6515--Cryostats

This Sources Sought Notice is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products and/or services. Your response to this Sources Sought Notice will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise because of contractor submission of responses to this announcement or the Government use of such information. This request does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter negotiations to award a contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort. The information provided may be used by the Department of Veterans Affairs in developing its acquisition approach, statement of work/statement of objectives and performance specifications. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to award a contract based on this Sources Sought Notice or to otherwise pay for the information submitted in response to this Sources Sought Notice. The submission of pricing, capabilities for planning purposes, and other market information is highly encouraged and allowed under this Sources Sought Notice in accordance with (IAW) FAR Part 15.201(e). The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, 8(a), HubZone and other Small Businesses interested and capable of providing the products and/or services described below. Documentation of technical expertise must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. Responses to this notice shall include the following: (a) Company Name; (b) Address; (c) Point of Contact; (d) Phone, Fax, and Email; (e) UEI Number; (f) Cage Code; (g) Tax ID Number; (h) Type of Small Business, e.g., Services Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Veteran Owned Small business, 8(a), HUBZone, Women Owned Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, or Small Business HUBZone business, etc.; (i) State if your business has an FSS contract with GSA, VA NAC, NASA SEWP, or any other federal contract, that can be utilized to procure the requirement listed below and provide the contract number; and (j) Must provide a capability statement that addresses the organization s qualifications and ability to perform as a contractor for the work described below. Requirement: The VA Heartland Network 15 Contracting Office located at 3450 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, KS, 66048-5055 is seeking a potential qualified contractor to provide two (2) Cryostats for the VA St. Louis Healthcare System, located in St. Louis, Missouri. Please see Statement of Requirement for more specifics and details. The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS Code) is 339113 (Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing), size standard 750 Employees. Based on this information, please indicate whether your company would be a Large or Small Business and have a socio-economic designation as a Small Business, VOSB or SDVOSB. Important Information: The Government is not obligated to, nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this source sought synopsis request. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to an acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. Currently a total set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms is anticipated based on the Veterans Administration requirement with Public Law 109-461, Section 8127 Veterans Benefit Act. However, if response by Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms proves inadequate, an alternate set-aside or full and open may be used. Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to Mickeya Linzie at contact@example.gov. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses must be received no later than Friday, July 29, 2022, at 8:00AM CST. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this sources sought. Responses to this sources sought notice are not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation. STATEMENT OF REQUIREMENT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS VA ST. LOUIS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM ST. LOUIS, MO Title: Cryostats Introduction The VA St. Louis Health Care System is need of two (2) Cryostats to aid in diagnosis and evaluations being performed by the pathology department and reported to the VA surgery department while the patient is still in the operating room. This document highlights the technical specifications being requested by the facility for consideration towards the purchase of the Cryostats and related accessories. Scope of Work The salient characteristics of the two (2) Cryostats shall at minimum be as follows: Minimum Technical Specifications Large freezing stage Numbered positions Storage Blade holder Uniform cool air for freezing Bright and glare-free illumination 120 V/60 Hz Freestanding system Splash-proof microtome De-activable specimen retraction Maximum specimen size 50 x 80 mm Electric feed: Slow 300 µm/s, in 20 µm steps; Fast 900 µm/s This system should have an operating temperature range of 18°C to 35°C Software When applicable vendor shall ensure all software operating on the device provided is supported by the original manufacturer at time of delivery. For example, vendor shall not provide VA Saint Louis a device utilizing the Windows XP or Windows 7 operating system as they are no longer Microsoft supported. Proprietary software systems are acceptable so long as vendor supports the version provided to VA Saint Louis and it is the newest version at time of delivery. Access to all software shall be provided to VA Saint Louis in situations where re-installation is necessary. Software shall be provided to VA Saint Louis with unlimited perpetual licensing for the supported life of the device. In cases where vendor insists on utilizing a licensing fee model this should be noted in the bid provided for VA Saint Louis consideration. Network Security When applicable the vendor is required to fill out the five attached VA Security Forms if their equipment can be connected to the VA network. If these forms are not completed and submitted with the bid package the vendor can be disqualified from the bidding process. Cerner Compatibility When applicable all vendors providing a bid to this requirement shall provide a Cerner compatibility statement from the OEM of the equipment that they are proposing to the VA Saint Louis Health Care System. This statement will include an OEM attestation that the product proposed is Cerner verified and provide a list of healthcare organizations that have deployed the project with the Cerner EHR. The statement will also include any relevant information as to what data can be transmitted to Cerner. This statement will be dated within 60 days of the quote being provided to ensure it is recent and accurate. The statement will provide an OEM point of contact who can be reached to further discuss any questions or concerns over Cerner compatibility. If the device/system being proposed does not connect to the network or medical record the vendor shall note this in their proposal. Vendor bids that do not include a Cerner compatibility statement directly from the OEM will be discarded from consideration. Installation and Assembly Installation shall include implementation and testing of all purchased interfaces to VA electronic systems in coordination with Clinical Staff, Biomedical Engineering staff, O&IT staff, and others identified as needed. Vendor shall provide all necessary accessories, cables, adaptors, etc. to deliver a fully functional clinical device. Training Vendor shall provide on-site or virtual clinical/applications training for VA Saint Louis staff members. When applicable Vendor shall provide introductory system/maintenance training to VA Saint Louis Biomedical Engineering staff in some manner. When applicable, vendor shall include all costs for travel to provide this training in their proposal. When applicable vendor shall coordinate all installation and training dates with VA Saint Louis specified Biomedical Engineering POC who will communicate internally with clinical staff. Warranty and Service Service and Operator Manuals The vendor shall provide the following documentation for the proposed system: Two (2) copies of operator's instruction manuals per unit purchased Two (2) copies of complete technical service manuals including detailed troubleshooting guides, necessary diagnostic software, service keys, schematic diagrams, parts lists, and any other resources available to the manufacturer s service technicians. Two (2) copies of a system manager s manual outlining back-up procedures, managing privilege group limits, routine tasks, etc. Warranty The system, all accessories, and all software shall be covered under the manufacturer s warranty and shall include all parts and labor for at least one year following acceptance by the VAMC. A manufacturer s factory-trained Field Service Engineer shall perform installation and maintenance during the warranty period. The warranty period shall not begin until after the VA Saint Louis Biomedical Engineering POC has accepted the products delivery, installation, and functionality. The warranty shall include all manufacturer recommended Preventive Maintenance procedures for its duration. All available software updates and security patches will be made available to the VA Saint Louis during the warranty period. Vendor shall provide response to applications and technical calls within 8 hours. Vendor shall ship replacement parts within 48 hours of identifying necessity by VA Saint Louis Biomedical Engineering staff. Other Features Value added features in the vendor s proposal that shall be considered include but are not limited to: Options for Trade-in of existing equipment shall be proposed in bid package Extended Warranty options shall be outlined in bid package Service and Biomedical training options shall be outlined in bid package Options for this training should include all registration, travel, and lodging costs when possible Hours of Operation Normal hours of coverage are Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM Central Standard Time excluding national holidays. Vendor on-site visits will be coordinated with the VA Saint Louis Biomedical Engineering POC before being scheduled or conducted. Vendor representatives will check in with the VA Saint Louis Biomedical Engineering POC when they arrive on-site and check out upon completion of work each day. All services shall be performed during normal hours unless otherwise scheduled with the VA Saint Louis Biomedical Engineering POC. Vendor staff shall always be professional and shall take all necessary precautions to maintain a safe environment for the occupants. This includes, as necessary, coordinating access and closures for sensitive areas of the Medical Center. Vendor shall be responsible for cleaning all work areas after completion of tasks and properly dispose of accumulated trash in accordance with VA St. Louis standards. This includes removal of packaging and a clean sweep/mop of the area as required by work type. Vendor staff shall minimize noise as much as possible while working in all buildings. Vendor is responsible for providing all PPE necessary for their work. Note: Hardware/software update/upgrade installations, where applicable, may be scheduled and performed outside normal hours of coverage at no additional charge to the Government (unless it would be detrimental to equipment up-time; to be determined by the VA Saint Louis Biomedical Engineering POC). Federal Holidays observed by the VA Saint Louis Healthcare System are: New Year s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King Day Columbus Day President s Day Veterans Day Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day Juneteenth Independence Day Christmas Day Delivery Vendor shall deliver purchased equipment within 30 business days of receiving completed Contracting package from the VISN 15 Contracting Officer. If delivery delays occur vendor shall notify the Contracting Officer and the VA Saint Louis Biomedical Engineering POC. Delivery will be to one of the two VA Saint Louis Health Care System main campuses. Vendor shall coordinate exact delivery location with the Contracting Officer and VA Saint Louis Biomedical Engineering POC at the time of the purchase. Vendor will ensure that equipment is sent to the Attention of Biomedical Engineering and will include the VA Saint Louis PO Number on the shipping label. Delivery of oversized, palletized orders or orders that contain a large number of components will be coordinated with VA Saint Louis Biomedical Engineering POC who will communicate internally with Warehouse Staff. The VA Saint Louis Health Care System Delivery Location is: John Cochran 915 North Grand Blvd Saint Louis, MO 63106 ATTN: Biomedical Engineering PO Number for Order