R430--Armed Facility Security Request for contract upon availability of funds. Armed Security personnel for protection of Employees and visitors

This is a Sources Sought notice only. This is not a request for quotes and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. The Government will not provide any reimbursement for responses submitted in response to this Source Sought notice. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interest parties must response to that solicitation announcement separately. Responses to this notice are not a request to be added to a prospective quoters list or to receive a copy of the solicitation. The purpose of this announcement is to perform market research to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS Code 561612, (Security Guards and Patrol Services) with a size standard of 29 million. The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Columbia Regional Office (RO), in Columbia, SC, is seeking to identify any vendor capable of providing Armed Security personnel Services per the Statement of Work below. This Sources Sought notice provides an opportunity for respondents to submit their capability and availability to provide the requirement described below. Vendors are encouraged to submit information relative to their capabilities to fulfill this requirement, in the form of a statement that addresses the specific requirement identified in this Sources Sought. Information received from this Sources Sought shall be utilized to facilitate the Contracting Officer s review of the market base, for acquisition planning, size determination, and procurement strategy. Submission Instructions: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by 11:00am EST, on September 19th, 2024. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to contact@example.gov with RFQ # 36C10D24Q0307 in the subject line. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. Interested parties should complete the attached Sources Sought Worksheet. Parties may submit additional information related to their capabilities, provided it contains all the requirements contained in the Sources Sought Worksheet. Responses to this Sources Sought shall not exceed 8 pages. In addition, all submissions should be provided electronically in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. Attachment 1 Sources Sought Worksheet QUALIFICATION INFORMATION: Company / Institute Name: _______________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: ________________________________________________________________ Point of Contact: _______________________________________________________________ E-mail Address: ________________________________________________________________ Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) #: ___________________________________________________ CAGE Code: __________________________________________________________________ SAM Registered: (Y / N) Other available contract vehicles applicable to this sources sought (GSA/FSS/NASA SEWP/ETC): __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS: VIP Verified SDVOSB: (Y / N) VIP Verified VOSB: (Y / N) 8(a): (Y / N) HUBZone: (Y / N) Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N) Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N) Small Business: (Y / N) NOTE: Respondent claiming SDVOSB and VOSB status shall be registered and Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) verified in VetBiz Registry www.vetbiz.gov. BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SDVOSB, VOSB, SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. CAPABILITY STATEMENT: Provide a brief capability and interest in providing the (service) as listed in Attachment 2 STATEMENT OF WORK with enough information to determine if your company can meet the requirement. The capabilities statement for this Sources Sought is not a Request for Quotation, Request for Proposal, or Invitation for Bid, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach, but rather the Government is requesting a short statement regarding the company s ability to provide the services outlined in the (SOW). Any commercial brochures or currently existing marketing material may also be submitted with the capabilities statement. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government will not pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Attachment 2 STATEMENT OF WORK Manned Security Presence (Armed) Part 1. General Information Background: The Columbia, SC, VA Regional Office (VARO), located at 6437 Garners Ferry Rd in Columbia SC 29209; requires an armed security presence for protection and safeguarding of employees and visitors Scope of Work: The contractor shall provide: Dedicate a transition team to handle the logistical and back-office duties ensuring start-up timeframe and critical tasks are met. Collaborate with current provider to develop and finalize the transition schedule for the transfer of responsibility. Clearly communicate with existing security team. Reviewing progress and monitor transition performance to ensure quality and timeliness. Conduct thorough site inspections and review existing security plans, programs, post orders, staffing schedules and arrangements/agreements with local law enforcement associates. Develop post orders in accordance with and in collaboration with current provider. Conduct recruitment and screening for employee selection and placement, and interview and screen incumbent personnel upon client request. Process employees and transfer records of retained incumbent personnel to our files. Conduct Initial Security Officer Training (ISOT), orientation and other training, as needed. Revisit and provide additional training to ensure desired performance in areas needing improvement. Placement of armed guards: Guards must be armed and remain current in South Carolina State-Licensing requirements and qualification in fire-arm handling Fully Trained and Evaluated in: Armed and Unarmed Active Intruder Response Bloodborne Pathogens Less-Than-Lethal National Safety Council CPR/AED Certification to include First Aid Certification Non-Violent Response and De-escalation Be at least 18 years old. Provide proof of U.S. citizenship or INS Form I-9 documents. Successfully pass a pre-employment 10-panel drug screen Successfully pass a criminal background check (SLED) Read, write, speak, and understand the English language. Have reliable transportation. Periodic weekend coverage may be needed upon request. Insurance coverage for on-duty guards General Liability - Includes assault and battery, lost-key coverage, errors and omissions, personal injury, fire damage, medical payments. Automobile liability - legal liability and property damage arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of any vehicle in connection with official and authorized operation Workers comp Complete sets of uniforms, accessories, and gear, to include firearm - enable guards to look professional while on duty. Include all replacements as needed due to normal wear and tear. Straight-Time Billing Rate: The straight-time billing rate is the normal billing rate charged for working eight hours a day, 40 hours a week. Support for occasional Additional Staffing, Overtime, Extended, and Weekend Hours: Extended shifts and hours performed at request, e.g., shifts of more than eight hours (where applicable by state law), extra days, requests for officer beyond regular hours, etc. Additional personnel requested for a temporary and short-term duration. All hours required during unusual or emergency situations (e.g., labor strike, civil disturbance or natural disaster). Period of Performance: The base year Period of Performance will be 12 months starting as of contract award date with (4) four, (12) twelve month option years. Type of Contract: A firm fixed price contract Security Requirements: Information should not be co-mingled, if possible, with any other data on the contractors/subcontractor s information systems or media storage systems in order to ensure VA requirements related to data protection and media sanitization can be met. If co-mingling must be allowed to meet the requirements of the business need, the contractor must ensure that VA s information is returned to the VA or destroyed in accordance with VA s sanitization requirements. VA reserves the right to conduct on site inspections of contractor and subcontractor IT resources to ensure data security controls, separation of data and job duties, and destruction/media sanitization procedures are in compliance with VA directive requirements. The contractor/subcontractor shall not make copies of VA information. If copies are made for restoration purposes, after the restoration is complete, the copies must be appropriately destroyed. Changes to Statement of Work Any changes to this SOW shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the CO. A copy of each change will be kept in a project folder along with all other products of the project. Costs incurred by the Contractor through actions of parties other than the CO shall be borne by the Contractor. Billing Requirements: General invoicing instructions are included here. Payment provided under the terms of this contract will be made Monthly in arrears for all services rendered and/or deliverables submitted and approved by the VA. GOVERNMENT INVOICE ADDRESS: TUNGSTEN (OB10) ELECTRONIC INVOICE SUBMISSION FSC e-INVOICE PROGRAM THROUGH AUSTIN PORTAL FSC MANDATORY ELECTRONIC INVOICE SUBMISSION FOR AUSTIN PAYMENTS Please include in all invoices the Contract/Purchase Order Number, or Task/Delivery Order Number. All invoices need to also be submitted using the same line item format in the contract or order. Vendor Electronic Invoice Submission Methods: Fax, email and scanned documents are not acceptable forms of submission for payment requests. Electronic form means an automated system transmitting information electronically according to the accepted data transmissions below. 1. VA s Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment System The Financial Services Center (FSC) in Austin, TX uses a third-party contractor, Tungsten, to transition vendors from paper to electronic invoice submission. Please go to this website: www.tungsten-network.com/customer-campaigns/veteransaffairs to begin submitting electronic invoices, free of charge. 2. A system that conforms to the X12 electronic data interchange (EDI) formats established by the Accredited Standards Center (ASC) chartered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The X12 EDI Web site is http://www.x12.org. Vendor e-Invoice Set-up Information: Please contact Tungsten at the phone number or email address listed below to begin submitting your electronic invoices to the VA Financial Services Center in Austin, TX for payment processing. If you have questions about the payment status of a properly submitted invoice, the e-invoicing program, or Tungsten, please contact the FSC at the phone number or email address listed below. Tungsten e-Invoice setup information: +1 (555) 000-0000 Tungsten e-Invoice email: contact@example.gov VA TUNGSTEN Number: AAA544240062 FSC e-Invoice contact information: +1 (555) 000-0000 FSC e-Invoice email: contact@example.gov FSC Internet: http://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.as Place of Performance Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Columbia Regional Office (319) 6437 Garners Ferry Rd Columbia, SC 29212