This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in Hartford, Vermont. 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. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interest parties must response to that solicitation announcement separately. Responses to this notice are not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation. The purpose of this announcement is to perform market research to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS 811310, (Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance) with a size standard $12.5M. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office 1 (NCO 1) is seeking a Contractor who can provide semi-annual preventive maintenance and annual inspection of the dual-fuel boiler plant at the White River Junction VAMCA per the Performance Work StatementA below. This Sources Sought notice provides an opportunity for respondents to submit their capability and availability to provide the requirement described below. Vendors are encouraged to submit information relative to their capabilities to fulfill this requirement, in the form of a statement 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 5:00 PM EST, 13 November 2024. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to Kenya Mitchell at Kenya.Mitchell1@va.gov and David Valenzuela at David.Valenzuela2@va.gov with RFI #36C24125Q0073 in the subject line. 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. 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: __________________________________________________________________ SAM Registered: (Y / N) Other available contract vehicles applicable to this sources sought (GSA/FSS/NASA SEWP/ETC): __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS: VIP Verified SDVOSB: (Y / N) VIP Verified VOSB: (Y / N) 8(a): (Y / N) HUBZone: (Y / N) Economically Disadvantaged Women-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 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT Project Name: Boiler Maintenance Place of Performance: 163 Veterans Drive White River Junction VT 05001 Period of Performance: Base + 4 Option Years (Options Years will be exercised at the Governments discretion) III. Tasks and Requirements A. Contractor Qualifications Contractor shall demonstrate satisfactory past performance of preventive maintenance and periodic inspection services, similar to those described herein, on the same or similar type of boiler equipment, for at least five (5) VHA facilities within the past three (3) years. The Contractor shall provide performance assessments from contracts for five of those VHA facilities, as well as evidence that the services were conducted in accordance with Boiler Efficiency Institute (BEI) guidelines. B. Technician Qualifications Contractor shall employ qualified preventive maintenance technicians to perform the services described herein. Qualified means a technician shall have successfully completed at least one year of trade school in a relevant course of study and shall have five years of experience with institutional and/or industrial boiler service at plants similar in design to the WRJVAMC boiler plant. Technicians shall have experience with and knowledge of fire tube boilers and Fireye flame safeguard and combustion controls. The WRJVAMC facility manager or engineer may define and accept equivalent qualifications. Technicians shall demonstrate familiarity with and ready access to the current versions of the following references: NFPA 85, Boiler and Combustion Systems Hazards Code VHA Boiler and Associated Plant Safety Device Testing Manual. Technicians shall be equipped with portable electronic flue gas analyzers and other test instruments necessary for the required tests and calibrations, all calibrated within one month of the site visits. At facilities with programmable digital controls, the technicians must be capable of programming the controls and have the appropriate hardware and software for this. All Contractor employees performing work at WRJVAMC shall be trained in and shall follow proper VA lock out / tag out procedures. C. Regular Service Requirements The Contractor shall provide all qualified technician labor, equipment, tools, materials, parts, supplies, transportation, supervision, any other items, and non-personal services deemed necessary to perform the regular services for semi-annual preventive maintenance and annual inspections, including tuning, testing, calibrating, and adjustments on Boilers #1, #2, and #3 and on all burners and boiler plant controls at the WRJVAMC. Contractor shall: Conduct all testing in accordance with the VHA Boiler and Associated Plant Safety Devise Testing Manual (Attachment 2). All testing must be documented in a fashion acceptable to the VA. Perform combustion analysis of boilers under gas and fuel oil operation and calibrate fuelto-air mixture at the facility. Install all control parts for all three boilers. All used parts are to be turned over the WRJVAMC for disposition evaluation. Test and record the operation and set points of all burner/boiler safety interlock devices. Verify that the set points and operating points are within approximately 20% of normal operating parameters. Make all adjustments as necessary and record the new settings. Supply copies of the BEI paperwork to the WRJVAMC Boiler Plant Supervisor and Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) upon completion of inspection and testing, in accordance with BEI testing procedures. The operation of a safety interlock device must result in burner shutdown and/or proper alarm operation. All interlocks and safety devices to be inspected and tested on each boiler, burner, and related equipment are contained in the most current revision of the VHA Boiler Plant Safety Devices Testing Manual along with testing procedures. This maintenance shall be done every six months in accordance with a schedule provided by WRJVAMC facilities staff. Contractor shall cover all costs for calibrations of gauges, transmitters, flow meters and controls including all shipping, handling, and postage. D. Boiler Tuning Requirements Contractor shall perform boiler tuning to meet or exceed the following minimum requirements, and shall provide all combustion analyzers (Calibrated) as well as performance data indicating these requirements have been met or exceeded: Required burner performance (natural gas and fuel oil): Turndown (ratio of maximum and minimum of firing rates) 10/1 and 8/1 respectively. Achieve, but do not exceed, boiler maximum steam flow output rating. Measure fuel input at minimum and maximum firing rates. Maximum Carbon Monoxide: 200 PPM throughout the firing rate. Flame shall be stable, with no pulsations, shall be retained near burner, no blowoff or flashback, no constant impingement on refractory or water tubes. No visible smoke; must comply with local emissions regulations. Must follow all Boiler Efficiency Institute (BEI) guidelines (provided locally). Flue gas oxygen: 2.5 4.2% O2 (Up to 5.2% at loads below 40% of maximum steam output, no upper limit at minimum firing rate, oxygen can be 1% point higher on oil firing on singlepoint positioning systems). Flue gas oxygen (low excess air burners): 1 2% (Up to 2,5% at loads below 40% of maximum steam output, no upper limit at minimum firing rate, oxygen can be 1% point higher on oil firing on single-point positioning systems). For semi-annual preventive maintenance in accordance with VHA Directive 1810, Contractor shall conduct testing and ensure all boiler safety devices listed below are functioning correctly and all associated boiler room equipment operates safely within desired operational settings and parameters. Low-water cutoff on each boiler (slow-drain) Auxiliary low water cut off on each boiler (slow drain) High Water alarm on each boiler Low Water alarm on each boiler High steam pressure cut-out (recycle) on each boiler High steam pressure cut-out (non-recycle) on each boiler Relief valves lift test on each boiler Steam safety valves accumulation test at high fire on each boiler Flame scanner on each boiler Gas train vent valves for leaks on each boiler High gas psi cut off on each boiler Low gas psi cut off on each boiler Gas shut off valves proof of closure on each boiler Gas shut off valves leak test each boiler Low atomizing pressure for fuel oil for each boiler High fuel oil pressure cut off for each boiler Fuel oil safety shut off valves proof of closure for each boiler Leak test fuel oil safety shut off valves on each boiler Propane pilots start up on each boiler Low pilot gas psi cut off on each boiler. E. Emergency Boiler Service Requirements: Contractor shall provide repair service call support for emergency corrective maintenance to the WRJVAMC boiler plant 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Emergency service shall include labor, parts, and travel. In an emergency such as an event that jeopardizes VA N+1 boiler redundancy requirements, an emergency service call will be initiated by a WRJVAMC boiler plant operator or facilities engineer to the Contractor s service center via telephone, email, and/or text messaging. Contractor shall acknowledge the call for emergency service within 4 hours, shall provide support by qualified technicians on site within 8 hours, and shall endeavor to return equipment to normal operation within 24 hours. Normal operation means that defective parts have been replaced with parts that meet or exceed manufacturer's original specifications and VA requirements, and that the equipment meets or exceeds the manufacturer's original performance specifications. During regular preventive maintenance, the contractor shall recommend long-lead-time critical parts that the VA facility should keep in supply to avoid service disruption. The Contractor shall replenish any VA inventory consumed in the course of preventive maintenance or emergency service. For emergency calls/service the contractor will furnish all Factory repair parts and service not to exceed a TBD amount per year. The Contractor shall provide by email, a requested itemized quote to include hourly rate and travel within 24 h for any scheduled services and or parts. The Contractor shall provide by email, an invoice for any emergency call outs within 48 h of emergency service completion. The Contractor shall be familiar with all terms, conditions, and requirements herein contained with warranty items and conditions. The Contractor shall be responsible for all damages to persons or property that occurs because of the Contractor s fault or negligence. IV. Bid Price Schedule Contractor shall provide itemized pricing for the following: Base Bid Year A. Semi-annual Boiler Maintenance and Annual Inspection B. Emergency Boiler Service a. Not-To-Exceed Line Item. This is estimated amount that may increase or decrease depending on number and price of parts. b. This Line Item must be approved by the VA Contracting Officer (CO) prior to any work performed. C. Installation of new feedwater system (Base Year only) Option Years 1 4 A. Semi-annual Boiler Maintenance and Annual Inspection B. Emergency Boiler Service a. Not-To-Exceed Line Item. This is estimated amount that may increase or decrease depending on number and price of parts. b. This Line Item must be approved by the CO prior to any work performed. Work Schedule Work shall be completed in conformance with the time schedule requested by WRJVAMC. Contractor is solely responsible for all necessary regulatory notifications to meet the time schedule. 1. Semi-annual preventive maintenance shall be done once in the spring, preferably in early May, preceding summer months, and once in the fall, preferably in early November, preceding winter months. 2. Annual inspections shall occur over 3 visits per year, one visit for each boiler, with one internal inspection and one external inspection occurring per visit. 3. Contractor shall notify the WRJVAMC Boiler Plant Supervisor and the COR at least two weeks prior to performing regular (semi-annual and annual) preventive maintenance on site. 4. Work cannot be scheduled during heavy steam load periods. Only one boiler at a time can be out of service for the inspection, testing, and calibration procedures. 5. Normal working hours are from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Contractor shall not perform work at VA facility outside of those hours or on government holidays without prior notification to and approval from the COR, except for emergency service. 6. To maintain schedule, regular preventive maintenance work may be allowed to be performed outside of normal working hours. Contractor shall coordinate after-hours work with the WRJVAMC Boiler Plant Supervisor and the COR with a minimum 48-hour notice. Privacy Statement Information Security The certification and authorization requirements do not apply; a Security Accreditation Package is not required. Incidental exposure to protected health information may occur from accessing the work site. Contractor personnel will follow all VA Privacy & Security policies and procedures. The Boiler Maintenance Service shall involve connection of electronic devices or systems to the VA computer network and does not involve sensitive VA data. Records Management The following standard items relate to records generated in executing the contract and should be included in a typical procurement contract: Citations to pertinent laws, codes and regulations such as 44 U.S.C chapters 21, 29, 31 and 33; Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552); Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a); 36 CFR Part 1222 and Part 1228. Contractor shall treat all deliverables under the contract as the property of the U.S. Government for which the Government Agency shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract using Government IT equipment and/or Government records. Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected by the Freedom of Information Act. Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any Government Agency records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract. The Government Agency owns the rights to all data/records produced as part of this contract. The Government Agency owns the rights to all electronic information (electronic data, electronic information systems, electronic databases, etc.) and all supporting documentation created as part of this contract. Contractor must deliver sufficient technical documentation with all data deliverables to permit the agency to use the data. Contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of completion [draft, final, etc.]. No disposition of documents will be allowed without the prior written consent of the Contracting Officer. The Agency and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of the Agency or destroyed without regard to the provisions of the agency records schedules. Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, this contract. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and Agency guidance for protecting sensitive and proprietary information. The Method of Contractor Selection has not been determined at this Time.