S208--BHH - Grounds Fert & Weed

This is a Pre-Solicitation notice for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 23, for the procurement of Grounds & Fertilizer Maintenance Services at the Black Hills VA Health Care System located in Fort Meade, SD, and Hot Springs, SD. The NAICS code for this procurement is 561730 Landscaping Services with a size standard of $9.5 Million. Potential offerors are responsible for monitoring this site for the release of the solicitation package and any other pertinent information and for downloading their own copy of the solicitation package. Any amendments issued to this solicitation will ONLY be available on this site. Offerors are advised that they are responsible for obtaining all amendments. All questions must be submitted in writing to the Contracting Specialist at contact@example.gov. No telephone inquiries will be accepted. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract neither does it obligate the Government to pay for any quotes or proposal preparation costs. The Government is not obligated to issue a solicitation as a result of this notice. No other information is available until issuance of the solicitation. All interested parties must be registered in System for Award Management (SAM) to be eligible for award. Registration information can be found at www.sam.gov. Grounds and Maintenance Contract Black Hills VA Health Care System, Fort Meade and Hot Springs, South Dakota General Intention: Contractor shall provide all supervision, tools, labor, materials, equipment, transportation, and incidentals necessary for the following services: weed control, grass fertilization, tree insect control, tree fertilization, and soil sterilization. Primary applications will be; Spring-April and May, Summer- June thru August, and Fall- September. Contractor will provide monthly fallow up spot spraying during June, July, and August to maintain weeds as needed. Background: The Black Hills VA Health Care System, Fort Meade Campus: is roughly 200 acres made up of parade grounds, grass/lawn, a variety of trees, landscaping flowers, and shrubs to include the adjacent SD Highway right-of-way. The Black Hills VA Health Care System, Hot Springs Campus: is roughly 22 acres made up of parade grounds, grass/lawn, a variety of trees, landscaping flowers, and bushes. The contractor must have at least three (3) years of experience and possess the proper State/Federal License and Certifications to handle and apply the chemicals and materials as required by the manufacturer s application specifications. Contractor shall comply with all Local, State, and Federal regulations during the performance of this contract. All materials, equipment, chemicals and MSD sheets used on VA property will need to be submitted for approval to the POC prior starting work onsite. 2-4 D products are not permitted for use on VA property. Herbicides used for general weed and noxious weed control (i.e. 5 gal/25 gal Dicamba to MCPA mix) will be safe to use around trees and ornamental vegetation on the properties. General Requirements: Contractor shall provide all supervision, labor, materials, equipment, and incidentals necessary to accomplish work elements and requirements outlined in this Statement of Work (SOW). Contractor Awareness- Special care must be taken around areas where air intakes, patient and staff entrances/exits are located around the VA facilities. Any damage to station flowers, trees, shrubs, and physical plants will not be allowed without prior approval by POC. Any damage caused by the contractor will be corrected at the contractor s expense. Tobacco use of any kind is not permitted on the campus grounds of VA Black Hills Health Care System (BHHCS) by Veterans, family and visitors, volunteers, contractors, and sub-contractors. Where equipment, temporary installations, ingress/egress restrictions or any other consideration is necessary, signage in such areas shall be provided by Contractor. The Contractor shall store all chemicals off site and confine all staging activities within the anticipated application area with the POC for approval, at each location. It is up to the Contractor to field verify all existing conditions, dimensions, and quantities prior to contract award. Time and date for site visits need to be coordinated with POC, prior to visit. No out-of-scope or additional work shall be executed prior to negotiation with the Black Hills VA Medical Center and approval by the Contracting Officer. Contractor shall remove all rubbish from Ft Meade property and dispose off-site at an approved disposal location. Contractor shall record all quantities of materials removed from the Ft Meade property and turn into the POC on a Quarterly basis. This includes all chemicals used for each application, the ratio of chemicals and dilution percentage, and total gallons of product used for each site. Contractor to perform all work during normal work hours, Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Unless the application area requires an afterhours, on nights or weekends, application to prevent harm or risk to patients or staff. Contractor shall read, sign, and date the TMS Training 20939, for each employee on site (contracted or subcontracted) and send to the POC prior to the start of work. The contractor shall provide the required forms, completed, by each contracted or subcontracted individual on site to the POC to complete the required background check and application for the Tier 1 background checks before the start of work. Work Elements: Contractor shall submit all chemicals, equipment, and materials to be used in this process to the POC for approval. Contractor shall provide a schedule for the work and plan each application with the POC at least 2 weeks before the actual application. Fort Meade Campus: Weed Control: Roughly 200 acres of parade grounds, grass/lawn, a variety of trees, landscaping flowers, and shrubs to include the adjacent SD Highway right-of-way will need to be maintained. Primary applications will be 2 times per year; Spring-April and May, and Fall- September. Contractor will provide monthly follow up spot spraying during the Summer (June, July, and August) to maintain weeds as needed. Grass/Lawn Fertilization: The contractor shall provide lawn fertilization for irrigated areas around the Hospital complex. This includes roughly 6 acres of lawns, interior courtyards, islands, and areas adjacent to the main hospital and outer buildings. Applications will be in the Spring (April or May), Summer (June, July, or August), and Fall (September). Tree Insect Control: Contractor shall provide insect control for all trees on site, roughly 525 trees. (Pine, Spruce, Cedar, Juniper, and Honey Locust) This should be a 1-time treatment in the Spring application to control Pine Beetles, IPPS Beetles, Spider Mites, Honey Locust bugs, and others as needed. Tree Fertilization: Contractor shall provide deep FboNotice fertilization methods to appox. 300 trees at the Fort Meade location. Trees needing the deep FboNotice fertilization will be directed by the POC. Application will be 2 times a year, once in the Spring (either April or May) and once in the Fall (September). Soil Sterilization: Contractor shall treat cracks in roads, parking lots, sidewalks, and foundation transitions around the campus for weed control and prevention for roughly 3 miles of cracks or joints. Contractor shall treat roughly 4 acres of equipment storages areas, rock landscaped areas, and other areas for weed control. This is a 1-time application during Summer (June, July, August) as directed by POC. Hot Springs Campus: Weed Control: Roughly 22 acres of parade grounds, grass/lawn, a variety of trees, landscaping flowers, and shrubs. Primary applications will be 2 times per year; Spring-April and May, and Fall- September. Contractor will provide monthly follow up spot spraying during June, July, and August to maintain weeds as needed. Grass/Lawn Fertilization: The contractor shall provide lawn fertilization for irrigated areas around the Hospital complex. This includes roughly 22 acres of lawns, interior courtyards, islands, and areas adjacent to the main hospital and outer buildings. Applications will be in the Spring (either April or May), Summer (June, July, or August), and Fall (September). Tree Insect Control: Contractor shall provide insect control for all trees on site, roughly 30 trees. (Pine, Spruce, Cedar, Juniper, and Honey Locust) This should be a 1-time treatment in the Spring application to control Pine Beetles, IPPS Beetles, Spider Mites, Honey Locust bugs, and others as needed. Trees will be chosen by recommendations from the Contractor and approved by the POC. Tree Fertilization: Contractor shall provide deep FboNotice fertilization methods to appox. 30 trees at the Hot Springs location. Trees needing the deep FboNotice fertilization will be directed by the POC. Application will be 2 times a year, once in the Spring (April or May) and once in the Fall (September). Trees will be chosen by recommendations from the Contractor and approved by the POC. Soil Sterilization: Contractor shall treat cracks in roads, parking lots, sidewalks, and foundation transitions around the campus for weed control and prevention for roughly 2 miles of cracks or joints. Contractor shall treat roughly 2 acres of equipment storages areas, rock landscaped areas, and other areas for weed control. This is a 1-time application during Summer (June, July, August) as directed by POC. References: References for policies to adhere to during duration of project, available at http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/spec.asp. VA Specifications NFPA and Life Safety Code OSHA Standards Post Award Requirements: Project kick-off meeting: The Contractor shall plan for an on-site project kick-off meeting with VA staff to walk the site and review the schedule.