S208--Sources Sought for Grass Cutting and Yard Maintenance

The purpose for this source sought notice is to locate interested companies that can furnish the REQUIREMENTS listed in the SOW that is attached. Offeror's capability to meet this requirement including any current contracts with more than 2 years of Period of Performance (Civilian or Government) to include meeting the below listed accreditations or similar standards, facility description, capabilities, and certifications. Responses must show clear and convincing evidence that your company and its employees have the capabilities, training, and qualifications to provide this service to be considered as a source. The following information is requested in a response to this RFI: 1. General Company information- Offeror's company name, DUNS, full address, point of contact, title, phone number, and email address. Name: Address: Contact Person: Phone number: Email address: DUNS number: Cage Code Number: Company website if available: 2. Business Type Please put a check mark or circle around the type of business you are below: a) Large b) 8(a) c) HubZone d) Small Business e) Small Disadvantaged Business f) Woman Owned Small Business g) Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business h) Veteran Owned Small Business ***Note - All Veteran Owned Businesses must be registered in VetBiz at http://www.vip.vetbiz.gov/general_user/register/default.asp to be considered a Veteran Owned Business. Socioeconomic status (whether Service Disable Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Hubzone, 8(a), Woman Owned, Small Disadvantaged, etc.). If stating SDVOSB or VOSB status, your company must be verified with the seal/icon or show pending verification in VetBiz Registry (https://www.vip.vetbiz.gov//) to be considered as a SDVOSB or VOSB source. 3. How long has your company provided these services? See attached Past Performance. 4. Provide information for any current or past VA contracts for these products and services. 5. Is your company registered in the System for Award Management at WWW.SAM.GOV? The NAICS code for the procurement is 561730 with a size standard of $8M. Any future RFP will be conducted in accordance with FAR Parts 12 and 15. The Government may elect to award a Firm Fixed Price contract resulting from the solicitation. Responses to this market survey should be emailed to shawn.vanzandt@va.gov. No telephone responses will be accepted. Please provide a detailed response to the below Performance Work Statement stating how you can meet all aspects stated. It is requested that responses be received no later than 2:00 pm Central, December 16th, 2021. *NOTE* SDVOSB Contractors to provide documentation to fulfill capabilities of the following clause: FAR 52.219-27. No solicitation document is available currently; this notice is to acquire information only. Vendors interested in providing an offer will have to respond to a separate solicitation announcement. Grass Cutting and Yard Maintenance Alexandria VA Health Care System STATEMENT OF WORK 1. SCOPE This is a non-personnel services contract to provide for the Grass Cutting and Yard Maintenance for Quarters at the Alexandria VA Health Care System. The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government. Contractor will facilitate the following ground maintenance services and disposal to support the Alexandria VA Health Care System. Contractor will provide Grass Cutting and Yard Maintenance of approximately Ten (10) acre area for Quarters at the Alexandria VA Health Care System, Shreveport Hwy, Pineville, LA 71360 (site map to be furnished by the Alexandria VAHCS). Prior to commencing any work, Contractor will submit a service schedule of operations via email or telephone to the COR for approval. The service schedule can be subject to change in order that Contractor operations do not conflict or otherwise disrupt normal operations of the government in the facility involved. The service schedule can be subject to change if weather dictates that services cannot be provided as scheduled. In the event of a schedule change due to possible disruptions of normal government operations or inclement weather, Contractor will resubmit a service schedule via email to the COR for approval. MOWING. Contractor will provide all personnel, supplies, supervision, tools, equipment, transportation and other items and non-personal services necessary for mowing areas identified in the site map provided by the Alexandria VAHCS. Mowing will include Contractors responsibility to maintain all areas to the commercial standards. This includes but not limited to overgrown areas that have not been maintained defined in the site map. During the growing season grass will be cut to a height no higher than three (3) inches and no less than two (2) inches. Grass will be cut approximately every 14 days or as directed by the COR. Routine policing of the areas will be conducted during mowing services. All site areas, walkways, and parking areas will be kept free of debris by either sweeping or blowing. Contractor will be responsible to remove all branches or limbs (up to 2 inches in diameter) from the areas prior to mowing. The branches and limbs shall be removed off site. GRASS TRIMMING: Contractor will provide all personnel, supplies, supervision, tools, equipment, transportation and other items and non-personal services necessary for trimming areas identified in the site map provided by the AVAHCS. These areas will be properly trimmed during the scheduled mowing. All fence lines and walkways will be cleanly trimmed and consistently maintained throughout the growing season. SPRAYING: Contractor will provide all personnel, supplies, supervision, tools, equipment, transportation and other items and non-personal services necessary for spraying areas identified in the site map provided by the Alexandria VAHCS. All spraying will be conducted in a safe manner as not to expose chemicals to other areas of the Alexandria VA facility. All chemicals will be an approved mix of selective herbicides appropriate for the area being sprayed. Herbicides must be approved by the Alexandria VAHCS Chief of Environmental Management Service prior to use. DISPOSAL: Contractor will be responsible for disposing of all waste off site. Contractor will provide personnel, supervision, tools, equipment, or transportation necessary for disposal of all waste. VERIFICATION OF SERVICES: Contractor will submit requests for inspection within 24 hours from date of service to the COR. Upon acceptance Contractor will invoice for the amount to be determined for completion of the scheduled work. 2. GENERAL INFORMATION QUALITY CONTROL: The Contractor shall develop and maintain an effective Quality Control Program to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. The Quality Control Program (QCP) will be delivered to the COR within 14 calendar days of the contract award. After acceptance of the QCP, the contractor shall receive the contracting officer s acceptance in writing of any proposed change to his QC system. The Contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The Contractor s quality control program is the means by which he assures himself that his work complies with the requirement of the contract. QUALITY ASSURANCE: The Government will inspect and evaluate the contractor s performance to ensure services are received in accordance with requirements set forth in this contract. The COR will be the individual primarily responsible for quality assurance. The COR may perform surveillance by direct observation, performing weekly or bi-weekly inspections, or investigating customer complaints. KEY CONTROLS: The contractor shall establish and implement methods of making sure all keys/key cards issued to the contractor by the Government are not lost or misplaced and are not used by unauthorized persons. NOTE: All references to keys include key cards. No keys issued to the contractor by the Government shall be duplicated. The contractor shall develop procedures covering key control that shall be included in the Quality Control Plan. Such procedures shall include turn-in of any issued keys by personnel who no longer require access to locked areas. The contractor shall immediately report any occurrences of lost or duplicate keys/key cards to the COR. In the event keys, other than master keys, are lost or duplicated, the contractor shall, upon notification of the COR, re-key or replace the affected lock or locks; however, the Government, at its option, may replace the affected lock or locks or perform re-keying. When the replacement of locks or re-keying is performed by the Government, the total cost of re-keying or the replacement of the lock or locks shall be deducted from the monthly payment due the contractor. In the event a master key is lost or duplicated, all locks and keys for that system shall be replaced by the Government and the total cost deducted from the monthly payment due the contractor. The contractor shall prohibit the use of Government issued keys/key cards by any persons other than the contractor s employees. The contractor shall prohibit the opening of locked areas by contractor employees to permit entrance of persons other than contractor employees engaged in the performance of assigned work in those areas, or personnel authorized entrance by the COR. The Contractor shall establish and implement methods of ensuring that all lock combinations are not revealed to unauthorized persons. The Contractor shall ensure that lock combinations are changed when personnel having access to the combinations no longer have a need to know such combinations. These procedures shall be included in the Contractor s Quality Control Plan. SPECIAL QUALIFICATION: The contractor shall possess, at a minimum, the following performance qualifications: Ensure that the contractor and all employees working on-site have taken an OSHA Certified 10-hour construction safety course. Maintain certification required to apply herbicides, as necessary. These previous items are the minimum certifications required to be documented to the COR prior to the start of work at the facility. KEY PERSONNEL: The contractor shall provide a Project Manager/ Superintendent who shall be responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate who shall act for the contractor when the manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the COR. The contract manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The contract manager or alternate shall be available all day on each day the contractor is on site IDENTIFICATION OF CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES: All contract personnel attending meetings, answering Government telephones, and working in other situations where their contractor status is not obvious to third parties are required to identify themselves as such to avoid creating an impression in the minds of members of the public that they are Government officials. They must also ensure that all documents or reports produced by contractors are suitably marked as contractor products or that contractor participation is appropriately disclosed. HOURS OF OPERATION: The contractor shall perform the services required under this contract during the base hours of operation: 8:00A.M. 4:30P.M., Monday through Friday. The Contractor may find it necessary to deviate from the normal hours of operation (i.e. working on Saturday or Sunday) due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances, to ensure timely completion of work under this PWS at no additional cost to the government. Contractor shall communicate and submit request to the Contracting Officer Representative. Employees will wear shirts when on site and performing contract work. VA Police will issue the contractor badges for all employees. Badges must be displayed while on property. AVHCS will not provide lunchroom or washroom facilities. Contractor employees shall not be considered government employees for any purpose under the contract. FEDERAL HOLIDAY: The contractor is not required to perform services on Federal Holidays. New Year s Day - 1 January Martin Luther King Day - 3rd Monday in January Washington s Birthday - 3rd Monday in February Memorial Day - last Monday in May Juneteenth 19 June Independence Day - 4 July Labor Day - 1st Monday in September Columbus Day - 2nd Monday in October Veteran s Day - 11 November Thanksgiving Day - 4th Thursday in November Christmas Day - 25 December If these holidays fall on Saturday, the preceding Friday will be observed. If these holidays fall on Sunday, the following Monday will be observed. If a holiday falls on a scheduled service day, the Contractor will be responsible for rescheduling services for the first day past the holiday observance. CLOSURES: Work scheduled but not accomplished because of closure due to natural disaster or any unforeseen circumstance will be accomplished as soon as possible after reopening. 3. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS Required Reports/Forms Required Due Date Contractor s Quality Control Plan (QCP) Shall be Submitted with Proposal. Annual Work Schedule Shall be Submitted with Proposal. Primary/Alternate POCs Chemical/Hazardous Material Authorization Herbicide - Weed Control Plan Shall be Submitted with Proposal. 4. REQUIREMENTS The arrangement of technical tasks and subtasks within the requirements section will be dictated by program (project) requirements. If a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is being used in the project, tasks must be organized in accordance with the WBS. Ensure that only minimal needs are tasked for the SOW or requirements. The order of technical tasks and subtasks within this section will be determined by the program requirements. If a WBS is being used in the program, tasks should be arranged in accordance with that WBS. Ensure that the scope of the program tasks meet only the minimal needs for the phase SOW or requirements. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS Contractor personnel shall present a neat appearance. Contractor personnel shall be easily recognizable while on the installation in conjunction with this contract. Each employee shall have and display a Government-furnished identifying badge. Contractor personnel shall wear uniforms which will be not less than a shirt and pants, not provided by the Government, identifying them as Contractor employees. The coloring or design of the item selected should be such that identifies personnel easily and quickly for reasons of safety and personal protection. Smoking will be allowed only in designated areas. The government is authorized to restrict the employment under the contract of any contractor employee or prospective contractor employee, who is identified as a potential threat to the health, safety, security, general well- being or operational mission and its population. 1. Contractors are required to submit all personal information for a background investigation and receive a favorable adjudication issues a badge. The COR will provide the awarded contractor with required forms and be point of contact for any questions. 2. Contractor s employees shall not enter the facility site without appropriate badge. They may also be subject to inspection of their personal effects when entering, while at, or leaving the site. 3. For working outside the regular hours as defined in the contract, Contractor shall give 7 days notice to the Contracting Officer so that arrangements can be provided for the employees. 4. No photography of VA premises is allowed without written permission of the Contracting Officer. 5. VA reserves the right to close or shut down the project site and order General Contractor s employees off the premises in the event of a national emergency. The General Contractor may return to the site only with the written approval of the Contracting Officer. INVOICING All invoices shall be submitted in arrears, properly prepared in accordance with FAR 52.212-4, contain sufficient details, and match with the service tickets for the work rendered. Invoices for fixed monthly fee shall be properly prepared and sent via OB10. Contractor shall register and submit invoices electronically via OB10. The website address for registering: WWW.OB10.COM . The Contracting Officer can provide more information for registering. Help Desk Number: 1-800-353-9791 or email: vafsccshd@va.gov More information on OB10 invoicing is located http://www.ob10.com/us/en/veterans-affairs/. These invoices shall be sent in arrears at the beginning of each month following the month in which the services were rendered and billed for. At a minimum, all invoices shall include the following details: Description of the services rendered Billing period in which the services were rendered Correct purchase order number which shall be issued by the Contracting Officer after the contract is awarded. Invoices without correct purchase order number shall be rejected and returned to the Contractor. Invoice number and date Payments shall be made in accordance with the prompt payment act out of the Government annual appropriated funds obligated in a purchase order which shall be issued after the contract is awarded. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE Period of performance will be one (1) year with Three (3) one-year options. INSURANCE Worker compensation and employer's liability: - Contractors are required to comply with applicable Federal and State Worker Compensation and occupational disease statutes. General Liability: - Contractors are required to have Bodily Injury Liability Insurance coverage written on the comprehensive form of policy of at least $500,000 per occurrence. Property Damage Liability: - Contractors are required to have Property Damage Liability insurance coverage of at least $500,000. VHA Supplemental Contract Requirements for Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors (Amended October 25, 2021) Contractor employees who work in or travel to VHA locations must comply with the following: Documentation requirements: If fully vaccinated, shall show proof of vaccination. NOTE: Acceptable proof of vaccination includes a signed record of immunization from a health care provider or pharmacy, a copy of the COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (CDC Form MLS-319813_r, published on September 3, 2020), or a copy of medical records documenting the vaccination. If unvaccinated and granted a medical or religious exception, shall show negative COVID-19 test results dated within three calendar days prior to desired entry date. Test must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use or full approval. This includes tests available by a doctor s order or an FDA approved over-the-counter test. Documentation cited in this section shall be digitally or physically maintained on each contractor employee while in a VA facility and is subject to inspection prior to entry to VA facilities and after entry for spot inspections by Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs) or other hospital personnel. Documentation will not be collected by the VA; contractors shall, at all times, adhere to and ensure compliance with federal laws designed to protect contractor employee health information and personally identifiable information. Contractor employees are subject to daily screening for COVID-19 and may be denied entry to VA facilities if they fail to pass screening protocols. As part of the screening process contractors may be asked screening questions found on the COVID-19 Screening Tool. Check regularly for updates. Contractor employees who work away from VA locations, but who will have direct contact with VA patients shall self-screen utilizing the COVID-19 Screening Tool, in advance, each day that they will have direct patient contact and in accordance with their person or persons who coordinate COVID-19 workplace safety efforts at covered contractor workplaces. Contractors shall, at all times, adhere to and ensure compliance with federal laws designed to protect contractor employee health information and personally identifiable information. Contractor must immediately notify their COR or Contracting Officer if contract performance is jeopardized due to contractor employees being denied entry into VA Facilities. For indefinite delivery contracts: Contractor agrees to comply with FAR 52.232-99 and VHA Supplemental Contract Requirements for any task or delivery orders issued prior to this modification when performance has already commenced.