1. SUBJECT: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Network Contracting Office (NCO) 4 is conducting market research for the purpose of identifying potentially capable providers of the services represented by this notice. 2. DISCLAIMER: In accordance with (IAW) FAR 15.201(c)(7), agencies are encouraged to promote early exchanges of information about future acquisitions . IAW FAR 15.201(f) [g]eneral information about agency mission needs and future requirements may be disclosed at any time. After the release of a solicitation, the contracting officer must be the focal point of any exchange with potential offerors . This notice is issued solely for the information and planning purposes of the Program Office and does not constitute a solicitation. Neither unsolicited proposals nor any other kind of offers will be considered in response to this notice. There are no expenses associated with responding to this notice. All information received in response to this notice, which the Respondent has marked as "proprietary", will be handled accordingly. Information provided as a response to this notice will not be returned. 3. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PERIOD: All requested information must be submitted in response to this notice by 5:00PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on the response due date. The Planner of the requirements represented by this notice will not entertain any questions concerning the potential acquisition strategies of any future solicitation. ONLY questions necessary to provide potential respondents with greater understanding of the current requirements and/or use of the web-based questionnaire will be answered by the Planner of the requirements. 4. BACKGROUND: The Planner of this requirement is the NCO 4 Equipment Maintenance and Patient Transportation Services Team. The Organizer of this notice is the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). The NCO 4 Equipment Maintenance and Patient Transportation Services Team seeks to gather market research on non-emergency medical transportation wheelchair van services, as a candidate for performance within NCO 4. The responses provided to this notice will be used by the members of an Integrated Project Team (IPT) as stated at FAR 15.201(e), to derive price, delivery, and other market information; to include capabilities for planning purposes. 5. RULE OF TWO DETERMINATION SUPPORT: See Kingdomware Techs., Inc. v. United States, No. 14-916, 2016 WL 3317563 (U.S. June 16, 2016). The Acquisition Planner (hereafter referred to as the Planner) shall exercise discretion in choosing to rely solely on responses to this notice, or the lack thereof, as being representative of the actual potential for making a Rule of Two determination. Potential respondents should assume that responses to this notice could be the only opportunity for industry to provide meaningful influence in the planning phase and the ultimate development of an acquisition strategy. The Planner shall rely on both the quantity and quality of the responses garnered from this market research, in determining the likelihood for set-aside opportunities going forward. 6. REQUESTED INFORMATION: The Planner is seeking information necessary to identify potential offerors to fulfill the service capabilities represented by this notice. COMPLETE AND ACCURATE RESPONSES TO THE WEB-BASED QUESTIONNAIRE ARE REQUIRED. 7. CONTACT INFORMATION: Responses must be submitted via the questionnaire portal link provided with this notice only: http://data.mcix.com/NEMT Any issues accessing the link, or requests for assistance with the questionnaire portal, must be directed to:
[email protected] 8. LATE SUBMISSIONS: Failure to respond to this notice will not preclude participation in any future competition nor will information provided in response to this notice be used in any way to exclude anyone from responding to any future requests for proposals/quotes. Communications with the Planner with regard to this notice will only be permitted in writing during the notice response period. Responses to the notice received by the Planner after the submittal deadline and time indicated may be considered for acceptance on a case by case basis if such consideration is requested by the respondent prior to the response due date. 9. OWNERSHIP OF RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE: All informational material submitted in response to this notice becomes the property of the Planner. 10. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: The Organizer of this notice utilizes a third-party Government contractor affiliate, to assist with data collection and analysis. The third-party affiliate is bound and controlled by the terms and conditions of a governing contract, an approved conflict of interest mitigation plan as well as active non-disclosure agreements. 11. RELEASE OF CLAIMS, LIABILITY, AND PREPARATION EXPENSES: Under no circumstances shall the Planner or ANY of its affiliates be responsible for any response preparation expenses, submission costs, or any other expenses, costs, or damages, of whatever nature incurred as a result of the Respondent's participation in this exchange of information process. The respondent understands and agrees that it submits its response at its own risk and expense, and releases the Planner or ANY of its affiliates from any claim for damages or other liability arising out of this notice. 12. ERRORS IN RESPONSE: The Planner shall not be responsible for correcting any errors in the Respondent's responses. The Respondent is responsible for the careful review of its entire response to ensure that all information is correct and complete. Respondents are responsible for correcting all errors or omissions contained in their responses prior to submission. 13. ADDENDA: The Planner reserves the right to issue an addendum to this notice, by means of amendment, at any time for any reason; to include extending the associated due dates.