this is a Sources Sought announcement, no evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to the respondents. No solicitation exists. Therefore, do not request a copy of a solicitation.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), VISN 4, Network Contracting Office 4 (NCO 4), is seeking information and potential qualified sources capable of providing Nickel Cadmium Batteries. The Batteries will be delivered to the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, located in Philadelphia, PA 19104.

STATEMENT OF NEED

Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) Battery Replacement Emergency Generators and Paralleling Switchgear (PSG)

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Statement of Work (SOW) is to procure the removal, replacement, installation, and post-installation functional verification of Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries supporting the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Emergency Power Supply System (EPSS), including emergency generators and Paralleling Switchgear (PSG) systems.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, transportation, supervision, and incidentals necessary to remove existing Ni-Cd batteries; provide and install new Ni-Cd replacement batteries; dispose of removed batteries in accordance with applicable regulations; and perform post-installation functional verification.

This SON is limited to battery replacement activities only. No inspection, testing, maintenance, engineering analysis, troubleshooting, commissioning, or regulatory compliance services are included beyond the functional verification necessary to confirm proper operation following battery replacement.

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

Emergency Generator Battery Systems The VA Medical Center operates a total of five (5) emergency generators equipped with Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) starting battery systems. Each generator is configured with twenty (20) Ni-Cd battery cells, installed in dedicated battery racks and supported by existing chargers. Existing racks, chargers, and generator systems shall remain in service.

Paralleling Switchgear (PSG) Battery System The facility utilizes a Paralleling Switchgear (PSG) system equipped with Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries supporting control, protection, and breaker operation functions. The PSG battery system consists of ninety-two (92) Ni-Cd battery cells, type KPM-300 (or equal), installed in dedicated cabinets. Existing battery racks, chargers, and PSG equipment shall remain in service.

CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

General The Contractor shall coordinate all work with VA Facilities Engineering staff and comply with all applicable safety and environmental requirements. All work shall be staged in a manner that reduces the facility's operational risk and preserves the ability to operate emergency power systems in the event of loss of incoming utility. A phasing schedule shall be submitted to, and approved by, the VA Program Manager at least two (2) weeks prior to commencement of battery installation.

The Contractor shall be responsible for verifying the existing condition, fit, routing, integrity, and serviceability of all battery cables, intercell connectors, terminal lugs, jumpers, termination hardware, and associated connection points affected by the battery replacement work. Prior to disconnecting existing batteries, the Contractor shall document the existing cable arrangement, polarity, terminal configuration, and connection condition. Any damaged, loose, corroded, improperly sized, missing, overheated, cracked, or otherwise unsuitable battery cables, lugs, connectors, or termination hardware discovered during removal or installation shall be immediately reported to the VA Program Manager/POC before reuse. The Contractor shall not reinstall or reuse visibly damaged, unsafe, or unsuitable cable terminations without VA authorization.

Generator Battery Replacement The Contractor shall remove existing Ni-Cd generator starting batteries; furnish and install new Ni-Cd replacement batteries, type SPH-220, SPH-190, or equal as applicable; install intercell connectors and hardware; verify correct polarity; torque connections to manufacturer specifications; and ensure compatibility with existing racks and chargers.

The Contractor shall inspect generator battery cables, terminal lugs, intercell connectors, rack connection points, and charger connection leads affected by the work. Final terminations shall be clean, tight, correctly polarized, properly supported, and torqued in accordance with the battery manufacturer's published requirements. The Contractor shall provide and install new intercell connectors and furnished battery hardware required for the new battery installation. Existing facility cables and lugs shall only be reused where they are serviceable and compatible with the new batteries.

PSG Battery Replacement The Contractor shall remove existing Ni-Cd batteries associated with the PSG system and furnish and install new Ni-Cd replacement batteries, type KPM-300 (or equal), compatible with existing PSG battery racks, chargers, and control systems.

PSG System Battery Station The Contractor shall maintain 125 VDC to the PSG while Ni-Cd batteries are being replaced.

Battery Cable and Termination Conditions The Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining proper DC continuity, polarity, cable identification, and secure terminations during PSG battery replacement. The Contractor shall inspect all PSG battery string cables, cabinet terminations, intercell connectors, jumpers, terminal lugs, and associated hardware affected by the work. Existing cables, lugs, and terminations shall not be reused if they are damaged, corroded, loose, improperly sized, overheated, cracked, or otherwise unsuitable for safe operation. Any required minor replacement of terminal hardware, intercell connectors, nuts, bolts, washers, or similar battery termination components necessary to complete a proper installation shall be included in the work. Conditions requiring replacement of major existing battery cables or PSG control wiring shall be documented and submitted to the VA for direction before proceeding, unless immediate action is required to maintain safe 125 VDC operation.

Minor Installation-Related Corrections Minor installation-related correction of battery termination hardware is included; major cable replacement, charger repair, PSG repair, control wiring repair, engineering analysis, or system troubleshooting outside the battery replacement work is excluded unless separately authorized by the Contracting Officer.

Battery Disposal Removed Ni-Cd batteries shall be packaged, transported, and disposed of in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations governing hazardous materials. Disposal documentation shall be provided upon request.

Post-Installation Functional Verification Following installation, the Contractor shall verify battery charger operation and normal float voltage. For generators, the Contractor shall perform a generator start to confirm satisfactory starting performance. For PSG systems, functional verification shall be limited to confirmation of normal battery voltage and proper system operation. These activities do not constitute inspection, testing, or commissioning of the systems.

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall comply with all applicable safety regulations and manufacturer safety recommendations for Ni-Cd batteries, including the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). All work activities shall be coordinated with the VA to minimize operational impacts.

SCHEDULING AND COORDINATION

All work shall be scheduled in advance and performed during VA-approved hours. Any temporary impacts to generator or PSG availability shall be coordinated and approved in advance by the VA Program Manager. This work shall be completed during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., Monday through Friday; and Saturdays from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., excluding Federal holidays.

SUBMITTALS

Upon completion of work, the Contractor shall provide manufacturer cut sheets for installed batteries, installation documentation, disposal documentation if requested, and confirmation of functional verification.

Installation documentation shall include a battery termination verification record identifying final polarity checks, torque verification, cable/connector condition, and any deficiencies or corrective actions identified during installation.

ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

The Government will accept the work upon verification that the batteries have been installed correctly, the battery systems are operational, generators start successfully, PSG systems operate normally, and required documentation has been submitted.

Acceptance shall also require confirmation that all battery terminations, intercell connectors, cable lugs, polarity markings, and torque values have been verified and documented as acceptable.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The Government shall provide access to equipment and work areas, coordinate outages and approvals, and retain responsibility for ongoing inspection, testing, maintenance, and regulatory compliance of the EPSS following completion of battery replacement.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

All work shall be performed in accordance with manufacturer instructions, applicable safety regulations, and this Statement of Work.

BATTERY INVENTORY

Responses to this RFI should include company name, address, point of contact, phone number, and point of contact e-mail, DUNS Number, Cage Code, size of business pursuant to North American Industry Classification code (NAICS) 335910, Battery Manufacturing. The Small Business Size Standard for this NAICS code is 1,250 employees.

Please answer the following questions:

1. Please indicate the size status and representations of your business, such as but not limited to: Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Hubzone, Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Small Business (SB), Large Business, etc.)?

1. Is your company considered small under the NAICS code identified under this notice?

1. Are you the manufacturer, distributor, or an equivalent solution to the items being referenced above?

1. Is the product you are providing information about made by a small business manufacturer or a large business?

1. Is the product you are providing information about manufactured in the United States? If not, please provide the country where the unit is manufactured.

1. If you are a large business, do you have any designated distributors? If so, please provide their company name, telephone, point of Contact and size status (if available).

1. If you’re a small business and you are an authorized distributor/reseller for the items identified above or an equivalent solution, do you alter; assemble; modify; the items requested in any way? If you do, state how and what is altered; assembled; modified?

1. If you intend to subcontract any work on this contract, what portion of the total cost will be self-performed/will be performed by your organization? Please provide estimated detailed percentage breakdowns related to subcontracted work and completion of job.

1. Does your company have an FSS contract with GSA or the NAC or are you a contract holder with any other federal contract? If so, please provide the contract number.

1. If you are an FSS GSA/NAC contract holder or other federal contract holder, are the items/solution you are providing information for available on your schedule/contract?

1. General pricing of your products/solution is encouraged. Pricing will be used for the purpose of market research only. It will not be used to evaluate for any type of award.

1. Please submit your capabilities regarding the salient characteristics detailed above to establish capabilities for planning purposes.

1. Please review salient characteristics/statement of work (if applicable) and provide feedback or suggestions. If none, please reply as N/A.

1. Please provide your Unique Entity ID.

This Sources Sought Notice will be conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses must be received via e-mail to mcdaniel.brayboy@va.gov no later than, 4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on July 23, 2026. This notice will help the VA in determining available potential sources only. Do not contact VA Medical Center staff regarding this requirement, as they are not authorized to discuss this matter related to this procurement action. All questions will be addressed by the Contract Specialist, McDaniel Brayboy III.

All firms responding to this Sources Sought Notice are advised that their response is not a request for proposal, therefore will not be considered for a contract award.

If a solicitation is issued, information will be posted on the Contract Opportunities website for all qualified interested parties at a later date, and interested parties must respond to the solicitation to be considered for award. This notice does not commit the government to contract for any supplies or services. The government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this Source Sought Notice. Information will only be accepted in writing by e-mail to Contract Specialist, McDaniel Brayboy III at mcdaniel.brayboy@va.gov

DISCLAIMER

This Sources Sought Notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this notice that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this notice.

Sources Sought Notice