J041--Cooling Towers Maintenance and Repairs Tiered Evaluations

Cooling Towers Maintenance and Repair Services at the VA Caribbean Healthcare System (VACHS) 36C24824Q1291.

The purpose of this amendment is to answer questions made by vendors in response to this solicitation, notify the time and date of the site visit, and revise the evaluation factors.

The answers to questions made in response to the aforementioned solicitation can be seen attached.

Additionally, a site visit will be conducted at the VACHS on Thursday, September 12, 2024, at 1:00 PM Atlantic Standard Time (AST). We will be meeting at the VACHS front lobby at that time. The address is VA Caribbean Healthcare System, 10 Casia Street, San Juan, PR 00921-3201.

Finally, the evaluation factors were revised in order to evaluate quotes in accordance with VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) clauses 852.215-70 and 852.215-71 and can be seen attached to this amendment.

The quote submission deadline remains September 16, 2024, 3:00 PM AST.

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested, and a written solicitation document will not be issued.

The solicitation number 36C24824Q1291 is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The incorporated provisions and clauses in this document are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2024-06 Effective 08-29-2024.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office - 8 located at the VA Caribbean Health System (VACHS), 10 Casia Street, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00921 is seeking a vendor to perform Repair and Maintenance Services on its twelve (12) Cooling Towers.

Detailed specifications and requirements are provided in the attached Performance Work Statement (PWS), Instructions to Offerors, Price/Cost Schedule, Clauses and Provisions.

This solicitation is being issued as tiered evaluation with the following tiers: (1) Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business concerns (SDVOSBs), and (2) Small Business concerns (SBs). If award cannot be made, the solicitation will be cancelled, and the requirement resolicited.

The Government will evaluate quotes using the following procedure: The agency will first evaluate quotations at the highest tier (SDVOSBs), if any; in sequence against the factors in the solicitation to identify the first acceptable quotation the first response that provides the government what it needs, were and when as identified in the RFQ.

Once one quotation is found acceptable, a direct comparison of the quotations will be performed in a uniform and fair manner side by side to the remaining ones, rejecting those that are unacceptable, and choosing the best one.

If no offers were submitted by SDVOSBs, or if none of the offers would result in award at a fair and reasonable price that offers best value to the government, the SDVOSB set-aside will be withdrawn and proceed to evaluate the set-aside for SB concerns.

The same process stated above will be conducted in the SB tier. However, within this tier, consideration will be given to HUBZone, 8(a), and women-owned small business concerns before evaluating offers from other small business concerns.

The resulting contract s period of performance is expected to be from November 1, 2024 to October 31, 2025, plus four option years.

The full text of FAR provisions or clauses may be accessed electronically at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

The following solicitation provisions apply to this acquisition:

1. FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items (Addendum attached)

2. FAR 52.212-3, Offerors Representations and Certifications Commercial Items

(www.sam.gov registration is required to be complete at time of submission of response)

Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) website located at https://www.sam.gov/portal in accordance with FAR 52.212-3, Offerors Representations and Certifications Commercial Items. If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required.

The following contract clauses apply to this acquisition:

1. FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Products and Commercial

Services (NOV 2023) (Addendum attached)

2. FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive

Orders - Commercial Products and Commercial Services (FEB 2024)

Award will be based upon a comparative evaluation of quotes in accordance with the Simplified Acquisition Procedures of FAR 13. Comparative evaluation is the side by side pairwise comparison of quotes based on factors resulting in a Contracting Officer decision for the quote most favorable to the Government. Options will be evaluated at time of award.

To facilitate the award process, all quotes must include a statement regarding the terms and conditions herein as follows:

"The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition."

OR

"The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:"

Quoters shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s), if any.

Details concerning how quotes will be evaluated can be seen in the addendum to FAR 52.212-1 (Instructions to Offerors), in the Clauses and Provisions attachment.

Questions submission shall be received not later than 3:00 PM Atlantic Standard Time (AST) on September 6, 2024 at wilfredo.perez3@va.gov.

Submission of your response shall be received not later than 3:00 PM AST on September 16, 2024 at wilfredo.perez3@va.gov. The quoter shall submit a PDF version of the quote to the Government. Late submissions shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f). Omission of any one item MAY result in a quoter package being deemed not technically acceptable.

Submissions from SDVOSBs shall also include a completed and signed VAAR clause 852.219-75 (deviation) in their quotes, in which they will state if they will be in compliance with the Limitation of Subcontracting as set forth in this clause.