S209--Washington, DC VA Medical Center Patient Linen Services

Washington, DC VA Medical Center is conducting this Sources Sought to identify contractors who possess capabilities to provide the services described in the Statement of Work below.

As permitted by the FAR Part 10, this is a market research tool being utilized for the informational and planning purposes. Your responses will assist the Government in the development of its acquisition strategy.

Response is strictly voluntary it is not mandatory to submit a response to this notice to participate in formal RFQ process that may take place in the future. However, it should be noted that information gathered through this notice may significantly influence our acquisition strategy. All interested parties will be required to respond separately to any solicitation posted as a result of this sources sought notice.

Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. We appreciate your interest and thank you in advance for responding to the sources sought.

This service will be implemented using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 812320.

If a small business is interested in this procurement, they must provide at least 51 percent of the services rendered.

NOTES

All Capability Statements/Responses to this Sources Sought Notice shall be submitted via email only to Sylvia.Honesty@va.gov. Telephone, Fax, or any other form of communication inquiries will not be reviewed or accepted. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice must be received no later than February 20, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time). This Sources Sought Notice may or may not assist the VA in determining sources. A solicitation is not currently available. If a solicitation is issued, it may or may not be announced at a later date, and all interested parties shall respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this Sources Sought Notice.

DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked a proprietary will be handled accordingly in accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e), RFIs may be used when the Government does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes. Responses to these notices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses incurred associated with responding to this RFI.

Sources Sought Notice

STATEMENT OF WORK

WASHINGTON DC VA MEDICAL CENTER

PATIENT LINEN SERVICES

GENERAL

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, materials, equipment, and transportation necessary to provide Patient Linen Cleaning Services for the Washington, DC Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (DC VAMC), Community Living Center (CLC).

Contract length will be for the period of one year.

Offers shall be submitted on a unit price per pound of laundry services (clean weight).

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Washington DC VA Medical Center

50 Irving St. NW, Washington DC 20422

COMPLIANCE STANDARDS

All workmanship shall be in accordance with practices and guidelines established by the Association for Linen Management (ALM) and accepted industry standards. Services shall include all processes necessary for laundering and finishing linen, even if not specifically detailed herein.

All work shall be performed under sanitary conditions in accordance with standards set forth by The Joint Commission (TJC).

Physical separation through barrier walls and pass-through equipment is required to maintain positive air pressure in clean areas relative to negative air pressure in soiled areas.

Clean and soiled linen shall never share the same physical space. The laundry plant shall utilize a design for asepsis to prevent cross-contamination or reintroduction of bacteria.

The laundry plant shall be open to inspection by authorized DC VAMC representatives.

All laundered items shall be returned in a serviceable and sanitary condition, meeting established quality and performance standards.

Offerors shall submit copies of policies and procedures evidencing compliance with all applicable standards.

PICKUP AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE

The Community Living Center is located at the Washington, DC VAMC, 50 Irving Street NW, Washington, DC 20422, 2nd Floor, Building 6.

The Contractor shall pick up soiled linen and deliver clean linen twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays, between 5:00 AM and 7:00 AM, excluding federal holidays.

All exchanges shall be completed at the agreed-upon times.

FEDERAL HOLIDAYS

Eleven holidays are observed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Federal personnel and facilities will not be available at the location on the following:

New Year s Day, January 1 (see note)

Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. the third Monday in January

Washington s Birthday the third Monday in February

Memorial Day the last Monday in May

Juneteenth, June 19 (see note)

Independence Day, July 4 (see note)

Labor Day the first Monday in September

Columbus Day the second Monday in October

Veterans Day, November 11 (see note)

Thanksgiving Day the fourth Thursday in November

Christmas Day, December 25 (see note)

Any day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday

Note: Indicates that if the established date falls on a Sunday, then the succeeding Monday is observed; if the date falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed.

ADDITIONAL AS-NEEDED SERVICES

Due to fluctuations in patient census or emergent situations, additional services may be required on an as-needed basis. These services shall be provided at no additional cost to the Government.

LINEN CARTS

The Contractor shall supply all carts required for the delivery of clean linen and pickup of soiled linen.

All carts must be approved by the DC VAMC designee prior to service initiation. Carts shall be uniform in size and weight, with dry weight clearly marked on the exterior.

The DC VAMC may deem carts unsuitable at any time. The Contractor shall replace rejected carts by the next scheduled delivery.

All carts shall be covered during transport.

All carts and equipment shall be cleaned and sanitized between uses.

The Contractor shall submit a written procedure for cleaning and sanitizing carts and equipment.

PRODUCT INTEGRITY

Transport trailers shall be disinfected with a tuberculocidal germicide after removal of soiled linen and prior to loading clean linen.

CONTINGENCY SERVICE PLAN

The Contractor shall maintain a contingency plan ensuring uninterrupted service during disruptions including equipment failure, labor disputes, natural disasters, or staffing shortages.

The Contractor must provide uninterrupted service to the Community Living Center at

the Washington, DC VAMC, regardless of labor levels at the Contractor s facility.

A written contingency plan shall be submitted with the offer.

RAGOUT (UNSERVICEABLE LINEN)

Linen deemed unserviceable shall be laundered, separated, and returned to DC VAMC

in clearly marked packaging labeled Ragout.

The Contractor shall submit a monthly ragout report identifying quantity, item type, and percentage of ragout.

Reports shall be submitted to the DC VAMC designee.

STAINED LINEN ITEMS

Serviceable stained linen identified by DC VAMC shall be returned to the Contractor for reprocessing and credit.

Stained items shall be packaged and labeled Stained.

EQUIPMENT AND STAFFING

The Contractor shall maintain sufficient equipment and staffing to process an average of 850 pounds of linen per week.

A description of equipment and processing procedures shall be submitted with the offer.

LINEN HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS

All clothing shall be cleaned, dried, hung, and kept separate from other linen items.

KEEP-SEPARATE HANDLING

All DC VAMC linen shall be processed separately using keep-separate techniques.

DC VAMC reserves the right to inspect the Contractor s facility at any time.

ACCURACY OF SCALES

All scales shall be certified by the Department of Weights and Measures.

Copies of certifications shall be submitted with the offer.

ITEMS FOUND IN LINEN

Photos and written reports of hazardous, personal, or medical items found shall be submitted daily.

Personal and medical items shall be safely packaged and promptly returned to DC VAMC.

Hazardous items shall be documented and disposed of properly.

The Contractor shall submit a lost and found procedure with the offer.

HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCEDURES

The Contractor shall maintain safeguards to protect employees from injury.

Universal Precautions shall be used for all soiled linen.

A description of laundering processes addressing Universal Body Substance Precautions shall be submitted.

FINISHING PROCESSES

Flatwork ironed and hung:

Shirts

Pants

Sweaters and coats

Dried and folded:

Undergarments, t-shirts, socks, etc.

MENDING AND PATCHING

Items requiring mending or patching shall be returned to the Contracting Officer s

Representative (COR) for approval prior to repair.

WEIGHT VERIFICATION

Clean linen shall be weighed upon delivery.

Weights shall be verified by DC VAMC laundry staff.

Initials shall be recorded on the shipping manifest.

PACKING SLIP AND MANIFEST

Each cart shall include a packing slip with item description, quantities, cart number, weights, and packer initials.

Discrepancies require same-day correction by 7:00 AM.

A consolidated manifest is required per delivery.

SECURITY

All trailers shall be locked and sealed with numbered seals.

DC VAMC personnel shall verify seals upon receipt.

REQUIRED PROPOSAL DOCUMENTATION CHECKLIST

The proposal shall include:

Compliance policies and procedures

Cart cleaning procedures

Contingency service plan

Description of equipment

Scale certification

Lost and found procedures

Health and safety policies

Universal Precautions laundering process