B1. RFQ Q&A (CIF Laundry IDIQ).docx

W912K3-26-Q-A010 Pick Up & Drop Off Laundry IDIQ (5-Year) – Washington National Guard Questions & Answers

Q1. Service Contract Act / Health & Welfare Requirements: Could you please confirm the applicable SCA wage determination, labor classifications, and required Health & Welfare benefits that should be included in pricing?

A1. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that all labor standards are applied to the correct wage classifications. You’d have to submit payroll that matches a labor category. Since the services are identified as being covered by the SCA, it is important that the employees are paid accordingly… at least for those hours dedicated to this specific service (I understand that is an accounting challenge).

Q2. Applicability to Subcontracted Labor: If a subcontracted laundry provider performs pickup, delivery, or processing services, do the same SCA wage and Health & Welfare requirements apply to those employees?

A2. Yes, the SCA applies to the employees performing the services.

Q3. Washington State Labor Law Compliance: Should contractors also account for applicable Washington State labor requirements, including minimum wage, paid sick leave, workers’ compensation through Washington L&I, and other state-required employee protections?

A3. Those requirements are not overseen by the Federal government or monitored by the agency issuing federal contracts. That said, if there are state labor requirements, they must be complied with to the extent they are applicable. Any failure to do so could be impactful to the performance of contract services and if the federal government were made aware of any illegal activity (intentional or not), it could be grounds for contract termination.

Q4. Clean / Soiled Separation Requirement: PWS Section 5.6 requires separation between clean and contaminated items and references positive/negative airflow. Does this require separate enclosed rooms with dedicated airflow systems, or are designated separated work areas within the same facility acceptable?

A4. The reference is specifically discussing clean and dirty items. No airborne contamination concerns.

Q5. Positive / Negative Airflow Requirement: Is a documented contamination-control process sufficient, or is a specific HVAC or airflow configuration required during inspection?

A5. See question 4.

Q6. Washington State Health & Safety Standards: Should contractors comply with applicable Washington State WAC safety standards related to bloodborne pathogens, PPE, and industrial laundry handling? If so, are there specific WAC sections the Government expects contractors to follow?

A6. The vendor is expected to adhere to Washington state health & safety standards. There are no specific blood borne or airborne pathogen concerns, however if the law requires specific handing of all items as part of a commercial laundry service, the expectation is that the law is followed.

Q7. HLAC / WAC / Infectious Disease Compliance: PWS Section 10.2 references HLAC, WAC, and infectious disease requirements. Is formal HLAC accreditation required, or is a Quality Control Manual aligned with those standards acceptable?

A7. See question 6. There is no expectation of infectious disease contamination

Q8. Quality Control Manual Expectations: Are there minimum requirements or templates for the Quality Control Manual, including exposure control, inventory tracking, contamination prevention, re-laundry procedures, and loss/damage reporting?

A8. No, quality control is the vendor’s responsibility, however a very concise and comprehensive QA manual would be a good thing. It does not have to be something that is specific to this requirement, it should be whatever you use as a standard practice. We’re not asking for you to create a service, rather we’re seeking existing available commercial services that meet our requirement.

Q9. Lost / Damaged Item Valuation: Can the Government provide a replacement cost schedule or valuation method for Exhibit A items if items are lost or damaged during contractor handling?

A9. That information can be provided upon contract award, however it may be an ever-changing document as the cost of items changes. Vendors would be responsible for full cost of replacement items at the time of loss and that cost would be deducted from the amount of service payments in the period of the loss.

Q10. Dry-Clean-Only Items: Are any Exhibit A items required to be dry-cleaned? If an item is labeled “dry-clean only,” should it be dry-cleaned, returned unprocessed, or identified as unserviceable?

A10. All items are to be cleaned in accordance with the appropriate procedures for those items, dry cleaning is always acceptable. No items should be accepted for pick-up if they are not able to be serviced. We have had these services in the past and the question of how to launder/dry-clean has never been asked. The laundry/dry-cleaning service made the determination, and we’ve never had any damage to items.

Q11. Unserviceable Items: If an item is identified as unserviceable before processing, should it be returned separately and unprocessed, or should laundering still be attempted unless otherwise directed?

A11. See question 10. No unserviceable items should be picked up. If an items is picked up, it should be laundered. The Washington National Guard is responsible for determining serviceability of all items before sending them off for cleaning.

Q12: Are estimated annual quantities or historical usage numbers available for the listed items?

A12: There are no estimated historic usage numbers, but the potential contractor must be able to perform up to the maximum capacity over the 5-year period. Weekly requirements could be any quantities of any of the line items, but may not be all line items. This is why the individual item pricing is important.

Q13: Approximately how many pieces are typically processed weekly?

A13: There is no estimate as these pieces are used in varying ways, sometimes quantities are higher due to equipment turn in post exercise, deployments, or termination of employment.

Q14: Is there an incumbent contractor currently performing these services?

A14: Northwest Services provided laundry service on a previous contract, however they are no longer in business. We do not award contracts to 3rd party vendors. Any interested vendors must be a registered small business who is capable of performing these services.

Q15: Are there any seasonal fluctuations or peak periods in volume?

A15: Not necessarily seasonal, but there are exercise and deployment driven volume fluctuations. Those fluctuations are not scheduled at this time, however they will happen over the 5-year period.

Q16: Are there any special handling or processing requirements for Goretex, sleeping systems, or cold-weather items beyond standard commercial laundering procedures?

A17: See answer 10.

Q18: Are waterproofing or retreatment services expected for any items?

A18: No

Q19: Are there any packaging, tagging, or barcode tracking requirements vendors should be aware of?

A19: No special requirements for packaging, tagging or barcode tracking.

Q20: Will there be an opportunity for a walkthrough or site visit before bid submission?

A20: There will be no walkthrough or site visit.

Q21: Are there any common performance issues or areas of concern the Government would like vendors to be aware of from prior contract performance?

A21: There have been no issues at all with the previous contract, nothing that stands out as a concern or highly unique laundering requirement.

Q22: What is the estimated weight of laundry to be picked-up and cleaned weekly.

A22: See question 12. We do not have an estimated weekly weight.

Q23: Are there periods when there are more/less items to be cleaned? Or is it pretty much always the same?

A23: See question 15. The quantities are indefinite and we are unable to make a prediction at the moment. There will likely be some consistency, however there will also be surges.

Q24: Is there a Loading Dock?

A24: There is no loading dock, however it has not been necessary in the past. Previous vendors have just used laundry bags and loaded them in their delivery vehicle.

Q25: Is all the Laundry picked up at one location or is it picked up in multiple locations?

A25: All of the laundry is picked up in one location.

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