R706--Material Handler Contract (VA-25-00000414) Denver Logistic Service (DLS) Service Distribution Center (SDC)

Request for Information 36C79124Q0017 

I. INTRODUCTION / BACKGROUND

The Department of Veterans Administration (VA) Commodities and Services Acquisition Service (CSAS) and Denver Logistic Services (DLS) located in Golden, Colorado and Service Distribution Center (SDC) located in Hines, Illinois manage holistic supply chain management for the VA National Audiology, Prosthetics, Hearing Aid and Telehealth Programs, and supports VA and other Government agencies with professional acquisition and logistical services.

The VA DLS and SDC procures, stocks and distributes worldwide to veterans and or clinicians commercial commodities that include the following: hearing aids; hearing aid accessories; cochlear implants and accessories; American flags; assistive listening devices and accessories; assistive devices; apnea devices and accessories; batteries; prosthetic socks; orthotic soft goods; aids for the visually impaired; and Home Telehealth equipment and peripherals.

VA CSAS is currently administering a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for Material Handling services for DLS warehouses located in the Greater Denver Metro area, which is set to expire December 31, 2024. VA CSAS is currently administering an IDIQ for Material Handling services for SDC warehouse in Hines Illinois, which is set to expire on July 31, 2025. The new contract will be a set aside for SDVOSB using an IDIQ with staggered starts for DLS on 1/1/2025 and SDC on 8/1/2025. The request for proposal will be sent out in September 2024 through Contract Opportunities.

II. RFI DISCLOSURE

This Request for Information (RFI) may be utilized by the Agency in a determination whether or not to set aside this requirement exclusively for participation by various small business socio-economic concerns. This is a Draft RFI only for Market Research. It is not an invitation to submit any offers or bids. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. Do not submit any offers or bids in response to this RFI. Responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the VA to form a binding contract. The VA will not award a contract based on this RFI nor will it pay for information or comments submitted to the VA in response to this RFI.  The results of this RFI will be utilized to determine if any socio-economic set-aside opportunities exist, starting with Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business/Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB/VOSB) opportunities. Additionally, this RFI will assist the VA with identifying potential and eligible firms, of all sizes, prior to determining the method of acquisition and issuance of a solicitation. All Small Business, Socioeconomic contracting programs (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB) will be considered. This requirement is assigned a NAICS code of 561210 Facilities Support Services with a more specific subtitle of Government base facilities operation support services. The size standard for this NAICS code is $47.0 million.

III. SCOPE

The scope of this requirement is to provide the opportunity for contractors to visit the Denver Logistics Service s (DLS) two facilities on July 30, 2024 09:00 AM to 12:00PM MDT. See section V for the information to reserve your spot for the site visit of the DLS. A video of the SDC will be played during the visit for the Hine, Illinois warehouse. This contract award shall be an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) fixed price contract award. The contractor will supervise a team for facility support operations in terms of material handling and packing services, and related warehouse operations in support of the three VA DLS distribution facilities located in the following cities: Golden, CO; Lakewood, CO; and Hines, IL. The expected duration of this follow-on requirement will be a base year and four one-year option periods.

There are nine operational categories shall be supplied by the contractor: On-Site Program Manager; On-Site Supervisor(s); Shift Lead/Trainer(s); EDOS, HDOS, Quality Assurance Specialist(s), Inventory Specialist(s), Forklift Operator(s), and Material Handlers positions. These positions may be subject to change in the RFP.

IV. OBJECTIVES

The objective of this requirement is to support the continuing need of the DLC and SDC Distributions warehouse operations via non-personal contract vehicle. Objectives are for the Contractor to ensure there are sufficient personnel are onsite at both locations to accommodate a varying amount of warehouse operations to meet the objectives outlined in the Minimum Technical Requirements. The contractor shall adhere to FAR 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity dated September 2016. The potential forthcoming RFP may be posted to Contract Opportunities by September 2024 and Awarded preferable before December 1, 2024, with an effective start date of January 1, 2025.

V. INFORMATION REQUESTED AND QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED

In the e-mail response, please include the following in the subject line: Material Handling Services RFI response, Vendor Name and Business Size.

All e-mail communication must include the company name, address, point of contact name and title, e-mail address, and telephone number.

We are requesting interested parties submit answers and/or provide responses to the following:

1. Company name Address Point of contact; phone and email Is your company registered in the United States as a business?
2. System for Award Management (SAM)
3. Unique Entity ID (UEI) number
4. Cage Code
5. Please provide the Businesses Worldwide Website or Ecommerce Web URL.
6. Do you have current or past federal contracts? If so, please provide the contract numbers, order number (if applicable), identify if the federal agency and the name of the contracting officer.
7. What is your businesses current Socioeconomic status, e.g. Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), 8(a) Small Business (8a), HUBZone Small Business (HUBZ), Small Dis-advantage businesses (SDB), Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Small Business or Large Business.
8. Do you plan to send a representative to visit the DLS the two sites in Golden, CO and Lakewood, CO on July 30 at 9AM MDT?
   • Please provide the following information:
     • The full name of the contractor s representatives visiting the DLS.
     • The full name of the contractor as it appears in SAM.gov.
     • The contractor representative s emails that will be visiting the DLS
     • The cell numbers of the contractor s representatives visiting the DLS.
     • The contractor's representatives visiting the DLS shall need a federal identification (ID) to access both sites.
       • No access shall be granted without a federal ID.
       • The Real ID must have a star in upper right hand corner or you may verify your federal ID at the following Homeland Security website: REAL ID | Homeland Security (dhs.gov).
9. The contractor s representatives must respond to this RFI before the deadline of July 11, 2024 at 15:00 PM MDT. No exceptions will be made for responding late. There are limited spots available to join the tour of our two facilities is 50 and it will be first come first reserve. The maximum of three people from a contractor shall be allowed.
10. Please verify that you are approved before booking travel.

VI. RESPONSES

Responses must be submitted to the VA CSAS point of contact Bradley Geghan, on or before 3:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) Thursday July 11, 2024.

Incomplete responses may be excluded as market research for future solicitations. Our e-mail function is limited as to the size of file that can be received; less than 20 megabytes per e-mail.

Please e-mail RFI responses to: Bradley.geghan@va.gov

As stated above, please ensure the subject line includes: Material Handling Services RFI response, Vendor Name and the body of the email includes items #1-10 list in section V, Business Name, Attendees name, Attendees contact information and any relevant comments.

VII. MINIMUM TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The follow performance service requirements are subject to change before the request for proposals is official sent out.

See Attachment 1 to review Performance Work Statement (PWS.)

Title = Attachment 1 Material Handling PWS for 2025

Acronym Key:

8(a) = Small Business section 8(a) Business Development Program

CO = Contracting Officer

COR= Contracting Officer s Representative

DLS = Denver Logistics Service (Golden, CO)

EDOS = Enterprise Distribution Operations Section

HDOS = Healthcare Distribution Operations Section

HUBZ = Small Business located in a HUBZone

SDB = Small Dis-advantage businesses

SDC = Service Distribution Center (Hines, IL)

SDVOSB = Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business

WD = Department of Labor Wage Determination

VOSB = Veteran-Owned Small Business

WOSB = Woman Owned Small Business

*DISCLAIMER* This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), 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 RFI.

Request for Information 36C79124Q0017

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I. INTRODUCTION / BACKGROUND

The Department of Veterans Administration (VA) Commodities and Services Acquisition Service (CSAS) and Denver Logistic Services (DLS) located in Golden, Colorado and Service Distribution Center (SDC) located in Hines, Illinois manage holistic supply chain management for the VA National Audiology, Prosthetics, Hearing Aid and Telehealth Programs, and supports VA and other Government agencies with professional acquisition and logistical services.

The VA DLS and SDC procures, stocks and distributes worldwide to veterans and or clinicians commercial commodities that include the following: hearing aids; hearing aid accessories; cochlear implants and accessories; American flags; assistive listening devices and accessories; assistive devices; apnea devices and accessories; batteries; prosthetic socks; orthotic soft goods; aids for the visually impaired; and Home Telehealth equipment and peripherals.

VA CSAS is currently administering a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for Material Handling services for DLS warehouses located in the Greater Denver Metro area, which is set to expire December 31, 2024. VA CSAS is currently administering an IDIQ for Material Handling services for SDC warehouse in Hines Illinois, which is set to expire on July 31, 2025.

The new contract will be a set aside for SDVOSB using an IDIQ with staggered starts for DLS on 1/1/2025 and SDC on 8/1/2025. The request for proposal will be sent out in September 2024 through Contract Opportunities.

II. RFI DISCLOSURE

This Request for Information (RFI) may be utilized by the Agency in a determination whether or not to set aside this requirement exclusively for participation by various small business socio-economic concerns.

This is a Draft RFI only for Market Research. It is not an invitation to submit any offers or bids. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. Do not submit any offers or bids in response to this RFI. Responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the VA to form a binding contract. The VA will not award a contract based on this RFI nor will it pay for information or comments submitted to the VA in response to this RFI.Â

The results of this RFI will be utilized to determine if any socio-economic set-aside opportunities exist, starting with Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business/Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB/VOSB) opportunities. Additionally, this RFI will assist the VA with identifying potential and eligible firms, of all sizes, prior to determining the method of acquisition and issuance of a solicitation. All Small Business, Socioeconomic contracting programs (8(a), HUBZone, WOSB) will be considered.

This requirement is assigned a NAICS code of 561210 Facilities Support Services with a more specific subtitle of Government base facilities operation support services. The size standard for this NAICS code is $47.0 million.

III. SCOPE

The scope of this requirement is to provide the opportunity for contractors to visit the Denver Logistics Service s (DLS) two facilities on July 30, 2024 09:00 AM to 12:00PM MDT. See section V

for the information to reserve your spot for the site visit of the DLS. A video of the SDC will be played during the visit for the Hine, Illinois warehouse. This contract award shall be an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) fixed price contract award. The contractor will supervise a team for facility support operations in terms of material handling and packing services, and related warehouse operations in support of the three VA DLS distribution facilities located in the following cities: Golden, CO; Lakewood, CO; and Hines, IL.

The expected duration of this follow-on requirement will be a base year and four one-year option periods. There are nine operational categories shall be supplied by the contractor: On-Site Program Manager; On-Site Supervisor(s); Shift Lead/Trainer(s); EDOS, HDOS, Quality Assurance Specialist(s), Inventory Specialist(s), Forklift Operator(s), and Material Handlers positions. These positions may be subject to change in the RFP.

IV. OBJECTIVES

The objective of this requirement is to support the continuing need of the DLC and SDC Distributions warehouse operations via non-personal contract vehicle. Objectives are for the Contractor to ensure there are sufficient personnel are onsite at both locations to accommodate a varying amount of warehouse operations to meet the objectives outlined in the Minimum Technical Requirements. The contractor shall adhere to FAR 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity dated September 2016. The potential forthcoming RFP may be posted to Contract Opportunities by September 2024 and Awarded preferable before December 1, 2024, with an effective start date of January 1, 2025.

V. INFORMATION REQUESTED AND QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED

In the e-mail response, please include the following in the subject line: Material Handling Services RFI response, Vendor Name and Business Size. All e-mail communication must include the company name, address, point of contact name and title, e-mail address, and telephone number.

We are requesting interested parties submit answers and/or provide responses to the following:

Company name

Address

Point of contact; phone and email

Is your company registered in the United States as a business?

System for Award Management (SAM) Unique Entity ID (UEI) number

Cage Code

Please provide the Businesses Worldwide Website or Ecommerce Web URL.

Do you have current or past federal contracts? If so, please provide the contract numbers, order number (if applicable), identify if the federal agency and the name of the contracting officer.

What is your businesses current Socioeconomic status, e.g. Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), 8(a) Small Business (8a), HUBZone Small Business (HUBZ), Small Dis-advantage businesses (SDB), Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Small Business or Large Business.

Do you plan to send a representative to visit the DLS the two sites in Golden, CO and Lakewood, CO on July 30 at 9AM MDT? Please provide the following information:

The full name of the contractor s representatives visiting the DLS.

The full name of the contractor as it appears in SAM.gov.

The contractor representative s emails that will be visiting the DLS

The cell numbers of the contractor s representatives visiting the DLS.

The contractor s representatives visiting the DLS shall need a federal identification (ID) to access both sites. No access shall be granted without a federal ID. The Real ID must have a star in upper right hand corner or you may verify your federal ID at the following Homeland Security website: REAL ID | Homeland Security (dhs.gov).

The contractor s representatives must respond to this RFI before the deadline of July 11, 2024 at 15:00 PM MDT. No exceptions will be made for responding late. There are limited spots available to join the tour of our two facilities is 50 and it will be first come first reserve. The maximum of three people from a contractor shall be allowed. Please verify that you are approved before booking travel.

VI. RESPONSES

Responses must be submitted to the VA CSAS point of contact Bradley Geghan, on or before 3:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) Thursday July 11, 2024. Incomplete responses may be excluded as market research for future solicitations. Our e-mail function is limited as to the size of file that can be received; less than 20 megabytes per e-mail. Please e-mail RFI responses to: Bradley.geghan@va.gov

As stated above, please ensure the subject line includes: Material Handling Services RFI response, Vendor Name and the body of the email includes items #1-10 list in section V, Business Name, Attendees name, Attendees contact information and any relevant comments.

VII. MINIMUM TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The follow performance service requirements are subject to change before the request for proposals is official sent out.

See Attachment 1 to review Performance Work Statement (PWS.)

Title = Attachment 1 Material Handling PWS for 2025

Acronym Key:

8(a) = Small Business section 8(a) Business Development Program

COR = Contracting Officer

COR = Contracting Officer s Representative

DLS = Denver Logistics Service (Golden, CO)

EDOS = Enterprise Distribution Operations Section

HDOS = Healthcare Distribution Operations Section

HUBZ = Small Business located in a HUBZone

SDB = Small Dis-advantage businesses

SDC = Service Distribution Center (Hines, IL)

SDVOSB = Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business

WD = Department of Labor Wage Determination

VOSB = Veteran-Owned Small Business

WOSB = Woman Owned Small Business

*DISCLAIMER*

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), 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 RFI.