8915--Fresh Produce IDC with EPA

THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) / SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE IS ISSUED SOLELY FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION ABOUT PRICING, DELIVERY, THE MARKET, AND CAPABILITIES IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED AND ALLOWED UNDER THIS RFI FOR PLANNING PURPOSES IN ACCORDANCE WITH (IAW) FAR 15.201(e). DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. IAW 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. SOURCES SOUGHT/RFI DESCRIPTION This is NOT a solicitation announcement. This is a Sources Sought Notice / RFI only. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice / RFI is to gain information about potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS 311991 (size standard of 700 Employees). Responses to this Sources Sought Notice / RFI will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After review of the responses to this Sources Sought Notice / RFI, further RFIs and/or a solicitation or other announcements may be published. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking sources capable of providing list of Fresh Produce for Nutrition and Food Service for Loma Linda VA Healthcare System. ITEM NAME PKG QTY Estimated Quantity (1 Year) ASPARAGUS, MEDIUM 1LB BUNCH 52 ASPARAGUS, MEDIUM 2 LB BAG 260 ASPARAGUS, LARGE, 11LB CS 17 BANANAS, YELLOW BUNCH 433 BANANAS, YELLOW, G/T G/T 40 LB CS 121 BASIL FRESH HERB 1 LB 17 BELL PEPPERS, GREEN, FAJITA CUT LB 433 BELL PEPPERS, GREEN, FINE/SM DICED LB 415 BELL PEPPERS, YELLOW, MED EA 17 BELL PEPPERS, GREEN, MED EA 17 BELL PEPPERS, RED, MED EA 17 BELL PEPPERS, RED, DICED 1 LB 104 BELL PEPPERS, RED, FAJITA CUT LB 346 BELL PEPPERS, RED, FINE DICED, 1/4" LB 346 BELL PEPPERS, YELLOW,FAJITA CUT LB 138 BELL PEPPERS, YELLOW,FAJITA CUT 5LB 138 BROCCOLI, FLORRETTS 5 LB BG 17 BRUSSEL SPROUTS, TRIMMED, CUT IN HALF 5 LBS 17 CABBAGE, RED, SHREDDED LB 17 CARROT STICKS LB 17 CARROTS, SHREDDED LB 17 CAULIFLOWER FLORETES LB 17 CAULIFLOWER, WHOLE HEAD 17 CELERY, DICED 3/8" CUT 5 LB BG 52 CILANTRO, BUNCH BUNCH 484 CHIVES, FRESH 2 OZ 17 COLE SLAW MIX, 5LB BAG BG 17 CRANBERRIES,FRESH 24x12oz CS 22 CUCUMBERS PC 2163 GRAPES, GREEN, PREMIUM 18 TO 20 LB CS 52 GRAPES, GREEN, SEEDLESS 3LB PC 104 GRAPES, RED, SEEDLESS LB 52 GREEN BEANS, CLIPPED, FRESH 5 LB BG 363 JALAPENOS, GREEN, LB LB 17 LEMON, SUNKIST CHOICE LB 17 LIMES, GREEN SELECT LB 17 LEEKS, LARGE, BUNCH BN 3.2 LETTUCE, ROMAINE, CHOPPED, BITE SIZE 2 LB BG 1298 LETTUCE, GREEN LEAF, 24 CT/CS CS 10 LETTUCE, SHREDDED LB 17 LETTUCE, SHREDDED 5 LB 17 MILK 2% HALF GAL (LACTAID) GL 311 MUSHROOMS, MEDIUM SLICED, 1/4 " 10 LB CS 52 ONIONS, SLICED, SLABS LB BG 415 ONIONS, DICED 5 LB BG 104 ONIONS, FAJITA CUT LB 138 ONIONS, GREEN BUNCH 17 ONIONS, RED, DICED LB 138 ONIONS, RED, SLAB/RINGS, 1/2 '' LB 104 ONIONS,RED, SLICED, SLABS 1 LB BG 52 ORANGES, NAVEL, CHOICE 88 CT CS 69 PARSLEY, REGULAR BUNCH 17 PICO DE GALLO SALSA, 5LB TRAY PC 35 POTATOES, GOURMET BABY MARBLE LB 17 POTATOES, RED POTATOES, WASHED 50 LB CS 35 POTATOES, RED, DICED 2 LB 17 POTATOES, RED, QUARTERS, WEDGES, 10 LB 10 LB BG 40 POTATOES, RUSSET, PEELED/CUBED, LARGE CUT 5LB 260 POTATOES, RUSSET, WASHED 90 CT 17 RICE MILK, QUART EA 519 ROSEMARY, 1 LB LB BG 10 SALAD, CHOPPED ICEBERG LB BG 17 SPINACH, CLEAN 2.5lb 87 STRAWBERRY HALVES 10 OZ 17 STRAWBERRY, WHOLE 1 LB 17 SWEET POTATOES, PEELED,CUBED 2 LB 17 SWEET POTATOES, WHOLE EA 17 TOMATILLOS, PEELED LB 17 TOMATOES, 5X6 CS 69 TOMATOES, DICED LB 87 TOMATOES, DICED, FRESH 5 LB TRAY (BG) 17 TOMATOES, GRAPE 2 LB PACK (PC) 450 TOMATOES, GRAPE, PINT PC 17 WATERMELON, SEEDLESS EA 52 YELLOW SQUASH EA 17 ZUCCHINI, ITALIAN EA 17 Other Requirements and conditions expected to be met: Vendor must be able to provide all products listed under specific requirement and meet the estimated quality demanded weekly. Vendor must be registered in California under proper category of business. All deliveries shall conform in every aspect to the provisions of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, USC Title 21, Chapter 9 (FD&C Act) and regulations promulgated there under. Where applicable, the interpretation of requirements (descriptive terms), methods ascertaining grades, testing, etc., shall be in accordance with those contained in the USDA Grades and Standards for the products in effect on the date of solicitation. Deliveries shall be made between 0600 to 1600, local time, 3 times per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, unless otherwise arranged with the hospital kitchen. Carrier equipment needs to be within FDA temperature tolerances and shall be capable of maintaining temperature within the range to destination. The contractor shall demonstrate compliance with performance standards by showing that their process adherences to an appropriately designated, validated, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP). Any item determined unacceptable shall be refused with full credit/replacement, at the discretion of the Government. Replacement of rejected products shall be delivered the same day, no later than 1:00PM, unless otherwise specified by the Program Manager. Off-loading of products shall occur in the presence of VA authorized receiving personnel as indicated, or his/her designated representative. Contractors shall be responsible for providing hand trucks, dollies for produce, required to affect delivery to appropriate location. Deliveries will not be stacked higher than five (5) feet high. Driver will wait until food is inspected by designee before leaving premises. All contractor delivery personnel shall be required to wear a full company uniform, which clearly displays the name of the company and the individual, and shall be of a @neat, clean appearance with appropriate hair containment. All contractor s employees shall wear identification (ID) badges during the entire period of time while on VA property. It is the responsibility of the contract personnel to park in the appropriate designated parking areas. Parking information is available from VA Police & Security Office(s). The contractor assumes full responsibility for any parking violations. The Government reserves the right to return products in the original packing for full credit if they have visible signs of poor quality within 24 hours after delivery. Physical Hazards: products shall be clean, sound, wholesome, and be free from foreign material such as, but not limited to, dirt, insect parts, hair, wood, glass, or metal. Mold: Products shall include mold inhibitors of proper levels as allowed by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Odors: All products shall be free from all undesirable and objectionable flavors and have a pleasingly sweet distinctive individual characteristic flavor. Color: All products shall be uniformly colored throughout and characterize the type and/or flavor it represents. Consistency: Products shall not be slimy or showing signs of decomposition. They shall be free from undesirable gas formation or any other permeable nature. Fresh produce shall have sufficient remaining shelf life commensurate with good practices and at a minimum: Prepared produce has a minimum 5 days of shelf life after the date of delivery. Packaging and Packing: All packaging and packing shall be in accordance with good commercial practice. Labeling shall be in accordance with commercial labeling complying with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and regulations promulgated there under. The identification on the primary container may consist of either the manufacturing plant name and address or a manufacturing plant code. The package shall be clean, sound, and securely covered to sealed to provide adequate protection from dirt, filth, and contamination. All products/ingredients shall be clean, sound, wholesome and free from evidence of rodent or insect infestation. Failure to comply with this provision shall be considered grounds for default of the contract. Unless otherwise specified, preservation, packaging and packing shall be to a degree of protection to preclude damage during normal shipping conditions and shall conform to normal commercial practices and applicable carrier rules and regulations involving shipment from contractor to receiving activity for storage. Dating: All prepared (sliced, diced, chopped, etc.) items must be identified with readable dates (open code dates). Other Labeling Requirements: Unless otherwise specified in the item specification or solicitation, marking shall be in accordance with best commercial practice. Any commercial or additional labeling as specified which complies with the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and regulations promulgated there under, is acceptable. The delivered products shall comply with all applicable Federal, State and local mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sales of the products with the commercial marketplace. Shipping documents accompanying the delivery must identify manufacturer s complete name, address and plant code. Products manufactured to metric dimensions will be considered on an equal basis with those manufactured using inch-pound units, providing they fall within the tolerances specified using conversion dimensions and those dimensions exceed the tolerances specified in the inch-pound units, a request should be made to the Contracting Officer to determine if the product is acceptable. Notification to NFS will be given immediately upon receiving Recall Notices from the Food and Drug Administration Enforcement Report publications. Notifications shall be delivered to the Program Manager, COR, or designated personnel through phone and email for any food recalls related to items delivered to the VA from the contractor. Subcontractors: The Contracting Officer shall approve/disapprove all subcontractors used at any time during this contract. Contractor shall list the name and address of all subcontractors. The Contracting Officer shall be notified immediately if the Contractor should change any of the subcontractor(s) utilized for this contract and provide their name and address. Contracting Officer shall approve/disapprove subcontractors. Note: FAR Clause 52.222-37: Public Law (P.L.) 105-339, Section 1354 provides that no agency may enter into a contract with a Contractor who has not filed a VETS-4212 report for the preceding fiscal year under Title 38 Section 4212(d). A contract can be placed with that Contractor as soon as the report required by section 4212(d) for the fiscal year concern is filed with the Department of Labor. Contractors shall complete this report at least 7 days prior to the due date for bids in response to this solicitation, if applicable. This can be done online at https://www.dol.gov/vets/vets4212.htm. Only the Contracting Officer is authorized to make commitments to issue changes which will affect the price, quantity and quality or delivery of this contract. Contractor shall possess and maintain all necessary licenses required to perform this work currently and during the duration of the contract. Contractor shall take all precautions necessary to protect persons and property from injury or damage during the performance of this contract. Contractor shall be responsible for any injury to himself/herself, his/her employees, or others, as well as for any damage to personal or public property that occurs during the performance of this contract that is caused by him/her or his/her employees fault or negligence. Contractor shall maintain personal liability and property damage insurance prescribed by the laws of the Federal Government. The Government reserves the right to accept or reject Contractor s employee for the rendering of services. Complaints concerning Contract Personnel s performance or conduct will be dealt with by the Contractor and COR with the final decision being made by the Contracting Officer. If your company is interested and capable of providing the required supplies/services, please provide the information indicated below OR your intent, interest to participation, and information provided will not be considered as valid for research purpose. Response to this notice should include company name, address, point of contact, size of business pursuant to the following questions: (1) Submit your capabilities statement illustrating how your organization can/cannot meet the list of DRAFT/SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS/SOW requirements. For instances where your company cannot meet the DRAFT/SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS/SOW requirement(s), please explain. For instances where your company can meet the DRAFT/SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS/SOW requirement(s), please show how your company meets/exceeds each requirement. (2) Please review the list of DRAFT/SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS/SOW requirements and provide any additional feedback or suggestions. If none, please reply as N/A. (3) Please indicate the size status and representations of your business, such as but not limited to: Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), HUBZone, Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Large Business, etc. (4) Is your company considered small under the NAICS code identified in this RFI? (5) Are you the manufacturer, authorized distributor, and/or can your company provide a solution to the required supplies/services described in the list of DRAFT/SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS/SOW? (6) If you are a large business, do you have any designated/authorized distributors? If so, please provide their company name, telephone, point of contact and size status (if available). (7) If you re a small business and you are an authorized distributor/reseller for the items identified above, do you alter; assemble; modify; the items requested in any way? If you do, state how and what is altered; assembled; modified. (8) Limitations on Subcontracting: How does your business ensure compliance with the limitations on subcontracting as outlined in 13 CFR § 125.6? (9) Are the items you are identifying/providing considered Commercial of the Shelf (COTS) items as defined in FAR Part 2.101 under commercial items? (10) Non-Manufacturer Rule: If applicable, can you confirm your business complies with the Non-Manufacturer rule? Specifically, does your company: Provide a product from a small business manufacturer or processor? Not exceed 500 employees? Primarily engage in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sell the type of item being supplied? Take ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice? (11) Please indicate whether your product conforms to the requirements of the Buy American Act? (12) What is your lead time to deliver a single unit with all components? Is there scale in lead time with greater quantities? Please elaborate. (13) What is estimated life span of your solution? What support/services does that entail? (14) Does your organization offer a leasing solution? Please elaborate. (15) Does your company have a Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) GSA/NAC/SAC/BPA/NASA SEWP or any other Federal Government contract? If so, please provide the contract number(s). (16) If you are an FSS GSA/NAC/SAC/BPA/NASA SEWP or any other Federal Government contract holder, are all the items/solutions you are providing information about available on your schedule/contract? Please state if all or some items are available on the contract. (17) General pricing of your products/solution is encouraged. Pricing will be used for the purpose of market research only. It will not be used to evaluate for any type of award. (18) Please provide your SAM.gov Unique Entity ID/Cage Code number. Please indicate if manufacturer is/will be US domestic Small Business / US Domestic Large Business / Foreign ITEM NAME Country of Origin ASPARAGUS, MEDIUM 1LB ASPARAGUS, MEDIUM ASPARAGUS, LARGE, 11LB BANANAS, YELLOW BANANAS, YELLOW, G/T BASIL FRESH HERB BELL PEPPERS, GREEN, FAJITA CUT BELL PEPPERS, GREEN, FINE/SM DICED BELL PEPPERS, YELLOW, MED BELL PEPPERS, GREEN, MED BELL PEPPERS, RED, MED BELL PEPPERS, RED, DICED BELL PEPPERS, RED, FAJITA CUT BELL PEPPERS, RED, FINE DICED, 1/4" BELL PEPPERS, YELLOW,FAJITA CUT BELL PEPPERS, YELLOW,FAJITA CUT BROCCOLI, FLORRETTS BRUSSEL SPROUTS, TRIMMED, CUT IN HALF CABBAGE, RED, SHREDDED CARROT STICKS CARROTS, SHREDDED CAULIFLOWER FLORETES CAULIFLOWER, WHOLE CELERY, DICED 3/8" CUT CILANTRO, BUNCH CHIVES, FRESH COLE SLAW MIX, 5LB BAG CRANBERRIES,FRESH 24x12oz CUCUMBERS GRAPES, GREEN, PREMIUM GRAPES, GREEN, SEEDLESS 3LB GRAPES, RED, SEEDLESS GREEN BEANS, CLIPPED, FRESH JALAPENOS, GREEN, LB LEMON, SUNKIST CHOICE LIMES, GREEN SELECT LEEKS, LARGE, BUNCH LETTUCE, ROMAINE, CHOPPED, BITE SIZE LETTUCE, GREEN LEAF, 24 CT/CS LETTUCE, SHREDDED LETTUCE, SHREDDED MILK 2% HALF GAL (LACTAID) MUSHROOMS, MEDIUM SLICED, 1/4 " ONIONS, SLICED, SLABS ONIONS, DICED ONIONS, FAJITA CUT ONIONS, GREEN ONIONS, RED, DICED ONIONS, RED, SLAB/RINGS, 1/2 '' ONIONS,RED, SLICED, SLABS ORANGES, NAVEL, CHOICE PARSLEY, REGULAR PICO DE GALLO SALSA, 5LB TRAY POTATOES, GOURMET BABY MARBLE POTATOES, RED POTATOES, WASHED POTATOES, RED, DICED POTATOES, RED, QUARTERS, WEDGES, 10 LB POTATOES, RUSSET, PEELED/CUBED, LARGE CUT POTATOES, RUSSET, WASHED RICE MILK, QUART ROSEMARY, 1 LB SALAD, CHOPPED ICEBERG SPINACH, CLEAN STRAWBERRY HALVES STRAWBERRY, WHOLE SWEET POTATOES, PEELED,CUBED SWEET POTATOES, WHOLE TOMATILLOS, PEELED TOMATOES, 5X6 TOMATOES, DICED TOMATOES, DICED, FRESH TOMATOES, GRAPE TOMATOES, GRAPE, PINT WATERMELON, SEEDLESS YELLOW SQUASH ZUCCHINI, ITALIAN (19) Which economic price adjustment factor or index would you prefer to use? Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to contact@example.gov. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses must be received no later than Thursday, December 05, 2024 by 10:00 AM PST. All responses to this Sources Sought/RFI will be used for planning purposes only. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice / RFI are not considered a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation. If further RFIs and/or a solicitation or other announcement is issued as a result of the information provided from this RFI, all interested parties must respond to the specific posting separately IAW the specifications of that announcement.