This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in Portsmouth, Virginia. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

This is a Sources Sought notice only. This is not a request for quotes and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. The Government will not provide any reimbursement for responses submitted in response to this Source Sought notice. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. The purpose of this announcement is to perform market research to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS 561730, J041) with a size standard $9.5 Million. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office 1 (NCO 1) is seeking to identify any vendor capable of providing Snow removal services at the Manchester VAMC.A per the requirements below. Refer to theA Performance Work StatementA below for the requested requirement description. The standard shall be of quality; meeting or exceeding those outlined in the Performance Work Statement. This Sources Sought notice provides an opportunity for respondents to submit their capability and availability to provide the requirement described below. Vendors are being invited to submit information relative to their potential to fulfill this requirement, in the form of a capability response that addresses the specific requirement identified in this Sources Sought. Information received from this Sources Sought shall be utilized to facilitate the Contracting Officer s review of the market base, for acquisition planning, size determination, and procurement strategy. Submission Instructions: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by 10 am EST, Nov 29, 2023. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to Tnauri.woodbridge@va.gov. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. Interested parties should complete the attached Sources Sought Worksheet. Parties may submit additional information related to their capabilities, provided it contains all the requirements contained in the Sources Sought Worksheet. Responses to this Sources Sought shall not exceed 8 pages. In addition, all submissions should be provided electronically in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. SAM: Interested parties shall be register in the System for Award Management (SAM) as prescribed in FAR Clause 52.232-33. SAM information can be obtained by accessing the internet at www.sam.gov or by calling 1-866-606-8220. Interested parties not registered in SAM will be ineligible to receive a government contract, should a solicitation be issued resulting from this Sources Sought. VISTA: The VA utilizes VISTA to issue a purchase order and liquidate invoices. Failure to register in VISTA may result in exclusion from the issuance of a VA contract, should a solicitation be issued resulting from this Sources Sought. Attachment 1 Sources Sought Worksheet QUALIFICATION INFORMATION: Company / Institute Name: _ Address: _ Phone Number: Point of Contact: _ E-mail Address: _ Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) #:A _ CAGE Code: -Owned Small Business: (Y / N) Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N) Small Business: (Y / N) NOTE: Respondent claiming SDVOSB and VOSB status shall be registered and Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) verified in VetBiz Registry www.vetbiz.gov. BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SDVOSB, VOSB, SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. CAPABILITY STATEMENT: Provide a brief capability and interest in providing the service as listed in Attachment 2 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT with enough information to determine if your company can meet the requirement. The capabilities statement for this Sources Sought is not a Request for Quotation, Request for Proposal or Invitation for Bid, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach, but rather the Government is requesting a short statement regarding the company s ability to provide the services outlined in the PWS. Any commercial brochures or currently existing marketing material may also be submitted with the capabilities statement. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government will not pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Attachment 2 Scope of Work (SOW) Snow and Ice Management Services for Portsmouth CBOC A-1 GENERAL REQUIEMENT: The Contractor shall provide all management, supervision, labor, tools, materials, supplies, and equipment necessary to plow, sand, salt and shovel in order to provide and maintain the safety of patients and employees at the Portsmouth VA Outpatient Clinic parking area and walkways during snow, and/or icing events (freezing rain, etc.). Lots A, B and D will be plowed. Employee lot D is to be cleaned 1st. All walkways leading to the building originating from lots A. B and D will be maintained (ei; shoveling, salting, sanding etc.). A-2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Portsmouth VA Outpatient Clinic Pease International Tradeport 302 Newmarket Street Portsmouth, NH 03803-0157 A-3 DESCRIPTION OF SPACE: The areas covered are the parking area directly in front or east of the Clinic (Lot A), two parking areas to the north side of the Clinic ( Lots B & D)and all paved walkways leading to the Clinic entrances from these parking areas.. The Contractor shall complete a physical site visit and tour of the area to be scheduled with the Contracting Officer prior to submitting a proposal. The Contractors or his/her representatives are encouraged to be present. On-site equipment storage is possible with coordination with DoD Base Facility Manager. Equipment allowed to be stored includes snow removal equipment used exclusively for the CBOC. Storage site is located in the Quad Parking lot adjacent to Nashua Ave (road behind the CBOC). Equipment stored must be in good repair, not leak fluids, visibly marked with contractor s company logo with contact name and phone number and remain locked with keys not stored in or near the equipment. If removal is directed by base personnel, equipment must be removed within 12 hours of notice. A-4 WORK REQUIREMENTS: The paved parking and walking surfaces shall be maintained in safe condition for patient and employee use during the winter season. All chemical products shall be environmentally friendly, reviewed with Medical Center Safety staff prior to use and SDS sheets shall be provided and approved by the Medical Center for each chemical prior to purchasing materials. A-5 SCHEDULE OF SERVICES: 1. SERVICES shall include: Plowing; Salting; Sanding; Shoveling. 2. SERVICES PERFORMED: The services shall be performed in a timely fashion such that the parking lot and walkways are safe for patient and employee travel. Lots A, B and D will be plowed. Employee lot D shall be cleaned first. Parking lots and walkways will be cleared such that no more than 1 of snow accumulates during Clinic hours of operation. Services shall include a) Plowing 2) Salting 3) Sanding 4) Shoveling. No snow may be piled near the fencing, as it may result in damage to perimeter fence and interfere with security line of sight. Snow piling elsewhere is permitted. Walkways and parking lots are to be shoveled, plowed, and sanded/deiced prior to 6:30 am and will be maintained as clear until 5:00 pm Monday thru Friday. Services will only be rendered during the months of January, February, March, April, November, and December, unless so ordered by the CO. Persistent snow will be continuously cleared. *** Due to heightened Security, it will be necessary for the awarded Contractor to provide a list of employee names to the Base Operations / Security Forces. The Employee s will be vetted in order to obtain access to the installation. Personnel employee information may be required. 3. PAYMENT Payment will be made in 6 month disbursements, divided by the total price of the base or option year pricing and dispersed during the months of January, February, March, April, November and December, respectively. Vendor will submit an invoice for each of the 6 months. A-6 QUALITY REQUIREMENTS: The Government shall appoint a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for coordinating the day-to-day activities of this contract. The COR will also be responsible for inspection and acceptance of the work performed under this contract. When deficiencies are reported to the Contractor, the Contractor shall take immediate steps to correct them. If the Contractor does not take immediate steps to correct deficiencies, the COR shall report the facts of the event to the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer reserves the right to take any appropriate action authorized by law to resolve the issue or to terminate the contract for default. Only the Contracting Officer has the authority to make changes to the specifications, price, terms and conditions of the contract. No service should be performed or action taken by the Contractor, which is outside of the contract unless, directed solely by the Contracting Officer and/or a written modification to the contract. Quality requirements are outlined in the QASP, section A-8. A-7 CONTRACTOR S REQUIREMENTS: Contractor shall have been in business and demonstrate their past history of providing similar Snow and ice Management Services for federal properties for a minimum period of 3 years. Also, the Contractor must maintain and show proof of current Workman s Compensation Insurance and liability insurance policies in sufficient amounts for the size of the company and scope of this contract. The Contractor shall provide to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) a current list of the names, addresses and the date of birth of all employees who will perform work under this contract as this will need to be provided for Pease Security. All employees working on site must submit and pass a background check in advance of accessing the property. Changes in the employment list shall be provided to the COR prior to the employee performing service at the VA Clinic. Said list and changes are to be submitted to the COR, VA Medical Center Manchester, 718 Smyth Road, Manchester, NH 03104. No employee shall be allowed be allowed at the VA Clinic until the documentation has been provided and the employee has been approved by the COR. The Contracting Officer reserves the right to request changes to the employee list. The following criteria also applies: Employee Training: To ensure competent and safe performance of the work under this contract; the Contractor shall provide appropriate training to employees prior to the beginning of service under this contract. This includes any OSHA or specific SDS sheet instructions for chemicals, etc. for use in the performance of this contract. Access Limitation: Only authorized Contractor employees are allowed inside the VA Clinic and on National Guard property past the security gate Contractor employees are not to be accompanied in the work area by acquaintances, family members, assistants or any other person unless said person is an authorized Contractor employee. Suspicious Event: In case of any suspicious or emergency event occurring at the VA Clinic the Contractor shall immediately release the employee records to the appropriate law enforcement authority. A-8 QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN INTRODUCTION This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) has been developed to evaluate Contractor actions while implementing this contract. It is designed to provide an effective surveillance method of monitoring Contractor performance for each listed objective in the contract. The QASP provides a systematic method to evaluate the services the Contractor is required to furnish. This QASP is based on the premise the government desires to maintain a quality standard in operating this contract to provide the optimum service. The Contractor, and not the government, is responsible for management and quality control actions to meet the terms of the contract. The role of the government is quality assurance to ensure contract standards are achieved. In this contract the quality control program is the driver for product quality. The Contractor is required to develop a comprehensive program of inspections and monitoring actions. The first major step to ensuring a "self-correcting" contract is to ensure that the quality control program approved at the beginning of the contract provides the measures needed to lead the Contractor to success. Once the quality control program is approved, careful application of the process and standards presented in the remainder of this document will ensure a robust quality assurance program. Basic Services. The parking lot and walkways will be kept clear of precipitation and maintained safely for patient and employee use. Performance threshold: SURVEILLANCE: The COR will receive complaints from clinic personnel and pass them to the CO for correction, if applicable. STANDARD: The standard is two or less customer complaints per month in each area. The COR shall notify the contracting officer for appropriate action in accordance with FAR 52.212.4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items or the appropriate Inspection of Services clause, if any of the above service areas exceed two customer complaints. PROCEDURES: For any of the above performance objectives you should immediately contact the COR and the COR will complete appropriate documentation to record the complaint. The COR will consider the customer complaint valid upon receipt from the customer. The COR should inform the customer of the approximate time the unacceptable performance will be corrected and advise the customer to contact the COR if not corrected. The Contractor will be given two hours after verbal notification to correct the unacceptable performance. If the Contractor disagrees with the complaint after investigation of the site and challenges the validity of the complaint, the Contractor will notify the COR. The COR will determine the validity of the complaint. If the COR determines the complaint as invalid, he will document the written complaint of the findings and notify the customer. The COR will retain documentation for his/her files. If after investigation the COR determines the complaint as valid, the COR will inform the Contractor, and the Contractor will be given an additional hour to correct the defect. A defect will not be recorded if proper and timely correction of the unacceptable condition(s) is accomplished. Ordered services meet the requirements of the contract as appropriate. Performance Threshold: 100% of the time. A-9 QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN For: Portsmouth VA Outpatient Clinic/CBOC 302 Newmarket St, Portsmouth, NH Contract Number: Contract Description: Snow Plowing, Salting, Sanding, Shoveling - Snow and Ice Management Services 3. CONTRACTOR REPRESENTATIVES The following employee(s) of the contractor shall serve as the contractor s program manager for this contract. a. Program Manager To be provided by Contractor 4. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS Performance standards define desired services. The Government performs surveillance to determine if the contractor exceeds, meets or does not meet these standards. The Performance Requirements Summary Matrix, paragraph as provided below includes performance standards. The Government shall use these standards to determine contractor performance and shall compare contractor performance to the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL). Task Indicator Standard Acceptable Quality Level Method of Surveillance Incentive The parking lots and walkways are to be shoveled, plowed and sanded/deiced prior to 6:30 am and will be maintained until 5:00 pm Monday thru Friday. Lots A, B and D will be plowed. Employee lot D is to be cleaned 1st Two or less customer complaints for the month. %100 The COR will receive complaints from clinic staff and pass them to the CO for correction. Full Payment of Invoice. Potential Exercise of Option Period. Correct Staff identified deficiency(s). Correct performance deficiency within two (2) hours after verbal notification from clinic staff. %100 Clinic staff observes services were unacceptable, incomplete or not performed and notifies COR. COR notifies contractor. Full Payment of Invoice. Potential Exercise of Option Period Contractor immediately contacts COR. . Contractor disagrees with complaint(s) of unacceptable services, either incomplete or not performed. %100 Contractor evaluates deficiency. Full Payment of Invoice. Potential Exercise of Option Period Correct identified deficiency(s). Correct performance deficiency within one (1) hour after verbal notification from COR. %100 COR evaluates and determines whether services provided were unacceptable, incomplete or not performed. Full Payment of Invoice. Potential Exercise of Option Period 5. INCENTIVES The Government shall use Potential Exercise of Option Period as an incentive. Incentives shall be based on exceeding, meeting, or not meeting performance standards. The Government shall use the full payment of the monthly invoice as an incentive. Incentives shall be based on exceeding, meeting, or not meeting performance standards. Failure to meet the AQL will result in a percentage decrease in the invoice payment for each percentage below the AQL. 6. METHODS OF QA SURVEILLANCE Various methods exist to monitor performance. The COR shall use the surveillance methods listed below in the administration of this QASP. a. DIRECT OBSERVATION. PI will review progress of services with Contractor on a per snow event and a monthly basis and communicate with COR on a monthly basis or at an earlier point if required regarding said progress. b. PERIODIC INSPECTION. PI will review progress of services with Contractor on a per snow event and a monthly basis and communicate with COR on a monthly basis or at an earlier point if required regarding said progress. c. VALIDATED USER/CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS. As described above. d. RANDOM SAMPLING. N/A 7. RATINGS Metrics and methods are designed to determine if performance exceeds, meets, or does not meet a given standard and acceptable quality level. A rating scale shall be used to determine a positive, neutral, or negative outcome. The following ratings shall be used: Rating Description Green Yes. Performance and technical specifications are being met at an Acceptable Quality Level (AQL). Yellow Yes. Performance and technical specifications are currently being met at the minimum AQL, but the following service/deliverable needs contractor attention: (The Customer must identify what component of the deliverable and/or service requires attention.) Red No. Performance and technical specifications are not being met at AQL and the following service/deliverable needs immediate contractor resolution: (The Customer must identify what component of the deliverable and/or service that is below the minimum AQL.) 8. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS: The COR shall maintain the Quality Assurance Worksheets in contract file and submit at end of the contract period to the Contracting Officer. These worksheets shall be submitted no later than 30 days after contract expiration. The vendor shall submit technician certification/licensure prior to work start. Copies of these are also to be submitted with the completed checklists. Vendor shall schedule all site visits, to include emergencies, with the COR. Vendor shall submit all necessary safety plans to include, but not limited to; equipment specific Lock-Out Tag Out procedures, Electrical Safety, plan and SDS for any chemicals used to the COR for approval prior to working at the Medical Center. The vendor will dispose of all hazardous materials, to include batteries that develop as waste as a result of this service work. The vendor shall provide all necessary supplies, materials, and tools as necessary to complete the job. Attachment A The Method of Contractor Selection has not been determined at this Time.