Z1DB--603-23-1-2311-0001 - 603-22-602 - Renovate Pathology (VA-23-00009816)

RFI Questions and Answers

603-22-602 Renovate Pathology Lab

PROJECT LOCATION: ROBLEY REX VA MEDICAL CENTER

800 ZORN AVENUE

LOUISVILLE, KY 40206

RFI. No

Subject

Date Received

Reply Expected

Reply Sent

Q1

Can the VA provide written clarification, per drawing AE601, as the casework section and elevation detail are difficult to read, are the measurements ID or OD?

11/16/2022

11/18/2022

11/20/2022

A1

On AE601/2 Casework Section, the dimension of the upper cabinet is the inner dimension, and it must be 13 . On AE601/1 Casework Elevation, the dimension are the outer dimensions.

Q2

01 00 00 General Requirements - How many rooms/spaces will the contractor have control of at any given time?

11/16/2022

11/18/2022

11/20/2022

A2

Room A-347 will be under control by contractor. Room A-348a will be partially under control by contractor; area getting demolished (refer to sheet AD100 for area being demolished. Contractor will not have control of room A-348, Histology

Q3

01 00 00 General Requirements - Will the pathology lab be occupied during construction?

11/16/2022

11/18/2022

11/20/2022

A3

Yes, it will. The only room that will not be occupied during construction is A-347A.

Q4

01 00 00 General Requirements - How much work or what phases of work should or will be scheduled after normal working hours?

11/16/2022

11/18/2022

11/20/2022

A4

The work in room A-347 (Office/Biosafety Lab) and a portion of the room A348a (Specimen Exam) can be done during normal hours. Replacing the ceiling tiles in A-348 (Histology) will have to be done after hours and in a phase that doesn t disrupt their daily operations.

Q5

Should the wall coating be a resinous our epoxy coating due to the chemicals used in the Path Lab?

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A5

The VA requirement is high build glazed coating per PG 18-14. Use epoxy, color TBD.

Q6

Finish schedule on sheet AE601 calls for P-2 on door frames to be a flat finish. Flat finish is not typical for hospitals especially not areas with chemicals used. Please confirm the paint finish for doors and frames.

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A6

Epoxy is recommended for this environment. Use epoxy, color TBD.

Q7

Finish schedule on sheet AE601does not appear to list a floor finish for the Histology and Specimen Exam rooms. Is this existing flooring to remain or new flooring. Please provide new flooring info.

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A7

Histology Room A348 flooring is not in the project scope.

Q8

The bid docs include spec 05 50 00 Metal Fabrications. What is in the project which falls under this division? There doesn t appear to be any overhead ceiling mounted equipment and the counters will be metal brackets but not custom fab under 05 50 00.

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A8

Anchorage for cabinets VA standard detail 05 50 00-02 sheet AE 601.

Q9

Can the VA provide the cut sheets of ALL new lab equipment being provide by the VA, but contractor installed?

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A9

Cut sheets as provided to FFE are attached. Confirm with COR if these have changed.

Q10

There is an existing sink in the existing room Office A-347 (to become Lab A-347). Does this sink get removed or is it to remain.

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A10

Sink remains.

Q11

If this sink is to remain, can it be tied into the new plumbing for the new sink in Specimen Exam A-348?

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A11

Yes, the plumbing for the new and existing sinks can be tied together.

Q12

Can all work be performed during normal business hours or is night/weekend work required?

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A12

Except for Lab A-347, all spaces are to remain occupied and active and will require nights/weekends work. Coordinate with COR.

Q13

If night/weekend work is required, please identify the areas and the work which cannot be performed during normal business hours.

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A13

Specimen Exam A-348a, Histology A-348.

Q14

What is the dimension of the new metal casework.

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A14

Refer to elevation 1 sheet AE601.

Q15

Please provide a drawing showing the existing storage units on rails in Histology A-348 so we can determine how best to work around these units when performing work in this area.

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A15

Contractor to do field visit and identify this information for applicable means and methods to perform work.

Q16

Note #9 on sheet AD100 calls for no flooring demo in room Specimen Exam A-348a. However, the casework is shown to be removed and replaced and the new casework does not follow the same layout. This will leave a gap in the existing flooring. This area will require either floor patching where the existing casework is removed or replacing flooring in the entire room.

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A16

Patch and repair existing flooring as needed for the installation of new casework.

Q17

Does either of the owner GFCI equipment get a lab hood?

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A17

No. Refer to Question Q18.

Q18

Please provide cut sheets for the GFCI equipment for bidding installation.

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A18

Coordinate obtaining these cutsheets through the COR.

Q19

Sheet FX101 seems to call for an entirely new fire sprinkler system in the work areas. Since the room layout is not changing it would seem there is no additional work to the fire sprinklers.

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A19

The fire protection work shown only involves having sprinklers in new locations based on the new ceiling work. All piping mains will remain in place but there will be new sprinklers and a minimal amount of new branch piping to the sprinklers.

Q20

Since the duration of work is so short in each separate room, will the existing sprinkler heads need to be turned up between demo of existing ceilings and installation of new ceilings in rooms A-348a and A-348

11/22/2022

11/23/2022

11/22/2022

A20

It depends on how short of a time period. An approved fire watch would be needed. Per NFPA, if the sprinkler heads are not turned up to within 12 of the deck, then we will have an impaired system. Section 15.5.2(4) of NFPA 25 says Where a fire protection system is out of service for more than 10 hours in a 24-hour period, the impairment coordinator shall arrange for one of the following:

(b) An approved fire watch.

Q21

Clarification Sheet AD100, Note 4 - Room A-348a ICRA barrier shall be installed from corner of plan West wall to perpendicular to plan East wall. Cover hood during construction. Relocate metal cabinet from plan East wall but remain in room A-348e, out of construction area.

11/23/2022

11/23/2022

11/23/2022

A21

N/A VA Clarification is as noted.

Q22

Clarification Sheet AD100 Room A-347 Remove Herman-Miller cabinets from plan south wall and transport to the Engineering shops in hospital basement, Room B-016.

11/23/2022

11/23/2022

11/23/2022

A22

N/A VA Clarification is as noted.

Q23

Clarification The ICRA level is Level IV in all areas.

11/28/2022

11/29/2022

11/29/2022

A23

N/A - VA Clarification is as noted.

END OF DOCUMENT

Addendum

603-22-602 Renovate Pathology Lab

PROJECT LOCATION: ROBLEY REX VA MEDICAL CENTER

800 ZORN AVENUE

LOUISVILLE, KY 40206

DRAWINGS MODIFICATIONS

Sheets GI003, AD100, AE100, AE601

Adding sheet GI003, ICRA plan and Notes

Existing wall mounted sink in Office A-347/proposed Biosafety Lab A-347 to remain.

Sheet AD100 Clarifications:

Note 4 clarification: Room A-348a ICRA barrier shall be installed from corner of plan West wall to perpendicular to plan East wall. Cover hood during construction. Relocate metal cabinet from plan East wall but remain in room A-348e, out of construction area.

Room A-347 Remove Herman-Miller cabinets from plan south wall and transport to the Engineering shops in hospital basement, Room B-016.

Finish legend revised to show the type of paint required is a High Build Glazed Coating (Special Coating) per Program Guide PG 18-14.

Sheet PL101

Existing wall mounted sink in Biosafety Lab A-347 to remain.

Piping for existing sink in Biosafety Lab A-347 and new sink in A-348a to be connected.

SPECIFICATION MODIFICATIONS

00 01 15 LIST OF DRAWING SHEETS (Add sheet GI003 ICRA Plan and Notes)

01 35 26 SAFETY REQUIREMENTS (Changed ICRA level from III (3) to IV (4)

END OF DOCUMENT

End of Document

A.4 IMPORTANT OFFEROR INFORMATION

IMPORTANT OFFEROR INFORMATION

SOLICITATION MATERIALS: All solicitation materials consisting of drawings, specifications, contract forms, Amendments, and other documents will be posted to the Contract Opportunities Government website located at https://sam.gov/. Enter 36C24922R0104 into the search box to access the solicitation materials. This is the only official location where these documents can be obtained and where updates are posted. No hard copy solicitation materials are available.

SOLICITATION SUBMISSION: The following documents must be included in the solicitation submission in the formats as stated:

- One (1) electronic copy of an original, fully completed and signed and dated SF 1442 Offer page ( wet ink signature ), acknowledgment of all amendments issued by either completing block 19 of the SF1442 or completing blocks 15a, b, and c of the Amendment(s) and providing them with the SF 1442 Offer page; prices on all line items listed on the Price/Cost Schedule; completed Representations and Certifications section (FAR 52.204-8, 52.209-5 (Deviation), and 52.209-7); and fully completed Contractor Experience Modification Rate (EMR) Certification documents.

- One (1) electronic copy of an original completed and signed SF 24 Bid Bond or other allowable Bid Security. Any missing elements of the bid bond submission could render the offeror ineligible and their offer will not be considered.

Offerors are responsible for insuring and verifying their offer and all required solicitation documents are received at the office and point of contact designated in block 8 of the SF 1442 and by the date and time specified in block 13A of the SF 1442 (subject to amendment).

The due date for proposals is November 21, 2022, at 1:00PM CT

PROJECT INFORMATION

PROJECT TITLE AND NUMBER: 603-22-602 Renovate Pathology Lab

PROJECT LOCATION: Louisville VAMC, Robley Rex, Louisville, KY.

MAGNITUDE OF CONSTRUCTION: $250,000.00 to $500,000.00

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM CODE: (NAICS): 236220 - Commercial and Institutional Building Construction

SMALL BUSINESS SIZE STANDARD: $39.5 Million

TYPE OF SET-ASIDE: This solicitation is a 100% set-aside for SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS (SDVOSB).

Federal Holidays. Federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103) establishes the following public holidays for Federal employees: New Year s Day, Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington s Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Please note that most Federal employees work on a Monday through Friday schedule. For these employees, when a holiday falls on a non-workday -- Saturday or Sunday -- the holiday usually is observed on Monday (if the holiday falls on Sunday) or Friday (if the holiday falls on Saturday).

All contractors are required to complete the VA Privacy Training for Personnel without Access to VA Computer Systems or Direct Access or Use to VA Sensitive Information. A copy of the signed training must be submitted to the COR and uploaded into VA Talent Management System (TMS).

Contractor employees shall not be considered government employees for any purpose under this contract.

Changes to any resultant contract may only be made by a written modification which is formally executed by the contractor and the Contracting Officer.

DATABASE REGISTRATION INFORMATION

SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM) REGISTRATION: The System for Award Management (SAM) website located at https://sam.gov is the Official U.S. Government system that consolidated the capabilities of the Central Contractor Registration (CCR including FedReg), Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). Federal Acquisition Regulations require that federal contractors wishing to do business with the Government and bid on work shall have an active registration in SAM. If the Offeror does not have an active registration in the SAM database at the time of offer submission and are the apparently successful low offeror, the Contracting Officer shall prescribe a time within which the offeror shall have an active registration in SAM; otherwise, the Contracting Officer shall deem the offeror s proposal non-responsive to the solicitation requirements and proceed to award to the next lowest offer.

THE EXCLUDED PARTIES LIST SYSTEM (EPLS): To ensure that the individuals or businesses providing services under the contract have not engaged in fraud or abuse regarding Sections 1128 and 1128A of the Social Security Act regarding federal health care programs, the contractor is required to check the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) located at https://sam.gov for each person or business providing services under this contract. During the performance of this contract the Contractor is prohibited from using any individual or business listed on the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities.

VETS-4212 REPORTING REQUIREMENT: Contractors are required to submit a required annual Form VETS-4212, Federal Contractor Veterans' Employment Report in all cases where the contractor or subcontractor has received an award of $150,000 or more in any fiscal year. Contracting Officers are prohibited from awarding a contract to a contractor that has not submitted a required VETS-4212 Report with respect to the preceding fiscal year if the contractor was subject to the reporting requirement of 38 U.S.C. 4212(d). Submit this report as soon as possible, if not already submitted, to avoid delays in the contract award process. For more information on this requirement and/or for completing the web-based reporting form, visit the following website https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/programs/vets4212. See FAR provision 52.222-38, Compliance with Veterans' Employment Reporting Requirements (FEB 2016) under the Representations, Certifications and Other Statements of Offerors, and FAR clause 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (FEB 2016) under the General Conditions.

BONDING INFORMATION

BID GUARANTEE: A bid guarantee is required in an amount not less than 20 percent of the bid price but shall not exceed $3,000,000. Failure to furnish the required bid guarantee in the proper form and amount, by the time set for opening of bids, shall require rejection of the bid in all cases except those listed in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 28.101-4. Bid Bonds must be provided using Standard Form 24 (see FAR 28.106-1) and the form must be provided in original (no white outs, faxed or copied signatures, seals) with wet ink signatures and contain the proper solicitation number, bid opening date, and be from a corporate surety listed in Department of Treasury Circular 570. Individual sureties shall be determined acceptable to the Contracting Officer (see FAR 28.203) and be accompanied by Standard Form 28 Affidavit of Individual Surety. Other forms of bid security may be acceptable as denoted in FAR Part 28.203-2.

PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT BONDS: In accordance with Contract Clause 52.228-15, and FAR 28.102, Contractors are reminded that any amount awarded over $35,000.00 shall require a Payment Bond (SF 25A), and awards exceeding $150,000.00 shall require both Payment and Performance Bonds (SF 25). Payment and Performance bonds are due no later than 10 days after notification of award. Bonds must be provided with original wet ink signatures - no white-outs or other corrections are allowable. Copies and facsimiles of bonds shall not be accepted.

SECURITY

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS: All contractor employees are subject to the same level of investigation as VA employees who have access to VA Sensitive Information. The level of background investigation is commensurate with the level of access needed to perform the statement of work. This requirement is also applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same level of access.

Levels and associated types of Background Investigations:

If the project requires that workers have only limited physical access to the VA facility for a period of one year or less, a local flash badge with fingerprint check is issued.

If the project requires that workers require un-supervised, logical and/or physical access for 180 consecutive or aggregate days in a 365-day period, over a 3-year period, a background investigation may be required (Special Agency Check (SAC)) which must be completed prior to being allowed access.

If the project requires that workers have access to a VA Network (such as the Building Management System) or un-supervised, full-time, logical, and/or restricted physical access for more than 6 months or more than 180 aggregate days in a one-year period, a background investigation is required (Special Agency Check and National Agency Check with Written Inquiries (NACI)) and access is not allowed until a favorable SAC completion.

All costs for SAC and NACI checks are borne by the contractor. The VA may at its discretion make deductions against the contract in order to recoup the investigation costs. The estimated cost for a SAC is $30.00 per employee and the estimated cost for a NACI check is $408.00 per employee (subject to change at any time).

MEDICAL CENTER ACCESS: Anyone participating in the site visit, or for any other reason that involves visiting the medical center related to this solicitation, must have a valid ID on their person and their vehicle must be properly registered and insured. Visitors are prohibited from possessing weapons while on a federal installation (See 18 USC 930 Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities). Handheld cellphone usage or texting while driving is also prohibited. All VA Medical Centers and associated properties are Federal Property.

PRIVACY TRAINING: All workers regardless of project length must take VA Privacy Training which will be coordinated after project award with the Contracting Officer s Representative.

E-VERIFY SYSTEM: Companies awarded a contract with the federal government shall enroll in E-Verify within 30 days of the contract award date. They shall also begin using the E-Verify system to confirm that all of their new hires and their employees directly working on federal contracts are authorized to legally work in the United States. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows an employer, using information reported on an employee's Form I-9, to determine the eligibility of that employee to work in the United States. There is no charge to employers to use E-Verify. (FAR 52.222-54).

PRIME CONTRACTOR INFORMATION- SAFETY OR ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS AND EXPERIENCE MODIFICATION RATING INFORMATION

All Bidders/Offerors shall submit information pertaining to their past Safety and Environmental record (using the attached EMR information/data form). The information must contain a certification that the bidder/offeror has no more than three (3) serious, or one (1) repeat or one (1) willful OSHA or any EPA violation(s) in the past three years. If such certification cannot be made, a Bidder/Offeror shall explain why and submit as much information as possible regarding the circumstances of its past safety and environmental record, including the number of EPA violations and/or the number of serious, repeat, and/or willful OSHA violations, along with a detailed description of those violations.

All Bidders/Offerors shall submit information regarding their current Experience Modification Rate (EMR). This information shall be obtained from the Bidders/Offeror s insurance carrier and be furnished on the insurance carrier s letterhead. If a Bidder/Offeror s EMR is above 1.0, Bidder/Offeror must submit a written explanation of the EMR from its insurance carrier furnished on the insurance carrier s letterhead, describing the reasons for the elevated EMR and the anticipated date the EMR may be reduced to 1.0 or below.

Self-insured contractors or other contractors that cannot provide their EMR rating on insurance letterhead must obtain a rating from the National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc. (NCCI) by completing/submitting form ERM-6 and providing the rating on letterhead from NCCI. Note: Self-insured contractors or other contractors that cannot provide EMR rating on insurance letterhead from the states or territories of CA, DE, MI, NJ, ND, OH, PA, WA, WY, and Puerto Rico shall obtain their EMR rating from their state-run worker s compensation insurance rating bureau.

If the NCCI cannot issue an EMR because the Bidder/Offeror lacks insurance history, Bidder/Offeror shall submit a letter indicating so from its insurance carrier furnished on the insurance carrier s letterhead and include a letter from the NCCI indicating that it has assigned Bidder/Offeror a Unity Rating of 1.0.

The above information, along with other information obtained from Government systems, such as the OSHA and EPA online inspection history databases, will be used to make an initial Determination of Responsibility.

This requirement is applicable to all subcontracting tiers, and prospective prime contractors are responsible for determining the responsibility of their prospective subcontractors.

CONFORMANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: The Contractor shall perform work under this contract consistent with the relevant policy and objectives identified in the agency, organizational, or facility Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) applicable for the contract. The Contractor shall perform work in a manner that conforms to all appropriate Environmental Management Programs and Operational Controls identified by the agency, organizational, or facility GEMS, and provide monitoring and measurement information as necessary for the organization to address environmental performance relative to the environmental, energy, and transportation management goals.  In the event an environmental nonconformance or noncompliance associated with the contracted services is identified, the contractor shall take corrective and/or preventative actions. In the case of a noncompliance, the Contractor shall respond and take corrective action immediately. In the case of a nonconformance, the Contractor shall respond and take corrective action based on the time schedule established by the facility GEMS Coordinator. In addition, the Contractor shall ensure that their employees are aware of the roles and responsibilities identified by the environmental management system and how these requirements affect their work performed under this contract.

All on-site contractor personnel shall complete yearly EPA sponsored environmental training specified for the type of work conducted on-site. Upon inclusion in the contract, the Contracting Officer's Representative will verify that all contractor personnel have acquired EMS Awareness Training at their appropriate site or location.

REFERENCES TO VA ENGINEER, RESIDENT ENGINEER, SENIOR RESIDENT ENGINEER, OR PROJECT MANAGER: Any reference contained within contract specifications and/or drawings to the VA Engineer , Resident Engineer , Senior Resident Engineer , Project Manager , or their abbreviations are to be replaced with Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) .

PAYMENT FOR MATERIALS STORED OFF-SITE: Payment in advance of installation for materials stored off-site is not authorized under this contract unless otherwise approved by the Contracting Officer.

SCHEDULE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTALS: The submittals contemplated by FAR 52.236-5, Material and Workmanship, are listed on the Schedule of Material Submittals in the Specifications, if provided. The schedule is for reference only the selected contractor is responsible to provide all submittals required by the contract.

REVIEW REQUIRED REGISTRATION WITH CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM (CPARS)

As prescribed in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 42.15, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) evaluates contractor past performance on all contracts that exceed $750,000 and shares those evaluations with other Federal Government contract specialists and procurement officials. The FAR requires that the contractor be provided an opportunity to comment on past performance evaluations prior to each report closing. To fulfill this requirement VA uses an online database, CPARS, which is maintained by the Naval Seal Logistics Center in Portsmouth, Virginia. CPARS has connectivity with the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) database, which is available to all Federal agencies. PPIRS is the system used to collect and retrieve performance assessment reports used in source selection determinations and completed CPARS report cards transferred to PPIRS. CPARS also includes access to the federal awardee performance and integrity information system (FAPIIS). FAPIIS is a web-enabled application accessed via CPARS for contractor responsibility determination information.

Each contractor whose contract award is estimated to exceed $750,000 is required to register with CPARS database at the following web address: www.cpars.csd.disa.mil. Help in registering can be obtained by contacting Customer Support Desk at 207-438-1690. Registration should occur no later than thirty days after contract award and must be kept current should there be any change to the contractor's registered representative.

For contracts with a period of one year or less, the contracting officer will perform a single evaluation when the contract is complete. For contracts exceeding one year, the contracting officer will evaluate the contractor's performance annually. Interim reports will be filed each year until the last year of the contract, when the final report will be completed. The report shall be assigned in CPARS to the contractor's designated representative for comment. The contractor representative will have thirty days to submit any comments and re-assign the report to the VA contracting officer.

Failure to have a current registration in the CPARS database, or to re-assign the report to the VA contracting officer within those thirty days, will result in the Government's evaluation being placed on file in the database with a statement that the contractor failed to respond.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION RECORDS POLICIES

1. Contractor shall comply with all applicable records management laws and regulations, as well as National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records policies, including but not limited to the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. chs. 21, 29, 31, 33), NARA regulations at 36 CFR Chapter XII Subchapter B, and those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a). These policies include the preservation of all records, regardless of form or characteristics, mode of transmission, or state of completion.Â

2. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for Government use and delivered to, or falling under the legal control of, the Government are Federal records subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statute or regulation.Â

3. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, Contractor shall maintain all records created for Government use or created in the course of performing the contract and/or delivered to, or under the legal control of the Government and must be managed in accordance with Federal law. Electronic records and associated metadata must be accompanied by sufficient technical documentation to permit understanding and use of the records and data.

4. The Government and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of the Government or destroyed except for in accordance with the provisions of the agency records schedules and with the written concurrence of the Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA). Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. In the event of any unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records, the contractor must report it to Government Contracting Officer. The agency must report promptly to NARA in accordance with 36 CFR 1230.

5. The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate Government Contracting Officer upon discovery of any inadvertent or unauthorized disclosures of information, data, documentary materials, records or equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorized personnel with a need-to-know as described in the [contract vehicle]. The Contractor shall ensure that the appropriate personnel, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is properly protected. The Contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems, or facilities or systems operated or maintained on the Government s behalf, without the express written permission of the Head of the Contracting Activity. When information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is no longer required, it shall be returned to the Government s control, or the Contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items returned to the Government shall be hand carried, mailed, emailed, or securely electronically transmitted to the Contracting Officer who awarded the contract. Destruction of records is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4).

6. The Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, contracts. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by all Government guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary information, classified, and controlled unclassified information.

7. The Contractor shall only use Government IT equipment for purposes specifically tied to or authorized by the contract and in accordance with the project location VA Medical Center s written policy.Â

8. The Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any non-public Government information that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract.Â

9. The Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected from public disclosure by an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act.Â

10. The Government owns the rights to all data and records produced as part of this contract. All deliverables under the contract are the property of the U.S. Government and shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Any Contractor rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20.

11. Training. All Contractor employees assigned to this contract who create, work with, or otherwise handle records are required to take VHA-provided records management training, Talent Management System (TMS) Item #3873736, Records Management for Records Officers and Liaisons. The Contractor is responsible for confirming training has been completed according to agency policies, including initial training and any annual or refresher training. All training shall be coordinate with the Contracting Officer s Representative assigned to the contract.