American red cross TEL: 781-461-2075 POC: jeff silversmith TEL: 781-461-2087 FAX: 781-461-2020 cell: 860-690-3613

Sources Sought - Provide the personnel and facilities necessary for the complete drawing, processing, testing, storing, delivery and recall notification of blood components, plasma derivatives, and blood related services, to the Veterans Administration Healthcare Network One (VISN 1) New England Healthcare System medical centers listed below.
VA New England Healthcare System - VISN 1
940 Belmont Street
Brockton, MA 02301-5596

VA Boston Healthcare System - West Roxbury Campus
1400 VFW Parkway
West Roxbury, MA 02132


VA Connecticut, West Haven Campus, Connecticut
950 Campbell Avenue
West Haven, CT 06516


VA Medical Center, Manchester, New Hampshire
718 Smyth Road
Manchester, NH 03104


VA Medical Center, Togus, Maine
VA Medical Center
1 VA Center
Augusta, ME 04330

VA Medical Center & ROC, White River Junction, Vermont
215 North Main Street
White River Junction, VT 05009


This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals or quotes.

The purpose of this Notice is to obtain information regarding:
(1) Whether it is possible for VA to award the Multiple Contracts for this requirement?
(2) The availability and capability of qualified small business sources that can furnish drawing, processing, testing, storing, delivery and recall notification of blood components, plasma derivatives, and blood related services, to the Veterans Administration Healthcare Network One (VISN 1) New England Healthcare System medical centers listed above;
(3) To determine the availability of potential small businesses. Interested small businesses should indicate their status as: Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, HUBZone small business, 8(a), Small businesses with other socio-economic status or Small businesses with no special socioeconomic categories; and
(4) Their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. The NAICS code for this service is 621991and the size standard is $8.5 million. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this Notice. Contract duration will be a base year and four option years. THIS IS STRICTLY MARKET RESEARCH THAT WILL ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, BOSTON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM PLAN THEIR ACQUISITION STRATEGY. Proposals will not be accepted at this time.

General Statement of Need
Below are lists of products which will be acceptable to the VISN-1 Transfusion Services. Contractor can bid on any or all-acceptable components in any category. Where alternatives are listed for any category of component, the annual estimated quantity corresponds to all of one specific alternative and not combination of products. For example, 800 single donor apheresis platelets represent the estimated VISN-1 requirement for platelets.

Offerers must submit an offer for Base Year and all option years as the total offer on any category of components listed in the Schedule of Items. Failure to provide an offer for each year, if bidding on a specific category as listed in the Schedule of Items, will cause the offer to be non-responsive and rejected for that component.

If bidding on platelets for VA Connecticut and or West Roxbury facilities, pre-storage pooled platelets, platelet concentrates or single donor apheresis platelets must be provided on a rotating stock arrangement or be available to the facility within 15-30 minutes after request. If supplying a rotated stock, the contractor shall maintain an on site fixed and standard inventory of platelets (10 units of platelet concentrates or 2 units of SD apheresis platelets or as negotiated) that will be rotated on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of each week. Full credit will be given for rotated stock.


For amount purchased per facility in fiscal year 2009. See Attachment _1__.

For standard inventory see Attachment_2__.

Please See Attachment _3_ for requested Delivery Schedules.

Provide for other products if able to supply. Furnish a list of any or all that would apply to services available and applicable government pricing. If component cost includes additional fees, such as import fees, identify each additional fee and separate from the component cost. These prices are for informational purposes only, and will not be used as part of the evaluation cost.

HLA matched platelets
Cross-matched platelets
CMV seronegative products
Cryoprecipitate reduced FFP
Irradiation
Factor concentrates
Supply of Antigen Negative Red Cell Units
Washed-Deglycerolized Units
IVIg
Pre-storage pooled platelet concentrates


Please list other Ancillary services, if available to provide, and cost: These prices are for informational purposes only, and will not be used as part of the evaluation process

HLA Services, Typing and matching
Class I
Class II
Autologous and Directed Donor donations
Viral testing for either Autologous or Homologous Units drawn by the VA
Leukocyte antibody testing
Therapeutic Apheresis
Platelet Immunology Services
Platelet Antibody Identification
Platelet Alloimmunization Screen
Platelet -PLA1 or other Antigen Typing
Platelet Drug Testing.

Reference Services:
Red Cell Serology
Stat Antibody identification
Antigen Negative Units
Heterologous Absorption

Small business participation in this solicitation is not restricted.

Contactor will use due diligence to avoid repetitious denial of Rh negative red cell product from standing order.

Contractor will periodically schedule empty shipping container box pickups at West Roxbury VA (room 1B121).

Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, facilities and personnel necessary for the complete drawing, processing, testing storing, delivery and recall notification of blood components, plasma derivatives, and blood related services, to the VISN 1 Medical Centers. If bidding on platelets provide monthly or at minimum, quarterly Quality Control reports that enumerates platelet number/unit:


DELIVERY

Terms: FOB Destination.

VA Boston Healthcare System - West Roxbury Campus
1400 VFW Parkway
West Roxbury, MA 02132
Tel: 617-323-7700
COTR: David McElwee
Tel: 857-203-5328
e-Mail: David.McElwee@va.gov

VA Connecticut, West Haven Campus, Connecticut
950 Campbell Avenue
West Haven, CT 06516
Tel: 203-932-5711
COTR: William Potts
Tel: 203-932-5711 X4759
e-Mail: William.Potts@va.gov

VA Medical Center, Manchester, New Hampshire
718 Smyth Road
Manchester, NH 03104
Tel: 603-624-4366
Toll-free: 1-800-892-8384
COTR: Kevin Hall
Tel: 603-624-4366 X6638
e-Mail: Kevin.Hall@va.gov

VA Medical Center, Togus, Maine
VA Medical Center
1 VA Center
Augusta, ME 04330
COTR: Dennis Arbour
Tel: 207-623-8411 X5613
e-Mail: Dennis.Arbour@va.gov

VA Medical Center & ROC, White River Junction, Vermont
215 North Main Street
White River Junction, VT 05009
Phone: (802) 295-9363
Fax: (802) 296-6354
COTR: Linda Cooper
Tel: 802-295-9363 X5512
e-Mail: Linda.Cooper@va.gov

SPECIFICATIONS

1) This is a Requirements contract in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Sub-part 16.5.

2) Offers will be considered only from offerers who are regularly established in the business called for and whom in the judgement of the Contracting Officer (CO) are financially responsible and able to show evidence of their reliability, ability, experience, facilities and personnel to render prompt and satisfactory service.

3) Bids shall be considered only from bidders whose blood bank is currently registered and/or licensed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Human Services, pursuant to Section 510 of the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act, 21 USC Section 260, as amended. Offerers shall furnish copy of the license with offer. Failure to provide that license will result in the offerer being non-responsive.

4) Bidders shall submit proof that he/she holds an unrevoked U.S. License which is issued by the Director, Bureau of Biologist, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under Section 251 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, 42 USC Section 262, as a source of supply for whole blood. (US License #___________________)

5) If interstate shipment of blood or blood components is involved, the bidder shall submit with his/her offer a statement that such approval has been authorized under Public Health Service Act 251, as amended 42, USC Section 262.

6) The offerer shall possess a license to perform interstate laboratory testing services as required by the Clinical Laboratories Improvement Act of 1988. Licenses are issued by the Public Health Service, Health Care Finance Administration. Offerers shall furnish a copy of their license with their offer.

7) The Contractor shall be required to issue credit to the respective medical center for each blood component returned.

8) The Contractor and shall have blood components and derivatives available twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week including all State and Federal holidays.

9) In times of shortages, if the contractor reduces the standing order to a medical center, the contractor shall not charge additional delivery fees in filling an urgent request, which would ordinarily be met by the reestablished standing inventory.

10) All items delivered under this contract shall be in suitable containers and shall be delivered F.O.B. DESTINATION to the central delivery points at the VA Medical Center's West Roxbury, Togus, White River Junction, Manchester and West Haven. Items provided shall be in such quantities and at such times as may be required during the period including the first and last day of the contract year, in accordance with all terms, conditions and provisions in the schedule of this solicitation.

11) Contractor shall ensure that all blood components meet the requirements of the Federal Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Review (CBER), and state and local laws. The Contractor agrees to comply fully with pertinent CBER requirements concerning the recruitment, collection, testing, labeling, storage, packing and shipping of blood components as described in Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts Section 200, 210, 211, 600, 601, 606, 607, 610, 640 and 660, 810. The Contractor also agrees to comply fully with the current requirements of the good manufacturing practice regulations (Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR) 606 & applicable sections of 21 CFR 211).

12) The Contractor shall immediately notify the relevant VA Transfusion Service of any problems that result in a variance from cGMP as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations.

13) Contractor shall screen all blood components supplied to the VA under this contract, and all donors of such components, utilizing the most current methods and procedures and in conformity with all applicable laws, statutes, rules, and regulations.

14) Contractor shall maintain a confidential donor referral registry. The Contractor shall not divulge the identity of any blood donor of contractor provided components.

15) Contractor will comply with HIPAA privacy rule requirements with regard to the identity of VA patients.

16) Contractor shall notify the relevant VA Transfusion Service immediately, when information becomes available, to indicate that a blood component, plasma derivative, or related service has been provided which, based upon new information, may negatively affect a transfusion recipient. The Contractor shall then provide written confirmation of the problem to the medical director of the Transfusion Service (Blood Bank) within ten (10) calendar days of the original notification.


17) Contractor shall immediately notify the VA facility of any blood components provided that may be at increased risk for the transmission of infectious disease(s) and shall provide confirmatory test results immediately upon availability. The VA facility will be responsible for patient notification.


18) The contractor shall be responsible for promptly notifying the hospital if a blood product tests positive or is suspected of being contaminated with bacteria.

19) The Contracting Officer and/or his/her representative(s) reserve the right to inspect offerer's facilities. The right is reserved to thoroughly inspect and investigate the establishment and facilities and other qualifications of any offerer, and to reject any offer regardless of price, if it should be administratively determined as lacking in any of the essentials necessary to assure acceptable standards of performance.


20) Criteria for Donor Selection, Donor Requirements:

Note: Unless otherwise specified in Section C, for each VA Facility, the following applies to all VA Facilities participating in this contract:

(a) Offers will be considered only from blood banks which are able to provide the VA with 100% "volunteer donor" blood in accordance with FDA rules and regulations effective May 15, 1978 or later revision. Definition of a "volunteer donor" is a person who does not receive monetary payment for blood donation. Benefits, such as time off from work, membership in blood assurance programs and cancellation or non-replacement fees that are not readily convertible to cash, do not constitute monetary payment.

(b) The offerer shall maintain blood donor lists including names, addresses. Donor selection must be in accordance with criteria established by the FDA and/or the American Associate of Blood Banks (AABB).

(c) The offerer will exercise due diligence to come into full compliance with AABB Standard 5.1.6.3.1 requiring labeling of blood and component containers in conformance with the most recent version of the United States Industry Consensus Standard for the Uniform Labeling of Blood and Blood Components using ISBT 128.

21) Collection Process and Typing of Blood:

Note: Unless otherwise specified in Section C, for each VA Facility, the following applies to all VA Facilities participating in this contract:

(a) Blood will be typed for ABO and Rh antigens in accordance with methods recommended in the current editions of Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Service and Technical Methods and Procedures published by the AABB. Only units negative for HBsAg, anti HBc, anti HCV, HCV RNA, anti HIV-1/2, HIV-1 RNA, anti HTLV- I/II and a serologic test for syphilis will be accepted . Donor blood with a biologic false positive for syphilis will be acceptable. This statement will not apply to autologous units.

(b) All blood is to be collected by the closed system under aseptic conditions and shall be processed in appropriate solutions and the container so labeled. The label shall also bear the expiration date of the contents, which shall be in compliance with all FDA and AABB storage requirements for the anticoagulant/preservation solution employed. (c) All blood components and derivatives will be grossly free of hemolysis, excessive chyle, clots, and any other abnormal discoloration. In the event that units are received and found that they are not free of hemolysis, excessive chyle, clots, and/or any other abnormal discoloration, the Contractor will provide credit.

22) The Contractor shall initiate recipient tracing (look back) procedures for prior seronegative units upon later discovery of a donor positive for infectious diseases such as: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV); Human T Cell Lymphorophic Virus 1 & 2 (HTLV-I/II); Hepatitis C Virus (HCV); or any other requiring look back in concordance with all the applicable laws, statutes, rules and regulations such as those designated by the FDA (Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations) and Health Care Financing Administration (HFCA).

23) Contractor shall provide upon request monthly or at minimum, quarterly Quality Control
reports that demonstrate the blood components and derivatives meet all applicable AABB
and FDA criteria.

24) In times of shortages, contractor shall immediately notify respective VA Transfusion Services when any standard shipment is to be altered or for any other reason.

25) The VA reserves the right to reject units of 8 hour FFP and 24 hour plasma if the volume per unit is
26) Contractor shall be required to make deliveries, including regularly scheduled, STAT, Weekend, and unscheduled, twenty-four (24) hours per day, 7 days per week, including all holidays (and any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a National Holiday). When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as a legal holiday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed by U.S. Government agencies. The ten - (10) holidays observed by the Federal Government are:

New Year's Day Martin Luther King Day Washington's Birthday Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veteran's Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas

27) STAT/Holiday/Weekend/Unscheduled Delivery: The delivery of any product listed under the Schedule of Items must be within four (4) hours from notification by telephone, facsimile and/or e-mail by the VA and identified as STAT. STAT/Holiday/Weekend/Unscheduled orders shall be processed by the ARC at no additional charge to the VA. (Definition of unscheduled delivery is the delivery of any product identified under the schedule of items that is not STAT, but is required outside the normal schedule required by the contract such as weekends and holidays).

28) VAs will continue to order STAT/Holiday/Weekend/Unscheduled requests from their nearest ARC distribution/overstocked supply site. ARC shall ship these requests directly to the Requestor's facility. All applicable transportation charges are the VA's responsibility. All ARC sites are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide emergency and routine coverage.

Supply Sites:

o Dedham, Massachusetts
o Lewiston, Maine
o Portland, Maine
o Farmington, Connecticut
o Burlington, Vermont

29) Formal purchase orders will not be written. Medical Centers may issue orders orally, by facsimile, or by electronic commerce methods by the following authorized blood bank staff employees: Blood Bank Supervisor, Blood Bank Medical Technologist, Blood Bank Medical Technicians, Blood Bank Clerk, and Blood Bank physicians. All VAs will contact the supplier to change standing orders, add to standing orders, place re-stock orders and other next day delivery orders.

30) Delivery Schedule:
a) All scheduled deliveries are at no charge to the VA.

b) Blood Supplier shall individually wrap, label and ship standing orders for White River Junction, Manchester, West Haven and West Roxbury.

c) Offerer will arrange for return of blood products from White River Junction, Manchester, West Haven and West Roxbury VAs at no charge to the VA.

d) Delivery Frequency: Daily: Monday - Friday (Regular Business Hours)

e) Contractor shall give credit for outdated LR AB RBC units, LR B Pos units and any defective products. Contractor shall specify the return/credit process.

f) Restocking Fee: Contractor shall include in solicitation response if applicable.
g) Call-in fee: Contractor shall include in solicitation response if applicable.
h) Ordering: Standing orders will be given priority by the supplier during periods of blood shortage. However, emergency requests to meet urgent patient needs must receive the highest priority at all times.
31) Websites applicable to this contract include but are not limited to:

Food and Drug Administration: http://www.fda.gov.
Code of Federal Regulations: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/
United States Code: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/
VISN1 New England Healthcare System: http://www.newengland.va.gov

32) Nos for Transfusion are based on 2007-2008 and represent estimation of product required per year.

33) For standard inventory see Attachment 2, and for current routine delivery see Attachment 3.

FY 09 West Rox West Haven Togus WRJ Manchester TOTAL TOTAL
Distributions FY 08 FY 09

LRRBC/WB
RBC 3779 2653 564 751 187 8189 7934

RDP 0 24 0 0 0 411 24
PSP 305 167 305
SDP 380 66 19 32 0 455 497

FFP8 806 513 32 7 0 1282 1358
FFP24 3 200 0 102 0 184 305

Cryo 132 216 0 35 0 355 383


ATTACHMENT 1


Numbers of Products Transfused -2007-2008
Site Leukoreduced
RBC Autologous-RBC
Please provide info Fresh Frozen Plasma (8hr and 24 hr) Leukoreduced Platelet-SD Leukoreduced
Platelet -Conc. Cryoprecipitate
Units

Boston-WRX 4296 100 722 313 160
Togus 531 1 29 47 00
VA-Conn 2457 631 37 411 RDP
167 PSP 170
WRJ 764 0 84 39 25
Man 141 0 0 19 0
Totals 8189 1466 455 355

These estimates are solely based on past history. In bidding to estimate possible totals please convert totals for products where appropriate. Random donor platelet concentrates based on 5 units for a pool. Note: RDPs used by the West Haven VA pre-date that facility's conversion to pre-storage pooled platelets and do not represent desired future usage.




ATTACHMENT 2
Standard Inventory
Updated March 2009
Site AS Red Blood Cells

Boston-West Roxbury 33 O pos., 21 A pos. 3 B pos., 1 AB pos.,
6 O neg., 4 A neg., 2 B neg., 0 AB neg.
Togus 7 O pos., 3 A pos., 0 B pos., 0 AB pos.
2 O neg., 2 A neg. 0 B neg., AB neg. substitute or order on demand.

VA-Conn (West Haven Campus) 35 O pos., 35 A pos., 8 B pos., 3-4 AB pos.
10-12 O neg., 10 A neg., 4 B neg.
WRJ 14 O pos., 14 A pos., 3-4 B pos.
6 O neg., 3-4 A neg.

Manchester 2 O pos., , 2 A pos.,1 AB pos, 3 O neg





ATTACHMENT 3
Updated March 2009
Current Routine Delivery
Location Product Delivery Schedule Typical Order
West Roxbury* Red Cells Mon, Wed, Fri 11 O-pos., 7 A-pos., 1 B-pos., 2 O-neg., 2 A-neg.,
1 B-neg
West Roxbury Fresh Frozen Plasma As needed
West Roxbury Platelets As needed
West Haven Red Cells Daily Mon-Fri 4 O-pos., 4 A-pos., 2 B-pos, -2 O neg., 1-2 A neg.
West Haven Fresh Frozen Plasma Daily Mon-Fri as needed maintain 30 O, A and 10 AB and 10 B
West Haven Platelets Mon-Fri 1 Pre-storage pooled platelet
Manchester Red Cells Every other -Wednesday 2 O pos., 2 A pos., 1 AB pos.,3 O neg.
Manchester Fresh Frozen Plasma As needed
Manchester Platelets As needed
Togus Red Cells Wed 4 O pos., 2 A pos.,
2 A-neg., 2 O-neg.
Togus Fresh Frozen Plasma As needed
Togus Platelets As needed
White River Junction Red Cells Wed 6 O-pos., 5 A-pos., 1 B-pos., 2 O-neg., 1 A-neg.
White River Junction Fresh Frozen Plasma Added to Delivery. As Needed
White River Junction Platelets Added To Delivery As Needed


34) Contractor shall provide a mechanism for procurement of needed blood products from alternative sources(s) if said contractor is unable to fill order. In the event that the supplier can not meet our needs, VISN 1 will procure needed products from an alternative source.

35) Vendor is encouraged to offer a spectrum of value-added incentives. Such incentives may include customer and professional service programs (i.e. PACE approved continuing education programs for clinical laboratory staff) and new innovations to assist the VA facilities with the usage of the contractor's products/services in the most cost efficient manner. In their offer, the contractor may offer value-added incentives other than those examples listed in this document, and if accepted by the DVAMC, these incentives will be included in the resultant contract.

MULTIPLE AWARDS AND PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The Contracting Officer contemplates award of multiples Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) firm fixed price contracts pursuant to this solicitation for commercial items. Any VA facility within VISN One may order from contract(s) awarded under this solicitation.

TASK/DELIVERY ORDERS

Task/Delivery Orders will vary in size from $1.00 to $200,000.00 and will be awarded and issued by the individual Task/Delivery Orders awarded and administered by duly appointed federal contracting officers.

" TASK ORDER LIMITATIONS (Reference FAR 52.216-19)
Minimum Order Amount and Minimum Guarantee
When the government requires appliances/services covered by this contract in an amount less than $1.00 the Government is not obligated to purchase, nor is the Contractor obligated to furnish, those services under the contract. The Minimum Guaranteed task order amount for the entire contract period is $1,000.00 per IDIQ contract awarded and will be issued at the end of the fiscal year should the contractor not receive any Task/Delivery Orders.

Maximum Order
The maximum Task/Delivery Order limitation is $3,800,000.00 per year, or $19,000,000.00 for the Base Year and all Option Periods. The Maximum Order Amount PER Task/Delivery Order is $200,000.00. The Contractor is not obligated to honor:
1. Any order for a single Task/Delivery Order less than $1.00;
2. Any order for a single Task/Delivery Order in excess of the authorized limit of $200,000.00;
3. A series of orders totaling more than $3,800,000.00 per year.

" PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
o Each contract will include a base period; not to exceed (NTE) one year and four option periods (NTE one year each), for a total contract performance period NTE five years.
o Maximum value of all projects awarded under the IDIQ will be limited to $3,800,000.00 in Task/Delivery Orders per contract period, $19,000,000.00 (base year plus all option years).

The Contracting Officer shall determine (based on an assessment of each offeror's technical and price proposals) the individual proposals judged to be most advantageous to the Government.


All qualified and interested small businesses should notify this office in writing (phone calls will not be accepted) by first-class mail (or email to Christine.Gorman@VA.gov) on or before 12:00 p.m. EST on Monday November 16, 2009. Responses should include:

1) identification and verification of the company certified by the Small Business Administration and indicating socio-economic category

2) a positive statement of your intent to submit a proposal for the solicitation.

This is NOT a Request for Proposals and does NOT constitute any commitment by the Government. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. All interested sources must respond to future solicitation announcements separately from responses to this market research/Sources Sought Notice. Responding small businesses should have an active CCR registration, DUNS number and up to date ORCA registrations. SDVOSBs and VOSBs MUST be registered in VetBiz.gov.