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Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice

*= Required Field
Combined Synopsis/Solicitation Notice

DESCRIPTION
Request for Quote (RFQ) #: 36C24923Q0645 Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) Wellness Classes and Services

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The Government reserves the right to make no award from this solicitation.

* The deadline for all questions is 1:00PM CST, September 25, 2023 .
All questions must be submitted in writing no later than the question cut-off date marked above. All questions will be answered officially through an amendment to the solicitation.

** Quotes are to be provided to John.McComas@va.gov no later than 3:00PM CST, September 26, 2023.
Quotes shall not be hand carried. Faxed quotes shall not be accepted. Emailed quotes are the only method of submitted quotes. The Government reserves the right to make award solely on initial Quotes received. Offerors bear the burden of ensuring that all portions of the offer (and any authorized amendments) reach the designated office before the deadline specified in the solicitation. This RFQ shall be completed in its entirety, and signed and dated, failure shall not be considered for award.

This is a Request for Quote (RFQ). The government anticipates awarding a firm-fixed price contract resulting from this solicitation.

This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2023-05 effective 09/07/2023

The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 611620 with a small business size standard of $9.0 Million. This solicitation is a 100% Total Set-Aside for SDVOSB vendors.

List of Line Items.

Line Item
Description
Quantity
Unit of Measure
Unit Price
Total Price
0001
CIH and Wellness services virtual care offerings that will be provided as a live, interactive, two-way video/virtual within a digital platform.
Period of Performance: 09/28/2023 09/27/2024

12
Months
$
$
1001
Option Year 1
CIH and Wellness services virtual care offerings that will be provided as a live, interactive, two-way video/virtual within a digital platform.
Period of Performance: 09/28/2024 09/27/2025

12
Months
$
$
2001
Option Year 2
CIH and Wellness services virtual care offerings that will be provided as a live, interactive, two-way video/virtual within a digital platform.
Period of Performance: 09/28/2025 09/27/2026

12
Months
$
$
3001
Option Year 3
CIH and Wellness services virtual care offerings that will be provided as a live, interactive, two-way video/virtual within a digital platform.
Period of Performance: 09/28/2026 09/27/2027

12
Months
$
$
4001
Option Year 4
CIH and Wellness services virtual care offerings that will be provided as a live, interactive, two-way video/virtual within a digital platform.
Period of Performance: 09/28/2027 09/27/2028
12
Months
$
$

Grand Total

Salient Characteristics are found on Attachment 1 (Below).

Statement of Work are found on Attachment 2 (Below).

Service Contract Act Clauses and Wage Rates in accordance with FAR 52.222-41 are applicable for this requirement. Please indicate area in which labor standards should be included/implemented into any resultant contract. If multiple wage rates are necessary, please indicate each state and applicable county below:

County State_______

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________
Delivery and acceptance are validated via Certified Invoice due to classes being offered virtually in accordance with Statement of Work found in Attachment 2.

52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors--Commercial Items applies to this acquisition.

ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS COMMERCIAL

Gray market items are Original Equipment Manufacturer s (OEM) goods sold through unauthorized channels in direct competition with authorized distributors. This procurement is for new OEM medical supplies, medical equipment and/or services contracts for maintenance of medical equipment (i.e. replacement parts) for VA Medical Centers. No remanufactures or gray market items will be acceptable.

Offeror shall be an OEM, authorized dealer, authorized distributor or authorized reseller for the proposed medical supplies, medical equipment and/or services contracts for maintenance of medical equipment (i.e. replacement parts), verified by an authorization letter or other documents from the OEM, such that the OEM s warranty and service are provided and maintained by the OEM. All software licensing, warranty and service associated with the medical supplies, medical equipment and/or services contracts for maintenance of medical equipment shall be in accordance with the OEM terms and conditions.

The delivery of gray market items to the VA in the fulfillment of an order/award constitutes a breach of contract. Accordingly, the VA reserves the right enforce any of its contractual remedies. This includes termination of the contract or, solely at the VA s election, allowing the Vendor to replace, at no cost to the Government, any remanufactured or gray market item(s) delivered to a VA medical facility upon discovery of such items.

Offerors providing an or equal product(s) must adhere to the terms in FAR 52.211-6. If an item in this solicitation is identified as brand name or equal, the purchase description reflects the characteristics and level of quality that will satisfy the Government s needs. The salient physical, functional, or performance characteristics that equal products must meet or exceed are specified in the solicitation. To be considered for award, offers of equal products, including equal products of the brand name manufacturer, must
Meet the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristic specified in this solicitation;
Clearly identify the item by-
Brand name, if any and
Make or model number,
Include descriptive literature such as illustrations, drawings, or a clear reference to previously furnished descriptive data or information available to the Contracting Officer; and
Clearly describe any modification the offeror plans to make in a product to make it conform to the solicitation requirements. Mark any descriptive material to clearly show the modification.

The contracting officer will evaluate equal products on the basis of information furnished by the offeror or identified in the offer and reasonably available to the contracting officer. The Contracting Officer is not responsible for locating or obtaining any information not identified in the offer. Unless the offeror clearly indicates in its offer that the product being offered is an equal product, the offeror shall provide the brand name product referenced in the solicitation

Any award made as a result of this solicitation will be made on an All or Nothing Basis.

State if quoted items are available and priced through offerors existing Government-wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract, or VA-wide Acquisition Contract.

If the acquisition is set-aside for SDVOSBs/VOSBs, their socioeconomic status must be VIP verified and visible in the VA Vendor Information Pages (VIP): https://www.vip.vetbiz.gov/ at the time of quote submission AND award, or will be considered non-responsive, and will NOT be considered for award.

Offerors are warned against contacting any VA personnel other than the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist prior to placement of any award made resulting from this RFQ. If such contact occurs and found to be prejudicial to competing contactors, the offeror making such contact may be excluded from award considerations.

All proprietary information shall be clearly and properly marked. If the Offeror submits annexes, documentation, attachments or the like, not specifically required by this solicitation, such will count against the Offeror s page limitations unless otherwise indicated in the specific volume instructions below.

All information shall be confined to the appropriate file. The offeror shall confine submissions to essential matters, sufficient to define the quote and provide an adequate basis for evaluation. Offerors are responsible for including sufficient details, in a concise manner, to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of each quote.

Submission of quote shall include the following volumes: (I) Technical capability; (II) Past Performance, (III) Price

Tab I - Technical capability
The offeror shall submit quote that demonstrates the vendors capability to meet the Statement of Work (attachment 2) and narrative, pamphlets, or brochures confirming the equal products, including equal products of the brand name manufacturer submitted, meets or exceeds the salient physical, functional, or performance characteristic specified in this solicitation under Attachment 1. The product(s) quoted must be identified by brand name, if any, and make or model number.

Tab II Past Performance
The Government will evaluate past performance of vendor and may award to vendor with better/superior past performance if it s in the best interest of the Government. Contractors may submit up to three (3) past performance references. Each reference should be no more than 2-pages (1 page front and back) with font no smaller than 10-font.

Price - The offeror shall complete the pricing schedule provided in Section (v) above: Price/Cost Schedule.

Volume III Price

Price - The offeror shall complete the pricing schedule provided in Section (v) above: Price/Cost Schedule.

(End of Addendum to 52.212-1)

52.212-2, Evaluation--Commercial Items applies to this acquisition

ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-2 EVALUATION COMMERCIAL ITEMS:

The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government considering price and other factors.

The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotations:

Factor 1. Technical capability
Factor 2. Past Performance
Factor 3. Price

Evaluation Approach. The Government will evaluate quotations using the comparative evaluation process outlined in FAR 13.106-2(b)(3), where quotations will be compared to one another to determine which provides the best benefit to the Government. The Government reserves the right to consider a quotation other than the lowest price that provides additional benefit(s). Quotations may exceed minimum requirements of the solicitation. The Government reserves the right to select a quotation that provides benefit to the Government that exceeds the minimum requirements of the solicitation, but is not required to do so. Each response must meet the minimum requirements of the solicitation. The Government is not requesting or accepting alternate quotations. The evaluation will consider the following:

Factor 1. Technical capability: The quotation will be evaluated to the extent to which it can meet and/or exceed the Government s requirements as outlined in the solicitation and based on the information requested in the instructions to quoters section of the solicitation.

Factor 2. Past Performance: The Government will evaluate past performance and the Government may consider award to other than the lowest priced quote/offeror if it s in the best interest of the Government.

Factor 3. Price: The Government will evaluate the price by adding the total of all line item prices. The Government may use various price analysis techniques and procedures to make a price reasonableness determination. Offers that do not meet or exceed the technical capability or quality of the item offered to the Government requirement, as stated in Factor 1 shall not be selected regardless of price.

(End of Addendum to 52.212-2)

52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) website located at https://www.sam.gov/portal in accordance with FAR 52.212-3, Offerors Representations and Certifications Commercial Items. If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required. Offerors must be registered in SAM at time of offer submission.

52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items applies to this acquisition

52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders--Commercial Items (JUL 2020) applies to this acquisition

FAR 52.212-5 applies to this acquisition with the following FAR clauses incorporated by reference;
FAR 52.204-10
Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards. (JUN 2020)
FAR 52.204-16
Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020)
FAR 52.204-24
Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021)
FAR 52.209-6
Protecting the Government s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (JUN 2020) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note)
FAR 52.219-6
Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2020) (15 U.S.C. 644)
FAR 52.219-8
Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Oct 2018) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) and (3))
FAR 52.219-28
Post Award Small Business Program Representation (NOV 2020) (15 U.S.C 632(a)(2))
FAR 52.219-33
Nonmanufacturer Rule (MAR 2020)
FAR 52.222-3
Convict Labor (JUN 2003) (E.O. 11755)
FAR 52.222-19
Child Labor Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (JUL 2020) (E.O. 13126)
FAR 52.222-21
Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (APR 2015)
FAR 52.222-26
Equal Opportunity (SEP 2016) (E.O. 11246)
FAR 52.222-35
Equal Opportunity for Veterans (JUN 2020) (38 U.S.C. 4212)
FAR 52.222-36
Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (JUN 2020) (29 U.S.C. 793)
FAR 52.222-37
Employment Reports on Veterans (JUN 2020) (38 U.S.C. 4212)
FAR 52.222-40
Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (DEC 2010) (E.O. 13496)
FAR 52.222-41
Service Contract Labor Standards (AUG 2018) (41 U.S.C. chapter 67)
FAR 52.222-42
Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (MAY 2014) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 67).
FAR 52.222-43
Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts) (AUG 2018) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 67).
FAR 52.222-50
Combating Trafficking in Persons (OCT 2020) (22 U.S.C. chapter 78 and E.O. 13627)
FAR 52.222-55
Minimum Wages Under Executive Order 13658 (DEC 2015).
FAR 52.222-62
52.222-62, Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706 (JAN 2017) (E.O. 13706).
FAR 52.223-18
Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (JUN 2020) (E.O. 13513)
FAR 52.225-1
Buy American Supplies (JAN 2021) (41 U.S.C. chapter 83)
FAR 52.225-3
Buy American-Free Trade Agreement-Israeli Trade Act (Dec 2022)
FAR 52.225-13
Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUN 2008) (E.O.'s, proclamations, and statutes administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury)
FAR 52.232-33
Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer System for Award Management (Oct 2018) (31 U.S.C. 3332)

Additional contract requirements or terms and conditions:

FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (Nov 1999) - The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 30 days.

(End of clause)

FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000)

(a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor within 7 days; provided that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 60 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.

(b) If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause.

(c) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 5-yeas 6-months.

(End of clause)

852.212-70, Provisions and Clauses Applicable to VA Acquisition of Commercial Items (Apr 2020)
VAAR 852.203-70
Commercial Advertising (MAY 2018)
VAAR 852.219-10
VA Notice of Total Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set- Aside
VAAR 852.219-74
LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE (JUL 2018)
VAAR 852.228-71
Indemnification and Insurance
VAAR 852.232-72
Electronic Submission of Payment Requests (NOV 2018)
VAAR 852.233-70
Protest Content/Alternative Dispute Resolution (OCT 2018)
VAAR 852.233-71
Alternate Protest Procedure (OCT 2018)
VAAR 852.246-71
Rejected Goods (OCT 2018)
VAAR 852.270-1
Representation of Contracting Officers (JAN 2008)

852.252-70, Solicitation Provisions or Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Jan 2008)
The following provisions or clauses incorporated by reference in this solicitation must be completed by the offeror or prospective contractor and submitted with the quotation or offer. Copies of these provisions or clauses are available on the Internet at the web sites provided in the provision at FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference, or the clause at FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference. Copies may also be obtained from the contracting officer.

http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html
https://www.acquisition.gov/vaar

The following FAR provisions are to be incorporated by reference:
FAR 52.204-7
System for Award Management (OCT 2018)
FAR 52.204-16
Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (AUG 2020)
FAR 52.211-6
Brand Name or Equal (AUG 1999)
FAR 52.214-21
Descriptive Literature (APR 2002)
FAR 52.229-11
Tax on Certain Foreign Procurements Notice and Representation (JUN 2020)

The following VAAR provisions are to be incorporated by reference:
None
The following FAR clauses are incorporated by reference:
FAR 52.203-17
Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights and Requirement to Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights (JUN 2020)
FAR 52.204-13
System for Award Management Maintenance (OCT 2018)
FAR 52.204-18
Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (AUG 2020)
FAR 52.232-40
Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (DEC 2013)

The following VAAR clauses are to be incorporated by reference:
VAAR 852.212-71
Gray Market Items (APR 2020)
VAAR 852.212-72
Gray Market and Counterfeit Items (MAR 2020) (DEVIATION)
VAAR 852.219-74
Limitations on Subcontracting Monitoring and Compliance (JUL 2018) (Deviation)

The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) does not apply.

Date and Time offers are due to john.mccomas@va.gov by 3:00pm CST, September 26, 2023.

Name and email of the individual to contact for information regarding the solicitation:
John McComas
john.mccomas@va.gov

Attachment 1 Salient Characteristics
Item: Ompractice digital wellness platform or equal
1) Essential/significant physical, functional, or performance characteristics.

Salient characteristics are those characteristics that make an item equal to the brand name item we specify. Specifically, salient characteristics are those characteristics of the brand name item that the VA needs.

Salient Characteristics

Contractor shall provide all access to the necessary resources to accomplish two-way, interactive, digital, and virtual platforms that offer live yoga, live tai chi, live meditation/mindfulness, and other live modalities described in this Statement of Work (SOW). These wellness services are considered a virtual care offering. These virtual care offerings are live, interactive, two-way videos within a digital platform that offer access to an assortment of wellness services. Wellness services include yoga, tai-chi, meditation, and mindfulness with all the support and personal interaction without the physical contact. These services will be offered daily with a variety of times. No transportation will be required. These services offer the accountability of taking a class without having to be inside the class and around groups of people, thus helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These wellness services will lessen the need for after hour virtual CIH clinics. This wellness program aligns with JHQVAMC s intent to encourage self-care among its employees and Veterans (these mandates are outlined in VHA Directive 1137).
Contractor shall provide all labor, equipment, tools, materials, services, modalities, and other necessary items for professional, live, interactive, virtual, online wellness services as required by the contract and all attachments thereto.

Contractor shall provide a variety of classes 365 days a year, with the minimum of 14-16 live, interactive, virtual offerings each day Monday thru Friday with at least 4-8 live, interactive, virtual options available after 5pm and at least 8-10 live virtual offerings available on each Saturdays and Sundays. The contractor shall provide a minimum of these requested classes/groups:

a. Yoga for pregnant women
b. Pelvic floor health programs
c. Both Tai Chi and Qigong (in separate classes)
d. Tai Chi for arthritis & fall prevention
e. Yoga for back care
f. Yoga for neck pain
g. Yoga for shoulder pain
h. Adaptive yoga classes (chair)
i. Yin Yoga (targets fascia and is slower)
j. Power Yoga (improves muscle strength)
k. Vinyasa Yoga (yoga flow)
l. Ashtanga Yoga (pose yoga)
m. Pilates
n. Barre
o. Guided Meditation
p. Guided Imagery
q. iRest Yoga Nidra
r. Breathwork
s. Spanish-only classes
t. Veterans-only classes
u. Woman only classes
v. Cancer-recover/remission classes
w. Back care classes
x. Slow Flow Yoga
y. Yoga for families and children
z. Sound Meditation

Contractor shall provide a variety of on-demand, synchronous classes 365 days, 24 hours/day. Classes to include yoga, chair yoga, tai chi, qigong, meditation, trauma-informed offerings, guided imagery (iRest), fitness/movement, wellness, and breathwork.

Contractor must have appropriate level of encryption to ensure security of user information.
i. User information involves self-reported data such as name, email, and password.
ii. No PHI (protected health information) or PII (Personally Identifiable Information) is transferred to or shared with any 3rd party vendors or customers.

Must have the following platform capabilities/compliances:
i. Database encryption at rest
ii. Regular data backups
iii. Encrypted data backups
iv. Secure password hashing
v. Encryption in transit
vi. XSS& CSRF attack protections
vii. Protection against SQL injection attack
viii. API access test coverage
ix. Source code protection
Ability to track and monitor de-identified user information.
i. Only transferable data is anonymized usage reports.
ii. System automatically de-identifies and anonymizes user personal information when propagating usage metrics.
iii. Metrics that are tracked should include at a minimum the number of signups, total classes taken, popular classes.
iv. When provided with questions should be able to track resiliency markers as it relates to improvements in Veteran and VA staff wellbeing and/or physical health.

Ability to provide digital marketing and printable materials with 72 hours or less. This may include copy, designs, or other. Train VA health coaches on the respective platform so they can speak knowledgeably about it when working with Veterans. Provide kick-off to Veterans and staff to market and offer education on programming.

Ability to hold Q&A sessions with VA staff to see a demo of the service to get questions answered.
Contractor shall provide qualified and professional personnel for live, two-way interaction, virtual wellness services to Veterans and VAMC employees.

Contractor shall provide access to specific services tailored for Veterans.

Wellness services shall be Veteran-focused and trauma-focused trainings.

Contractor shall provide access to all necessary services and modalities to maintain full operation with no disruptions within two weeks of date of contract award.

Contractor shall establish Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Contingency and safety procedures for addressing physical safety concerns of participants during live classes.
Must have protocols in place to get first responders onsite in the event of a major incident and all staff must be trained on these protocols.
Operational procedures and website management structure.
Procedures for gaining acceptance/access into website.
Quality assurance and quality control procedures.
Contractor and project management procedures.

Contractor shall indicate how to identify authorized users shall determine the required registration information, how it will be used and how it will be protected.

Contractor will provide JHQVAMC detailed de-identified information on attendance/completion for and attend live, synchronous classes. Information to be provided by share point site accessible 24/7 and/or by weekly report to aggregate data of date/time of class attended.

Contractor will provide all participations with daily or weekly certificates of attendance/completion via e-mail, which they may submit to JHQVAMC as desired by Veteran to document participation.

INSTRUCTOR CREDENTIALS & CORE COMPETENCIES:

(1) Yoga

a. Certification through a Yoga Alliance e-RYT200 (experienced registered yoga teacher) or equivalent program (200 contact hour training plus 1000+ documented teaching hours), RYT 500, or C- IAYT (certified yoga therapist).
b. Completion of trauma informed yoga training preferred (Trauma Informed or Trauma Sensitive certification offered through an accredited, national organization such as Yoga Alliance, Veterans Yoga Project, or other similarly accredited organizations.)

(2) Tai Chi & Qigong

a. American Tai Chi and Qigong Association (TCQGA) certified Tai Chi instructor Level I or equivalent (150 hours documented formal Tia Chi training); Level I Qi Gong Instructor certified by the National Qi Gong Association, or equivalent. Appropriate trainings include (but are not limited to):

i. Tai Chi Fundamentals® Programs through Tai Chi for Health
ii. Tai Chi for Arthritis Programs through Tai Chi for Health
iii. Taijiquan: Moving for Better Balance
iv. Evidenced Based Qigong through Center for Taiji Studies
v. Evidenced Based Taiji through Center for Taiji Studies
vi. Tree of Life Tai Chi Teacher Training
vii. Tai Chi Easy® through Integral Institute of Qigong and Tai Chi
viii. Tai Chi Instructor training through Integral Institute of Qigong and Tai Chi
ix. Qigong/Tai Chi teacher trainings through Energy Arts.
x. Taijiquan/Qigong trainings through International Yang Family Tai Chi Association
xi. Other trainings recognized by ATCQGA or Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as acceptable to qualify for documented formal Tia Chi/Qigong training.
* This list does not represent any program endorsement

(3) Meditation

Meditation requires completion of IRest Training Levels I and II

(4) Other wellness-based services to not require certification but require documentation of experiential hours spent offering that approach as vetted by contracted vendor.

(5) Other - Any sessions for taught for pelvic floor disorders need to be a provided by a licensed Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist.

Attachment 2 Statement of Work
STATEMENT OF WORK

GENERAL INFORMATION

Background: Since the current COVID-19 pandemic, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center (JHQVAMC) has an essential need for an interactive and digital platform aimed at improving overall wellbeing. This platform would fill an unmet need by improving access without the need for individuals to gather in groups or come on site to any James H. Quillen VA Medical Center facility. It will reduce Veterans seeking Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) care in the community. It will lessen the need for any after-hours in person or virtual CIH clinics offered at the facility. For VAMC employees, using these modalities is aimed to help reduce burnout, increase productivity, and decrease turnover. Consistent yoga and/or mediation practice can have an impact on the perception of pain, and therefore reduce prescription costs or unnecessary appointments at VAMCs. It has become necessary to explore virtual platforms to ensure provisions of VHA directive 1137 that require CIH modalities be offered to Veterans. At this moment in time, live wellness services in group settings cannot be conducted in person safely. These wellness services will build resilience and encourage health among JHQVAMC employees and Veterans. The purpose of this contract is to provide a subscription, which covers all Veterans and employees of JHQVAMC. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, JHQVAMC has expanded the use of virtual care. Thus, making it easier for our Veterans to see and communicate with their VA health care providers and teams.

Scope of Work: Contractor shall provide all access to the necessary resources to accomplish two-way, interactive, digital, and virtual platforms that offer live yoga, live tai chi, live meditation/mindfulness, and other live modalities described in this Statement of Work (SOW). These wellness services are considered a virtual care offering. These virtual care offerings are live, interactive, two-way videos within a digital platform that offer access to an assortment of wellness services. Wellness services include yoga, tai-chi, meditation, and mindfulness with all the support and personal interaction without the physical contact. These services will be offered daily with a variety of times. No transportation will be required. These services offer the accountability of taking a class without having to be inside the class and around groups of people, thus helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These wellness services will lessen the need for after hour virtual CIH clinics. This wellness program aligns with JHQVAMC s intent to encourage self-care among its employees and Veterans (these mandates are outlined in VHA Directive 1137).

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Contractor shall provide all labor, equipment, tools, materials, services, modalities, and other necessary items for professional, live, interactive, virtual, online wellness services as required by the contract and all attachments thereto.

(2) Contractor shall provide a variety of classes 365 days a year, with the minimum of 14-16 live, interactive, virtual offerings each day Monday thru Friday with at least 4-8 live, interactive, virtual options available after 5pm and at least 8-10 live virtual offerings available on each Saturdays and Sundays. The contractor shall provide a minimum of these requested classes/groups:
a. Yoga for pregnant women
b. Pelvic floor health programs
c. Both Tai Chi and Qigong (in separate classes)
d. Tai Chi for arthritis & fall prevention
e. Yoga for back care
f. Yoga for neck pain
g. Yoga for shoulder pain
h. Adaptive yoga classes (chair)
i. Yin Yoga (targets fascia and is slower)
j. Power Yoga (improves muscle strength)
k. Vinyasa Yoga (yoga flow)
l. Ashtanga Yoga (pose yoga)
m. Pilates
n. Barre
o. Guided Meditation
p. Guided Imagery
q. iRest Yoga Nidra
r. Breathwork
s. Spanish-only classes
t. Veterans-only classes
u. Woman only classes
v. Cancer-recover/remission classes
w. Back care classes
x. Slow Flow Yoga
y. Yoga for families and children
z. Sound Meditation
(3) Contractor shall provide a variety of on-demand, synchronous classes 365 days, 24 hours/day. Classes to include yoga, chair yoga, tai chi, qigong, meditation, trauma-informed offerings, guided imagery (iRest), fitness/movement, wellness, and breathwork.

(4) Service and Operational Requirements:
a. Participants may choose an assortment of digital classes (i.e., yoga, tai -chi, meditation, mindfulness, etc.).

b. Participants can easily log into digital classroom of choice with established username and password. Participants may set up personal space for digital classes of choice.

c. Veteran-trauma focused trained, professional instructors offering variety of wellness services will teach interactive digital classes of choice.

d. Training will accommodate real-time, live feedback while interacting and exercising in digital classes of choice. Class size needs to be unlimited in number to accommodate all interested Veterans and VA staff.

e. Services offered will expand virtual wellness offerings by providing two- way video streaming that staff/Veterans can access with or without VA network from personal devices (i.e., smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc.).

f. Appropriate level of encryption to ensure security of user information.
i. User information involves self-reported data such as name, email, and password.
ii. No PHI (protected health information) or PII (Personally Identifiable Information) is transferred to or shared with any 3rd party vendors or customers.

g. Must have the following platform capabilities/compliances:
i. Database encryption at rest
ii. Regular data backups
iii. Encrypted data backups
iv. Secure password hashing
v. Encryption in transit
vi. XSS& CSRF attack protections
vii. Protection against SQL injection attack
viii. API access test coverage
ix. Source code protection
h. Ability to track and monitor de-identified user information.
i. Only transferable data is anonymized usage reports.
ii. System automatically de-identifies and anonymizes user personal information when propagating usage metrics.
iii. Metrics that are tracked should include at a minimum the number of signups, total classes taken, popular classes.
iv. When provided with questions should be able to track resiliency markers as it relates to improvements in Veteran and VA staff wellbeing and/or physical health.

i. Ability to provide digital marketing and printable materials with 72 hours or less. This may include copy, designs, or other. Train VA health coaches on the respective platform so they can speak knowledgeably about it when working with Veterans. Provide kick-off to Veterans and staff to market and offer education on programming.

j. Ability to hold Q&A sessions with VA staff to see a demo of the service to get questions answered.

C. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Contractor shall provide qualified and professional personnel for live, two-way interaction, virtual wellness services to Veterans and VAMC employees.

Contractor shall provide access to specific services tailored for Veterans.

Wellness services shall be Veteran-focused and trauma-focused trainings.

Contractor shall provide access to all necessary services and modalities to maintain full operation with no disruptions within two weeks of date of contract award.

Contractor shall establish Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Contingency and safety procedures for addressing physical safety concerns of participants during live classes.
Must have protocols in place to get first responders onsite in the event of a major incident and all staff must be trained on these protocols.
Operational procedures and website management structure.
Procedures for gaining acceptance/access into website.
Quality assurance and quality control procedures.
Contractor and project management procedures.

6. Contractor shall indicate how to identify authorized users shall determine the required registration information, how it will be used and how it will be protected.

7.Contractor will provide JHQVAMC detailed de-identified information on attendance/completion for and attend live, synchronous classes. Information to be provided by share point site accessible 24/7 and/or by weekly report to aggregate data of date/time of class attended.

8. Contractor will provide all participations with daily or weekly certificates of attendance/completion via e-mail, which they may submit to JHQVAMC as desired by Veteran to document participation.

9. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES will user information be provided to anyone outside the government. The CO and COR are the only individuals authorized to request user information

D. INSTRUCTOR CREDENTIALS & CORE COMPETENCIES:

(1) Yoga

a. Certification through a Yoga Alliance e-RYT200 (experienced registered yoga teacher) or equivalent program (200 contact hour training plus 1000+ documented teaching hours), RYT 500, or C- IAYT (certified yoga therapist).
b. Completion of trauma informed yoga training preferred (Trauma Informed or Trauma Sensitive certification offered through an accredited, national organization such as Yoga Alliance, Veterans Yoga Project, or other similarly accredited organizations.)

(2) Tai Chi & Qigong

a. American Tai Chi and Qigong Association (TCQGA) certified Tai Chi instructor Level I or equivalent (150 hours documented formal Tia Chi training); Level I Qi Gong Instructor certified by the National Qi Gong Association, or equivalent. Appropriate trainings include (but are not limited to):

i. Tai Chi Fundamentals® Programs through Tai Chi for Health
ii. Tai Chi for Arthritis Programs through Tai Chi for Health
iii. Taijiquan: Moving for Better Balance
iv. Evidenced Based Qigong through Center for Taiji Studies
v. Evidenced Based Taiji through Center for Taiji Studies
vi. Tree of Life Tai Chi Teacher Training
vii. Tai Chi Easy® through Integral Institute of Qigong and Tai Chi
viii. Tai Chi Instructor training through Integral Institute of Qigong and Tai Chi
ix. Qigong/Tai Chi teacher trainings through Energy Arts.
x. Taijiquan/Qigong trainings through International Yang Family Tai Chi Association
xi. Other trainings recognized by ATCQGA or Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as acceptable to qualify for documented formal Tia Chi/Qigong training.
* This list does not represent any program endorsement

(3) Meditation

Meditation requires completion of IRest Training Levels I and II

(4) Other wellness-based services to not require certification but require documentation of experiential hours spent offering that approach as vetted by contracted vendor.

(5) Other
Any sessions for taught for pelvic floor disorders need to be a provided by a licensed Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist.

E. GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

(1) Government shall provide Veterans and VAMC employees all necessary information for access to Contractor s digital platform.

(2) All JHQVAMC VAMCs will allow for coverage and access for all its employees and Veterans.

F. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

(1) Contracting Officer Representative (COR): The Contracting Officer Representative shall be the technical point of contact for all service-related requirements. The COR does not have authorization to change, alter, or remove any requirements stated in the Statement of Work.

(2) Contracting Officer (CO): The Contracting Officer has the authority to enter, administer, and terminate contracts. The CO can make related determinations and findings on behalf of the Government. The CO is the only individual legally authorized to bind the Government and modify the contract.

(3) Place of Performance: Contractor s website
a. JHQVAMC VAMC employees and Veterans can access services anywhere with electronic devices (i.e., laptops, tablets, smartphones) with internet capability and a suitable connection.
b. Can access with or without VA network from personal electronic devices (i.e., smartphones, tablets, laptops).
c. Digital, online platform, two-way video.
i. Personal interaction.
ii. No physical contact.
iii. No transportation required.

(4) Work Hours: Various Hours to include weekends and evenings (flexible)
a. Offer a variety of time schedules for access to live wellness services to include a large variety of times, and night offerings to maximize accessibility for veterans and staff who work alternate work shifts.
b. Participants would be able to access these live wellness services at their convenience.
c. Online access to an assortment of wellness services tailored to Veterans with various time schedules daily.
d. Services shall be available 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

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