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THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. This Request for Information (RFI) is intended for information and planning purposes only at this time and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Because this is a Request for Information announcement, no evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to the respondents. No solicitation exists. Therefore, do not request a copy of a solicitation. The Lebanon VA Medical Center requires the delivery of new Microfiber Cleaning Supplies.
Description of work: VA Lebanon requires purchase of the following requirement:

Background
The objective of this requirement is to improve sanitation and to reduce the microbial footprint in the Lebanon VA Medical Center (LVAMC). The LVAMC utilized traditional cleaning methods, including the use of cotton cloths and mops in the past and found that microfiber materials were more beneficial to the LVAMC. It has been proven that microfiber materials pick up dirt and contaminants far more effectively than conventional cotton cloths and loop mops. Furthermore, this material will help the environment due to the durability of the material.
Objectives
The primary objective is to deliver and provide the necessary material as well as to render the necessary service to accomplish the vison of this acquisition.

1. Provide the specific materials requested in Table 1 and comply with the general requirements.
2. Provide weekly service for the exchange of the used and dirty supplies and maintain an adequate stock of clean inventory.

Scope of Work
The Contractor shall provide all resources necessary to accomplish the deliverables described in this Statement of Need (SON), except as may otherwise be specified. This service will aid in providing the safest and cleanest environment possible for the Veteran patient population we serve. The Contractor must:

1. Provide a stock of split microfiber products for distribution among the Environmental Management Services (EMS) staff for the purposes of cleaning patient, guest, and employee areas.
2. Provide a cleaning program that adheres to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and prevention guidelines for microfiber products.
3. Use a facility that is Hohenstein certified.
3. Pickup and deliver Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (three days a week) between 6:00am and 10:00am at the Laundry Department in Building 7. The contractor shall schedule the service on the next business day when services fall on a federal holiday. Federal Holidays: New Year s Day; Martin Luther King Jr s Birthday; Washington s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving Day; and Christmas Day.
4. Provide management of the program to include providing reporting of quantities used, cleaned, and stocked.
5. Adjust quantities and/or delivery/pickup to meet the dynamic needs of the LVAMC to ensure that enough of the microfiber products are available.
6. Coordinate any changes to the pick-up and delivery schedule with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) at the LVAMC. Schedule modification/alteration opportunities, which would improve operations and turn-around time, without major interruption to either the Contractor or the Government, shall be negotiated between the Contractor and COR and shall not be implemented without authorization from the Contracting Officer (CO).
7. Provide all labor, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and technical expertise necessary to maintain a properly managed and stocked supply of microfiber cleaning products at no extra cost to the Lebanon VA Medical Center.
8. Provide flat mop telescopic handles for all supplied inventory.
9. Provide an initial inventory at no cost to the Lebanon VA Medical Center facility.
10. Report any circumstances, which may affect the performance of the work and unhealthy or hazardous conditions or any delays or interference with work. Such reports shall be made immediately upon discovery by the Contractor to the COR by phone and a follow-up email.
11. Have a phase out plan. This plan shall describe the Contractor s methods and procedures to ensure smooth and uninterrupted service at contract expiration date for a period not to exceed 90 days. The Contractor shall fully cooperate with the successor Contractor and the Government so as not to interfere with their work or duties.
12. Furnish with their proposal a written Contingency Plan indicating that services can be continued in the event of Contractor s equipment and /or production facility failure. This Contingency Plan must also include transportation vehicle failure.

General Requirement
1. The Contractor shall supply the following total dedicated inventory, weekly, to be rotated through usage and cleaning/delivery/pickup:
a. Table 1:

DESCRIPTION
QUANTITY (each)
Microfiber Wiper (orange)
8500
Microfiber Wiper (blue)
8500
Microfiber High Duster
750
60 Microfiber Mop
50
60 Microfiber Mop Frame
75
48 Microfiber Mop
100
48 Microfiber Mop Frame
75
36 Microfiber Mop Head
2000
36 Microfiber Mop Frame
75
20 Microfiber Mop
5000
20 Microfiber Mop Frame
75
18 Microfiber Dust Mop
1500
18 Microfiber Mop Frame
75
12 Microfiber Mop
2500
12 Microfiber Mop Frame
75
Microfiber Tube Mop
250
Storage Tote
25

2. A 3% loss replacement shall be included in the service/management program price.
a. Microfiber inventory must remain on par due to this loss/replacement program.
b. Mop frames shall be replaced at no extra cost to the Government when necessary (i.e.,
broken/damaged).
3. The microfiber product provided shall have the following properties:
99.9% microbe removal
12 x 12
290 GSM
Warped Knitting
0.13 ultra-denier with at least 80% split
Shrink Resistant
Bleach Tolerant
Lifespan of at least 120 wash cycles with bleach
Lint Free
Double Layer Filament
Compatible with EPA Registered Hospital Grade Disinfectants
Tolerant of CDC guidelines for cleaning to include:
Wash at 160 degrees for 25 minutes
Microfiber products must be washed separately from other items
Wash with a bleach solution 125-150 ppm
Completely dry and handle clean product to minimize risk of cross contamination
Third Party Validation and Certification, Hohenstein required
4. Servicing shall have the following properties:
a. Microfibers washed separately from other textiles
b. Microfiber dedicated carts to eliminate cross contamination with cotton
c. Hand inspected before packaging for return to LVAMC
d. Stacked and bundled on a covered cart for transport
e. Bundled for efficient distribution at LVAMC
f. Transported on truck designed for servicing healthcare facilities
g. Clean empty totes delivered to LVAMC
h. Soiled microfiber taken in totes from LVAMC facility
i. OSHA safe handling procedures utilized
j. Water soluble liners on soiled linen bins
5. Management of the program shall have the following properties:
a. Reports of usage shall be made available to the COR upon request
b. Delivery and pickup shall be during established business hours of the Lebanon VA Medical Center
c. Quantities shall be adjusted according to the needs of the Lebanon VA Medical Center as needed
d. Delivery locations shall be determined by discussion and agreement between the COR and Contractor according to the needs and facility restrictions/abilities of the Lebanon VA Medical Center
e. Microfiber products are inspected after each wash to ensure standards and quality are met

Performance Period:

Base Year
04/01/2024
03/31/2025
Option 1
04/01/2025
03/31/2026
Option 2
04/01/2026
03/31/2027
Option 3
04/01/2027
03/31/2028
Option 4
04/01/2028
03/31/2029


Reassignments
The Contractor shall utilize, on this Contract, only workers that are skilled in the tasks to which they are assigned. Environmental Management Service retains the right to require the reassignment of an employee or employees as they may deem necessary. Reasons for this request may be but are not limited to poor work performance, incompetence, carelessness, and disruptive or otherwise objectionable behavior. The demand for reassignment is in no way a call for dismissal. It is just a request for the individual to be reassigned away from the Lebanon VA Medical Center.

Quality Control for Contract Service
The Contractor shall have a Quality Control program to assure that the requirements of the contract are provided as specified. One copy of the Contractor s basic Quality Control Program shall be available for review by the COR initially and at any time during performance. Subsequent changes to the approved Quality Control Program must also be reviewed and approved by the COR. The program shall include, but not be limited to the following:
A method for identifying deficiencies in the quality of services performed before the level of performance becomes unacceptable.
A file of all quality control inspections, inspection results, and any corrective action required shall be maintained by the Contractor throughout the duration of this contract. This file shall be the property of the Government and shall be available to the COR during normal working hours. The file shall be turned over to the Government within 14 days of completion of termination of the contract.
Quality Assurance for Contract Service
The Contractor will be evaluated in accordance with the following: Delivery time, product quality, product appearance, and adequate inventory. Please see attached P01 - QASP

Other Considerations
1. Contract Award Meeting: The Contractor shall not commence performance on the tasks in this PWS until the CO has conducted a kick-off meeting or has advised the contractor that a kick-off meeting is waived.
2. Contracting Officer s Representative (COR): The Contracting Officer Representative shall be the technical point of contact for all work-related requirements. The COR does not have authorization to change, alter, or remove any requirements stated in the performance work statement. The Contracting Officer is the only government authorized person to change the performance work statement or any resultant contract.

Delivery
Contractor shall provide services of microfiber cleaning supplies within 30 days of awarded contract to the locations specified by the COR.
Lebanon VAMC
1700 S. Lincoln Avenue
Lebanon, PA 17042

Responses to this RFI should include company name, address, point of contact, phone number, and point of contact e-mail, DUNS Number, Cage Code, size of business pursuant to North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) 812331 (size standard of 40 Million dollars). Please answer the following questions:
Please indicate the size status and representations of your business, such as but not limited to: Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Hubzone, Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Large Business, etc.)?
Is your company considered small under the NAICS code identified under this RFI?
Is the product you are providing information about manufactured in the United States? If not, please provide the country where the unit is manufactured.
If you are a large business, do you have any designated distributors? If so, please provide their company name, telephone, point of Contact and size status (if available).
If you re a small business and you are an authorized distributor/reseller for the items identified above do you alter; assemble; modify; the items requested in any way? If you do, state how and what is altered; assembled; modified?
If you intend to subcontract any work on this contract, what portion of the total cost will be self-performed/will be performed by your organization? Please provide estimated detailed percentage breakdowns related to subcontracted work and completion of job.
Does your company have an FSS contract with GSA or the NAC or are you a contract holder with any other federal contract? If so, please provide the contract number.
If you are an FSS GSA/NAC contract holder or other federal contract holder, are the items/solution you are providing information for available on your schedule/contract?
General pricing of your products/solution is encouraged. Pricing will be used for the purpose of market research only. It will not be used to evaluate for any type of award.
Please submit your capabilities regarding the salient characteristics detailed above to establish capabilities for planning purposes.
Please review salient characteristics/statement of work (if applicable) and provide feedback or suggestions. If none, please reply as N/A.
Please provide your UEI number.

This RFI will be conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses must be received via e-mail to mcdaniel.brayboy@va.gov no later than, 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 10/31/2023. This notice will help the VA in determining available potential sources only. Do not contact VA Medical Center staff regarding this requirement, as they are not authorized to discuss this matter related to this procurement action. All questions will be addressed by the Contracting Specialist, McDaniel Brayboy.

All firms responding to this Request for Information are advised that their response is not a request for proposal, therefore will not be considered for a contract award.

If a solicitation is issued, information will be posted on the Contract Opportunities website for all qualified interested parties at a later date and interested parties must respond to the solicitation to be considered for award. This notice does not commit the government to contract for any supplies or services. The government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this Request for Information. Information will only be accepted in writing by e-mail to Contracting Specialist, McDaniel Brayboy at mcdaniel.brayboy@va.gov

DISCLAIMER
This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

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