The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Network Contracting Office 22G (NCO 22G) is conducting a market survey and is seeking potential Contractor sources for milk, dairy, and drink products by means of a base plus four annual exercisable option year Firm-Fixed Price IDC (Indefinite Delivery Contract) to a single Vendor. The Contractor shall provide the following products to the New Mexico VA Medical Centers located in Albuquerque, NM. The quantities listed are estimated requirements for the Nutrition & Food Service. The term of the contract shall be for a Base Year Period commencing on April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022. The contract will include four annual exercisable option periods. Milk, 1%, ½ pint container 85,000 Milk, Skim, ½ pint container 1,200 Milk, Whole, ½ pint container 20,000 Milk, Chocolate, ½ pint container 6,500 Cottage, Cheese, Creamed, 5 LB container - 150 Punch, Fruit Punch Flavor, 1-gallon container - 50 Punch, Orange Flavor, 1-gallon container 50 ** NOTE: All Quantities are Estimates per year Actual Quantities may vary among Line Items. ** All milk/milk products shall be Grade A quality. The Contractor shall have obtained USPHS pasteurized milk rating of 90% or higher within the last two-year period and shall retain such status throughout the term of the contract. A copy of the current USPHS rating shall be provided to the Contracting Officer upon request. Failure to maintain USPHS rating of 90% or higher is grounds for immediate contract termination. Fluid dairy products and dairy products shall have sufficient remaining shelf life commensurate with good commercial practice and a minimum: a. Milk must be delivered within a reasonable industry standard time after pasteurization and have a minimum 14 days of shelf life after date of delivery. b. Cottage cheese (cultured, normal shelf life) must be delivered within 4 days after date of packaging. Cottage cheese (cultured or acidified, extended shelf life) must be delivered within 7 days after date of packaging. Items supplied under this contract are required to originate from a sanitary approved source. The supplier shall identify the source of manufacture on the primary container or in the accompanying shipping documents. The identification on the primary container may consist of either the manufacturing plant name and address or a manufacturing plant code. When the manufacturing plant is identified on the shipping documents accompanying the delivery, the plant shall be identified by its complete name, address and plant code. All raw milk for pasteurization, condensed and dried milk, finished products and the plant in which the products are processed shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance 1978 Recommendations of the United States Public Health Service or latest revision thereof, or regulations substantially equivalent thereto. The raw milk for pasteurization, milk plant, and pasteurized milk and milk products each shall have a compliance rating of 90 or more as certified by the State Milk Sanitation Rating Officer and shall be listed in the Sanitation Compliance and Enforcement Ratings of Interstate Milk Shippers. All testing shall only be done by milk laboratories approved by Federal and State agencies and listed in the previously mentioned document. Preservation, packaging and packing shall be to a degree of protection to preclude damage to containers and/or contents under normal shipping conditions, handling, etc. and shall conform to normal commercial practices and applicable carrier rules and regulations involving shipment from the Contractor to the receiving activity for storage. Shipping containers shall be in compliance with National Motor Freight classification and Uniform Freight classification (in effect at the time of shipment). All items furnished under this contract shall be prepared, processed, and packed under sanitary conditions and in accordance with good commercial practice and approved standards established by the Food and Drug Administration. All containers shall be clean, sound and securely covered or sealed to provide adequate protection from dirt, filth and all other contamination. Chilled and frozen items shall be maintained at temperatures necessary for the preservation of the products. NOTE: (a) 1 gallon containers Acceptable packaging = plastic containers (b) ½ pint containers Acceptable packaging = ½ PT cardboard All packaging and packing shall be in accordance with good commercial practice. Labeling shall be in accordance with commercial labeling, complying with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. All items must be identified with readable dates (open code dates) or coded dates. Contractors who do not use open dating will provide a product code number key listing. The product code number key listing shall explain the actual date of production or processing. Copies of key-code listings will be furnished to each destination receiving officer and each destination inspection agency with the first delivery. Items requiring protection from heat shall be transported and stored at temperature below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Carrier equipment for straight loads of Chilled products will be required to be pre-cooled to a minimum temperature of 35 degrees Fahrenheit and a maximum temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit and shall be capable of maintaining temperature within that range to destination. Carrier equipment for straight load of Frozen products will be pre-cooled to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, or lower before loading, and capable of maintaining 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to destination. Product should be loaded in carrier s equipment as promptly as possible to minimize product temperature rise. At destination, the product shall be hard frozen and show no signs of defrosting. Temperature of the product shall not be above 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Frozen products will be wrapped in polyurethane wrapping. Carrier equipment for straight load of Frozen and Chilled products will be required to be pre-cooled to a minimum temperature of 35 degrees Fahrenheit and a maximum temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit and shall be capable of maintaining temperatures within that range to destination. The frozen products in the load shall be completely segregated by installing effective barrier(s) at the time of loading in order to prevent product damage. Delivery to the New Mexico VA Medical Center, may consist of two (2) separate delivery points and times. Estimated orders will be submitted weekly with the Government reserving the right to adjust orders 24 hours prior to scheduled delivery. The Government reserves the right to inspect delivered goods for compliance of specifications, including but not limited to, correct products, quantities, proper packing, damaged goods, etc. Any items determined unacceptable will be refused with full credit/replacement due at the discretion of the Government. Replacement of rejected products shall be delivered @ 1500 the same day, unless otherwise specified by the Station POC. The Contractor shall be responsible for delivery to the appropriate locations specified by the delivery schedule. The Contractor shall provide the necessary means to accomplish such delivery (e.g.: hand truck, dolly, cart, etc.) The Government assumes no obligation to provide and/or make available to the Contractor, any such means required for such delivery, nor shall the Government be required to accept shipment should the Contractor be unable to make delivery as required. The delivered products shall comply with all applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sales of the products with the commercial marketplace. All deliveries shall conform in every respect to the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and regulations promulgated there under. The Government further reserves the right to enter and inspect any vehicle used to deliver goods for, but not limited to, compliance of sanitation conditions, proper refrigeration, proper cargo area temperature, etc. Such inspection shall be made on a random basis, upon delivery. This Sources Sought Notice is issued for information and planning purposes only. This is not a solicitation or a request for proposal and shall not be construed as an obligation or commitment by the Government. An award will not be made on any offers submitted in response to this notice, and it shall not be implied the Government is committed to providing any solicitation or award following this notice. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this request, nor will the Government compensate a respondent for any costs incurred in developing the information provided. Responses shall be submitted to
[email protected] by 15:30 AZ time on January 15, 2020. This notice is intended strictly for market research. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to determine interest and capability of potential qualified sources of supply and determine the socioeconomic size classification of the supplier and manufacturer of the end item. Interested companies shall provide, at a minimum, the following information with their response; Company Name and Address: Point of Contact (POC) Name: Email Address: Phone Number: DUNS Number: The anticipated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 311511 Fluid Milk Manufacturing. Mark if your firm is eligible for participation in one of the following small business programs. If so, please indicate the program: [ ] yes [ ] no - Small Business (SB) [ ] yes [ ] no - HUBZone [ ] yes [ ] no - Small Business 8(a) [ ] yes [ ] no - Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) [ ] yes [ ] no - Women-Owned (WO) Small Business [ ] yes [ ] no - Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) [ ] yes [ ] no - Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) [ ] yes [ ] no - Large Business [ ] yes [ ] no - Other (please specify) Please answer the following questions: [ ] yes [ ] no - Does not exceed 500 employees [ ] yes [ ] no - Is primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of item being supplied; [ ] yes [ ] no - Takes ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice (identify how this occurs); and [ ] yes [ ] no - Will supply the end item of a small business manufacturer, processor or producer made in the United States, or obtains a waiver of such requirement pursuant to paragraph (b)(5) CFR 121.406. Note: Do not include Proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information in responses. In addition to providing the information requested above, responding companies are encouraged to include any relevant information (specifications, cut sheets, brochures, capability statement, past experience etc.) to confirm the company s ability to meet the requirements outlined in this request. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract or agreement. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation, or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued.