S208--Sources Sought Altoona VAMC Plants and Grounds Services

THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. This Request for Information (RFI) 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 Request for Information 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, James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center, Altoona VAMC, has a requirement for landscape management services to the Altoona VAMC property and VA owned planters located at the Altoona VA Medical Center located at 2907 Pleasant Valley Blvd, Altoona, PA 16602. Potential Sources shall respond with their ability to provide these services as described below.

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES: The Contractor shall provide all labor, materials (soil, mulch, flowers), protective clothing, supervision, equipment, inspections, and reports necessary to perform landscape management services. Services required during the timeframe of April through November are described as:

The services in the month April will consist of a thorough spring cleanup of accumulated winter debris and leaves from turf and bed areas.

Replenishing of soil and mulch to be uniform/even of the border and planting of flowers shall occur in May and contractor shall provide all weeding to provide a weed free appearance and watering services multiple times a week (estimated 3-4 times weekly) to maintain healthy growth and per industry standards.

In the summer months, the Contractor shall continue to provide all weeding and watering services to maintain healthy growth and per industry standards. Plants shall be deadheaded , fertilized, and separated to enhance beauty and ensure healthy growth. Arborvitaes to be trimmed and treated for bag worms when necessary.

In the fall, (by the end of September), Contractor shall switch out the annual flowers and replace with/plant fall flowers/mums. Contractor shall maintain the plants throughout the fall season to include necessary weeding and watering. Flower bulbs for spring bloom shall be planted in October. Fruit trees (approx. 12 apple and plum trees) to be pruned as necessary to promote healthy growth in the late fall.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code being considered for this procurement is 561730, Landscaping Services, and the Product Service Code (PSC) is S208 Housekeeping Landscaping/Groundskeeping. The Small Business Size Standard is $10 million. Responses to this notice should include the following:

1. Company name

2. Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number

3. Company s address,

4. Point of Contact information (i.e. title, phone number and email address)

5. Company s capability to meet this requirement and any pertinent information which demonstrates the company s ability to meet the above requirements.

6. GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract number, if within scope of this effort (if applicable).

7. Company s type of business (small or large) and socioeconomic status whether Service Disable Veteran Owned, Veteran Owned, Hubzone, 8(a), Women Owned, Small Disadvantaged, etc. If applicable, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) and Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) must be verified in www.VetBiz.gov. Response should provide enough information to determine if the vendor can comply with the limitations on subcontracting as defined in VAAR 852.219-74 and all applicable CFR references where applicable.

This RFI 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 jacquelyn.mazurek@va.gov no later than, 10 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST) March 3, 2025. 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, Jacquelyn Mazurek.

All firms responding to this Request for Information are advised that their response is not a request for quotation, 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 Request for Information. Information will only be accepted in writing by e-mail to Contract Specialist, Jacquelyn Mazurek at Jacquelyn.mazurek@va.gov.

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. 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.