This announcement constitutes a Sources Sought Synopsis (market research) only. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Glendale CO. is issuing the Request for Information (RFI) for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Department of Veterans Affairs, implied or otherwise, to issue a solicitation or award a contract. It is the intention of the Government to award a single award based on the results of this Sources Sought announcement. The purpose of this Sources Sought is to determine interest and capability of potential qualified businesses, relative to the North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) 423520. The small business size standard for this NAICS code is 500 employees or less. This purchase is intended to be awarded to a small business, if adequate competition is found. To make an appropriate acquisition decision for this procurement, the Government may use responses to this Sources Sought Synopsis. Procurement description: The purpose of this Sources sought announcement is to buy and have delivered the following as ordered: Coal: 91- Contractor shall be responsible for providing within 72 hours from date and time of oral or written order sub-bituminous coal in a quantity of up to 100 tons per order at no more than one load per hour and maximum quantity of 40 tons per load. An estimated 5,700 tons of coal will be needed per year. Coal will be shipped with a freeze proofing agent when required to prevent frozen clumps of coal. Coal must be oil-treated for dust control, ash, dry content 10.0% maximum, sulfur, dry 0.5 % averaged over entire contract period, moisture as received 25% maximum, Btu's dry minimum 11,500, coal size 1 ½" x ¼". Contractor must meet all federal and state requirements. Contractor shall provide one Short Proximate coal analysis from a representative sample for each 200 tons of coal delivered. In addition, Contractor shall provide one Minerals Ash Analysis with mercury from a representative sample for each 1000 tons of coal delivered. Specifications In addition to conforming to all other specifications set forth, all coal delivered shall be substantially of the size specified, determined as follows: In all double screened coal (known as prepared sizes), coal larger than 1½" shall be retained on the top screen and rejected. All coal that passed through the 1½" screen shall be retained on a ¼" screen and all fines smaller than ¼" shall pass through the lower screen and be rejected. When a definite size consist is required, the Schedule for coal will specify the minimum percentage for coal which will be retained or the maximum percentage of coal which will pass through the screen(s) described above. Individual lots shall be examined as specified herein and subject to test for all requirements cited in the Schedule. A lot shall consist of a heterogeneous mixture of coal to be represented by a gross sample. Delivered coal shall be inspected at destination to determine (1) that it is reasonably free from slate, bone, sulfur balls, dirt, and other characteristic impurities, and from extraneous foreign matter, including excessive water or moisture in truck delivering coal, (2) that it is not oxidized or weathered, (3) that it is properly prepared and reasonably free from fines, undersize and, oversized coal, and (4) that it is of analytical quality equal to or better than the quality required as set forth and evidenced by the Contractor's analytical test report identified with said shipment. Size Consist Sample A size consist sample shall be no less than 500 pounds which shall be drawn in equal increments from more than 1 but not to exceed 5 carloads or truckloads of coal in any one shipment. If less than 5 truckloads are sampled for size consistency, a minimum of 500 pounds shall be drawn in equal increments from more than l but not to exceed 5 truckloads. A minimum of 1,000 pounds shall be drawn in equal increments from the truck or truckloads sampled for size. The size consist sample shall be drawn in equal increments from 5 points in the truck or truckloads taken diagonally across the car or truck beginning at the front corner, diagonally across the truck from the side center, and diagonally across the truck from side of the truck with the 5th increment taken from the rear corner of the side of the truck opposite that from which the first increment was drawn. If the size consist of the truck or truckloads sampled and screened as described above fails to meet the size consist required by the Schedule, the coal will be rejected and the Contractor will be required to remove the coal at its expense. No coal will be rejected for failure to meet size consist requirements unless a size consist sample has been drawn and screened, as above described, unless it is obvious upon visual inspection that the coal fails to meet size consist requirements and that fact is acknowledged by a Contractor's representative. The screening test at the receiving activity shall be conclusive as to whether the size consist requirement has been met. The screened sample shall be retained and protected for seven full days, not counting the day the sample is screened, and shall be available for inspection by the Contractor and/or the Contracting Officer/Contracting Officer Representative at the place for screened activity. Double screened coal in all sizes shall be so prepared as to be reasonably free from fines, oversize or undersize coal. Coal rejected for noncompliance with size consist requirement may be accepted at an adjusted price recommended by the receiving activity and agreed to by the Contractor and the Contracting Officer /Contracting Officer Representative. The Contractor shall provide and maintain, and assure that any subcontractors provide and maintain, an inspection system acceptable to the Government. This will include receiving, sampling, testing, calibration of testing and measuring equipment, loading and shipping, and records and reports. The inspection system including related thereto and performed pursuant to an award shall be subject to surveillance by a Quality Representative. The Contractor shall either perform or provide an independent laboratory acceptable to the Government to perform, all sampling and acceptance test set forth in the final agreement in order to substantiate conformance of such supplies to the quality required above. When such test(s) are performed at origin on supplies to be accepted at destination, the Contractor shall further provide, or cause to be provided, at the point and time of acceptance, such evidence of quality that will enable the Government to verify the original test results. Such evidence of quality shall consist of an analytical test report, which shall also include railcar or truck numbers. At time of each shipment the Contractor shall prepare and furnish to the Government a Material Inspection and Receiving Report. The Contractor shall inspect, prior to loading, all shipping conveyances to determine that such conveyances are suitable for loading. The Contractor shall keep all quality and quantity records, complete, and available to the Government during the performance of the awarded contract and for 3 years after final payment under the same. Unless otherwise agreed, it is expected that the Contractor would be responsible for the performance of all inspection requirements as specified herein. Unless otherwise agreed, the Contractor may use its' own or any other facilities suitable for performance of the inspection requirements specified herein, unless disapproved by the Government. The Government would reserve the right to perform any inspection deemed necessary to assure supplies and services conform to the specifications herein. Quality Conformance OIL TREATMENT refers to the preparation of coal using a petroleum based product to achieve effective dust control. FREEZE PROOFING refers to the preparation of coal to reduce coal from freezing together or the conveyance which would restrict the product flow. When called for under the Schedule, coal shall be oil treated/freeze proofed using a spray technique permitting a total uniform application. The medium will be applied to the coal at the minimum amount of three quarts/ton, and will be accomplished immediately prior to shipment, treatment will be applied immediately prior to stockpiling or loading at the specified shipping point. The oil treatment medium may be, heating oil, diesel fuel, or lubricating oil. For freeze proofing, the medium may be any commercially available product designed for such purposes and prepared according to manufacturer's direction. When both oil treatment and freeze proofing are called for in a Schedule, the freeze proofing method may be used to satisfy both requirements provided that a petroleum-based product is used. Used oils are not acceptable for coal treating unless the oil meets the EPA specifications for used oil that may be burned in non-industrial boilers/furnaces. USED OIL specifications are as follows: CONSTITUENT/PROPERTY ALLOWABLE LEVEL Arsenic 5 ppm maximum Cadmium 2 ppm maximum Chromium 10 ppm maximum Lead 100 ppm maximum Total Halogens 1000 ppm maximum Flash Point 100 deg. F minimum (See Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 266.) The Contractor shall be required to retain on file laboratory test results showing compliance with the EPA requirements. The Contractor shall certify that the treatment medium meets all Federal, State, and local EPA requirements at the burner location. WEIGHTS AND UNITS OF PURCHASE (COAL) Unit of purchase shall be net ton of 2,000 pounds as evidenced by certified licensed weigh master's certificate of weight for each truckload weight on scales nearest the delivery destination which are operated by, or under the jurisdiction of a certified weigh master. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR RESPONSES TO THIS SOUCES SOUGHT: (1) Your intent to submit a quote for this project when it is formally advertised; (2) Name of company with address, phone and point of contact; (3) CAGE Code, DUNS number; (4) Size of company (small), to include category of small business if applicable, such as 8(a), HUBZONE, or SDVOSB and (5) Statement of Capability (SOC) stating your skills, experience, knowledge, and equipment required to perform the specified type of work. This should include documentation of past specialized experience and technical competence in performing similar projects, submit no more than three (3) past projects for which your company was the prime contractor. Discuss your minimum coal requirements that would demonstrate representative full production quality. The SOC should be no more than two (2) pages in length. It is intended that as a result of this sources sought announcement that the Government intends to award a contract based on the submitted responses. The determination of whether or not this effort will be set-aside for a small business concerns is dependent on the responses received. How to submit: Vendors capable of performing this effort are requested to furnish a complete response electronically to
[email protected] no later than 2:00 PM MST, October 22, 2014. Classified material SHALL NOT be submitted. This sources sought neither constitutes a Request for Quote or a Request for Proposal. This sources sought should not be construed as a commitment by the Department of VeteransAffairs for any purpose. Submission of any information in response to this Sources Sought is voluntary. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not assume and financial responsibility for cost incurred. Proprietary information and trade secret, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials. All information received that is marked proprietary information will be handled accordingly. Please be advised that all submissions be Department of Veteran Affairs property and will not be returned nor will we confirm receipt of the RFI response. Contracting office Address: 4100 E. Mississippi Ave, Suite 900 Glendale, CO 80246 Place of performance: V.A. Medical Center 1898 Fort Road Sheridan, WY 82801-8320 Point of Contact: Victor McCoy, (303) 372-7057