S205--Sources Sought / RFI ONLY - VA Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5) Waste Management Services

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice Page 8 of 8 Sources Sought Notice *= Required Field Sources Sought Notice Page 1 of 8 General Summary: Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Network Contracting Office 5 (NCO 5), is issuing this request for information/sources sought notice in order to identify vendors that are interested in and capable of providing Regulated Medical Waste, Solid Waste, Single Stream Recycling and Other Related Waste Management Services at all Veterans Integrated Services Network 5 (VISN 5) managed facilities with Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) located in DC, MD, and WV and Community Based Outpatient Clinics located in and a small footprint in DC, MD, WV, VA, KY, OH, and PA. Reference the VISN 5 coverage area map at https://department.va.gov/integrated-service-networks/visn-05/ . Description of Work: INTRODUCTION This Sources Sought / RFI is intended for market research purposes only with the potential to develop into contract(s) with NCO 5 for Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) disposal, solid waste, and recycling at the VA Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5) Medical Centers and their associated CBOCs (Community Based Outpatient Clinic). The VISN 5 facilities generate approximately 10 million pounds of waste each year (FY24 data), of which, approximately 1 million pounds is RMW. GENERAL SCOPE The contractor will provide all labor, packaging, collection, removal, transportation, equipment, supplies and services for pickup, disposal and proper treatment of Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) in accordance with Local, State, Federal laws and regulations. The contractor will also provide the comprehensive management of non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste, solid waste, and recycling for the facilities specifying these services to include the following states: Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Cultures and Stocks: Cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biological, including cultures from medical and pathological laboratories; cultures and stocks of infectious agents from research and industrial laboratories; wastes from the production of biological; discarded live and attenuated vaccines; and culture dishes and devices used to transfer inoculate and mix cultures. This category also includes microbiology lab waste. Note: This waste stream must be incinerated. Pathological Waste: Human pathological wastes, including tissues, organs and body part and body fluids that are removed during surgery or autopsy, or other medical procedures, and specimens of body fluids and their containers. Research waste: Infectious agents used in research labs at the Biological Safety Level (BSL) Biological Level (BSL) 1 and 2. Animal research waste such as animal blood and body fluid including animal tissues, body parts, bedding and carcasses. Human blood and blood products: Liquid waste human blood and products of blood or items saturated and/or dripping with human blood, including serum, plasma, and other blood components, and their containers, which were used or intended or used in (1) patient care (e.g.; blood bag); (2) testing and laboratory analysis: (3) development of pharmaceuticals; and other articles containing dried blood that can be scraped off. Intravenous bags are also included in this category. Sharp: Sharps that have been used in animal or human patient care or in medical research or industrial laboratories, including hypodermic needles, syringes (with or without the attached needles), Pasteur pipettes, scalpel blades, blood vials needles with pipettes, scalpel blades, blood vials, needles with attached tubing and culture dishes (regardless of presence of infectious agents). Also included are other types of broken or unbroken glassware that were in contact with infections agents, such as used slides and cover slips. Isolation wastes: Biological waste and discarded materials contaminated with blood, exudates, or secretions from humans who are isolated to protect other from certain highly communicable diseases. Unused sharps: The following unused, discarded sharps: hypodermic needles, suture needles, syringes and scalpel blades Non-Hazardous Pharmaceutical Waste: Pharmaceutical waste that does not meet the definition of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste. This includes trace chemotherapy waste. Note: This waste must be incinerated. Category A Waste: Waste contaminated with Category A infectious substances as defined in the Hazardous Materials Regulation (HMR) at 49 CFR parts 171-180. Haulers are required to have party status to US DOT special permit 16279 Currently includes Ebola, Marburg, and Lassa viruses. Scintillation Fluid: Cells/tissue samples with trace amounts of radioactive H-3 and C-14. Amounts are <.0005 micro curies which is considered non-radioactive by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) The VISN is also looking for a contractor to take a value engineered approach to structuring the management of waste streams at our larger facilities with the focus on maximizing recycling and landfill avoidance. At a minimum, the Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, vehicles, supervision, transportation, and any other items or services necessary to perform Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) collection, recycling, and provide containers and disposal services for reusable sharps containers, and open top containers for both construction debris and solid waste. The Contractor is encouraged to also provide a comprehensive recycling program including education and outreach for all the facilities in VISN 5. The Contractor shall perform to the standards in the contract as well as all local, state, and federal regulations, international agreements and appropriate Final Governing Standards (FGS). Furnish all labor, supervision, materials, and equipment necessary to accomplish complete removal of solid waste with the use of reusable sharp containers from Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The contractor will work with a designated Contracting Officers Representative (COR) at each VA Medical Center. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: All VA Medical facilities and CBOC locations within VISN 5. (See attached VISN 5 Hospital and CBOC list for locations) PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The period of performance for this VISN-Wide contract will be 5 years (Base Year & 4 Option Years or 5 Ordering Periods), estimated to take place from 1/1/2026-12/31/2031. CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS Contractor must be a permitted, licensed and insured transporter for regulated medical waste with US DOT as well as each state they propose services. Contractor shall clearly identify any proposed sub- contracting of regulated medical waste removal services. The contractor must be an established business in operations and licensed in all states for a minimum of 5 (five) years prior to the submission of their proposal and be able to provide references from other health care facilities. Contractor is required to provide a company vehicle inventory and a driver list with training records proposed for the performance of this contract. Contractor shall provide insurance cards for each vehicle proposed to confirm insurance coverage is in the name of the prime contractor. The PRIME contractor must be registered and permitted with the respective State s Department of Health and Human Resources Regulated Medical Waste Program as a Regulated Medical Waste hauling company. (contractor to provide valid Basic Business License in PRIME contractor name). The PRIME contractor shall provide US DOT party status to Special Permit 16279 for the transportation of Category A infectious substances. The contractor will demonstrate compliance with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Washington DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), Maryland department of Health (MDH), the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP), West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WV DHHR), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and other applicable regulatory agencies. All licenses and permits shall be in order, up-to-date, and appropriate for the state in which the waste is generated in, proposed to be transported in, stored in or treated in for final disposal. All permits, registrations, licenses, insurance cards, certificates of insurance and training records shall be provided as part of the technical proposal. All shall be in the name of the PRIME contractor or the direct employees of the PRIME contractor. Any sub-contracting shall be clearly identified. Contractor to provide their capabilities for dealing with waste as the result of a public health emergency that could impact the VA facilities. Contractor shall address managing associated waste streams. Contractor shall specifically address the management of waste for Coronavirus as a category B infectious substance. Contractor shall also clearly demonstrate the ability to provide training, packaging, transportation and disposal for the management of Category A infectious substances (i.e. Ebola Virus). The VA realizes if a need to have Category A infectious substances shall occur, a cost proposal will be provided at that time. PRIME contractor shall provide in their approval for party status from the US DOT for transporting Category A infectious substances along with a written plan for how the waste will be managed if required. As part of this contract, the contractor will assist each facility, as needed in maintaining necessary compliance under the generator rules for their respective states. The contractor will permit unannounced site visits as determined by the COR. The contractor will remedy and/or return any material erroneously collected in their possession upon request. Response Requirements from Interested & Capable Vendors: NCO 5 is seeking responses from entities that are interested in this procurement and consider themselves to have the resources, capabilities, and qualifications necessary to provide the services required for VISN 5 Regulated Medical Waste, Solid Waste, Single Stream Recycling and Other Services. Please respond to this RFI/Sources Sought 36C24525Q0597 with: General Business Information: Business name (including Unique Entity ID (SAM.gov)) Business type, socio-economic status (e.g., Veteran-Owned, Woman-Owned, Disadvantaged Small Business, 8(a), etc.), and Person of contact (including telephone number & email address). Available contract vehicles (GSA FSS, VA SAC/NAC IDIQ, etc.) for use by Department of VA (include applicable NAICS) General Capability Statement Business Capability & Interest to Perform Work: Summary of previous experience providing these types of services for the Veterans Health Administration or other similar facilities. Brief Summary of VISN 5 locations that your company can service. If you can service all locations, please state that in your response. If you can only service certain locations, please specify which ones. If you refuse to service specific locations, please specify that in your response. Evidence of appropriate licensing to perform work across service locations. Statement of confirmation that the vendor is willing to establishing a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with VISN 5, if required. Recommendation for contract type, based on previous experience with large scale solid waste management with hospital networks. Please provide contract/task order numbers to allow for additional research of contract type. Any other recommendations/information for the VISN 5 / NCO 5 contracting team to be aware of while continuing to develop the requirement. Subcontracting Inquiry: Confirmation that your organization has the capability & expertise to meet the performance requirements while complying with applicable limitations in subcontracting by responding to the questions below with your response: Do you intend to self-perform this effort? If you are located outside the immediate area, how will you self-perform? Or, do you intend to subcontract work under this contract? If you intend to subcontract work under this contract, how will you ensure compliance with the limitations on subcontracting, if/when applicable? Response Instructions: Responses must be submitted by 2:00 PM (ET) July 10th, 2025. Responses to the information requested above must be submitted via email to contact@example.gov . Please include 36C24525Q0597 in the email subject to ensure that messages aren t overlooked. This request for information/sources sought notice is for planning purposes ONLY and does not constitute a solicitation, responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The results of this market research will assist in the development of (1) the requirement, and (2) the acquisition strategy (e.g., SDVOSB/SDVOSB set-aside, small business set-aside, full and open competition, etc.). VA assumes no responsibility for any costs incurred as a result of a vendor s preparation of responses submitted as a result of this notice. Darren Morris Contracting Officer VHA, NCO 5 contact@example.gov See attached document: VISN 5 VAMC-CBOC Addresses.pdf