Page 3 of 3 This is a SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. Responses to this sources sought must be in writing. The purpose of this sources sought announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses and Veteran Owned Small Businesses interested and capable of providing the services described below. Documentation of technical expertise must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. Responses to this notice shall include the following: (a) company name (b) address (c) point of contact (d) phone, fax, and email (e) DUNS number (f) Cage Code (g) Tax ID Number (h) Type of small business, e.g. Services Disabled Veteran Owned small Business, Veteran-owned small business and (i) must provide a capability statement that addresses the organizations qualifications and ability to perform as a contractor for the work described below. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has a requirement at the Phoenix VA Medical Center, located at 650 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, AZ, for housekeeping services for the Phoenix VA Health Care System (PVAHCS). Description of Services Required. The Environmental Management Services (EMS) at the PVAHCS requires a company to provide hospital housekeeping. The contractor shall provide housekeeping services for Phoenix VA Health Care System. (PVAHCS) located at 650 E. Indian School Road Phoenix, AZ 85012. The Contractor shall provide all labor, supervision, management support, and equipment, supplies/consumables/materials to facilitate cleaning. Contractor shall, at all times, maintain the facilities identified below in accordance with this Performance Work Statement (PWS) and in accordance with acceptable levels of cleanliness that meet Aseptic Cleaning medical industry standards and the joint commission. The PVAHCS facilities will continually present a clean, neat and welcoming appearance to our Veterans, visitors and staff. The contractor shall perform all work in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, contract standards, instructions, and this PWS. Provide environmental sanitation services for all new areas which may include surgical areas, patient wards, clinics, public and administrative areas located at PVAHCS. Areas that contain the above characteristics and require special housekeeping techniques include, but are not limited to, Medical/Surgical, Intensive Care, Coronary Care, Pulmonary Care, Hemodialysis, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Operating Room suites, Recovery Room, Clinical Laboratory, and Supply Processing and Distribution. Understand and utilize appropriate sanitation procedures. Control and monitor to ensure that all sanitation requirements are properly and efficiently addressed. Understand diseases and know the proper chemicals and methods of cleaning. Take on responsibilities to include processing and disassembling assigned noncritical medical equipment for cleaning and properly disassembling supply items, avoiding damage or unnecessary wear. Individual must also be able to determine novel approaches when disassembly problems require proficient judgment to ensure minimum potential for damage to the equipment. They are also required to sort, disassemble, clean and disinfect equipment such as feeding pumps, Alaris pump module (PCA), KCI wound vacuums, Bard Criticore Monitor (Volume Metric/Vital Metrics), and Gaymar pump. Assist in formulation of sanitation standards and establish effective staffing distribution. Scope of Work. The contractor shall have experience in managing and providing healthcare housekeeping services to institutions of similar and scope as required by this solicitation. The firm must have gained this experience as a result of being regularly engaged in the business of providing services in health care/patient care environments (e.g., inpatient, outpatient, ancillary, Aseptic Cleaning and dental care services). The contractor shall provide all labor, supervision and management support to facilitate medical/healthcare cleaning and disinfection, hazardous waste handling, infection prevention and safety. All professionals providing services under the terms of this contract will be appropriately certified and possess the skills and experience to perform the services as required in all forms of medical and terminal cleaning including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)certified, Operating Room Protocol, Blood Born Pathogen Training and Product Training. Contractor shall not perform inherently governmental functions. This includes, but is not limited to, determination of agency policy, determination of Federal program priorities for budget requests, direction and control of government employees, selection or non-selection of individuals for Federal Government employment including the interviewing of individuals for employment, approval of position descriptions and performance standards for Federal employees, approving any contractual documents, approval of Federal licensing actions and inspections, and/or determination of budget policy, guidance, and strategy. The contractor may be required to provide cleaning services daily as needed on any or all three shifts, 7 days per week including the possibility of Federal Holidays at the PVAHCS at 650 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85012. General Requirements: Cleaning Equipment/Materials will be the responsibility of the contractor. Mops and rags used for cleaning must be segregated: one set used for bathrooms and diaper changing stations and a separate set for classrooms, hallways, and lobby. The contractor shall clean and disinfect the mops and rags daily in detergent and hot water, rinsed in warm water and sanitized in a bleach solution, wrung out, and hung to air dry. Mop heads and rags must be changed out when dirty. Sponges will not be used. As a minimum, mop water and disinfectant must be changed after cleaning as necessary to ensure that the area is getting cleaned. Trash, mops, brooms, and cleaning buckets shall be inaccessible to the patients and visitors to the facility. Cleaning Products and supplies will be provided by the Phoenix VA Environmental Management Services department. The services will be performed in accordance with VA policies and procedures and the regulations of the medical staff by-law of the VA facility. Description of Cleaning Performance Expectations: the contractor shall ensure the PVAHCS facilities continuously present a clean, neat, and welcoming appearance to our veterans and visitors for the areas they are responsible for. Non-Carpeted Floors (Hard Floors: Vinyl Tile, Ceramic Tile, Wood, Concrete, etc.): the contractor shall maintain hard floors free of grit, soil, dust, scuff and heel marks, stains, spills, debris, litter, and other foreign matter by effective cleaning methods, this will also include if the floor needs strip and wax. Cleaning shall be accomplished by the most appropriate method (vacuum, sweep, dust mop, damp mop, spot clean, etc.) and with proper cleaning solutions and equipment, for the specific floor type. After cleaning, floor surfaces to include grout shall have a uniform, clean appearance without streaks, swirl marks, detergent residue, or any evidence of soil, stain, film, or standing water. Baseboards, corners, and wall/floor edges shall also be clean. Chairs, trash receptacles, and other easily moveable items shall be moved to maintain floors underneath these items and returned to their original and proper position after cleaning. Carpeted Floors: carpets shall be maintained free of soil, dirt, debris, litter, and other foreign matter by effective cleaning methods. Any spots and/or spills shall be removed by the carpet manufacturer s approved methods or other commercially accepted practices as soon as noticed. All tears, burns, and unraveling shall be brought to the attention of the COR. Chairs, trash receptacles, and other easily moveable items shall be moved to maintain floors underneath these items and returned to their original and proper position after cleaning. Stairways/Elevators/Handicap Lifts: all floor surfaces shall be cleaned in accordance with paragraph a) or b), as appropriate. Stair guards, handrails, wall caps, and baseboards shall be free from dirt, grease and grime. The contractor shall remove all marks, dirt, smudges, scuffs, and other foreign matter from walls and adjoining stairwell walls, up to 72 inches in height from stair tread level, to provide or maintain a clean, uniform appearance. Clean Floor (Walk-Off) Mats: vacuum and/or clean interior and exterior floor mats. Mats shall be free of all visible lint, litter, debris, soil, and other foreign matter. Soil and moisture underneath mats shall be removed and mats returned to their normal location. Trash Collection/Removal/Sharps removal: all trash will be removed from each area at a minimum of twice a day. Trash bags will be tied up and trash put in appropriate container for disposal. The contractor shall collect and dispose of all trash from these locations to prevent foul odors, or bags leaking or tearing leaving an infection control issue. Trash cans themselves shall be kept clean and free of dirt, stains and debris once a week. The contractor is responsible for replacement of plastic trash bags. All sharps containers shall be removed and put in a designated area to be emptied by another contractor. The containers will be placed in the basement of the main facility as designated by the COR. Drinking Fountains: drinking fountains will be cleaned to be free of water marks and any other debris or encrustations. The water fountains are to be polished including the orifices and drain, as well as the exterior stainless steel surfaces. Low water pressure or inoperative drinking fountains will be reported to the COR as discovered. Dusting: the contractor shall dust in responsibility areas. Low dusting includes surfaces within 6 feet of the floor and must be free of dust, lint, cobwebs, and litter. High dusting includes surfaces above 6 feet up to 10 feet. Surfaces could include items such as tables, shelves, bookcases, storage lockers, window sills, hand rails, pictures, clocks, window blinds, ceiling fans, Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) grills, etc. Interior windows/Interior Glass: all store fronts, including glass in doors, partitions, walls, display cases, and directory boards shall show no traces of film, dirt, smudges, water, or other foreign matter. Stock Facility: the contractor shall ensure facility and restroom supplies are sufficiently stocked so any provided supplies do not run out. Supplies shall be stored in designated areas as decided by the COR. If supplies run out prior to the next service date, the contractor shall refill within two hours of notification. Supplies will be provided by PVAHCS. Bio Waste Removal: contractor shall remove all bio waste removal (red bags) and placed them in designated waste removal containers as identified by the COR. Counter Surfaces: all counter surfaces must be wiped down and cleaned. Exceptions to this are surfaces that appear to have employee work visible. If the surface has visible personal work or tools/equipment, the contractor must avoid contact with any appliances that are visible. Laundry: all soiled linen will be removed and placed in the soil linen room to be cleaned by PVAHCS facility personnel. Cleaning Restrooms and Locker Rooms: Clean and Disinfect/Sanitize: all surfaces of sinks, toilets, urinals, lavatories, showers, shower mats, dispensers, plumbing fixtures, mirrors, dispensers, doors, walls, stalls, stall doors, entry doors (including handle, kick plates, ventilation grates, metal guards), and other such surfaces shall be cleaned and disinfected using a germicidal solution. Restrooms shall have a clean scent or no odor at all. Showers, toilets, and urinals will be free of spots, water spots, scale buildup, soap scum, odors, and any deposits. Mirrors shall be clean and have no streaks. Partitions/stalls shall be smudge/stain free. Vents, to include ceiling vents, shall be clean. Restroom sinks, countertops, and fixtures shall be free from water and scale deposits, streaks, and other removable matter. Walls and grout shall be free of all film, spots, and detergent buildup. Restroom supplies shall be checked during cleanings and replenished as needed to maintain an adequate supply at all times. Restroom Floor Care: all floor surfaces shall be maintained by effective routine cleaning. Moveable items shall be tilted or moved to sweep and damp mop underneath. Grout shall be free of dirt, scum, mildew, and residue. The floors may require deep scrub to remove dirt from grout. Stock Restroom Consumable Supplies: supplies shall be stored in designated areas. Contractor shall ensure restrooms are stocked sufficiently so any provided supplies including toilet tissue, paper towels, and hand soap do not run out. If supplies run out prior to the next service date, the contractor shall refill within two hours of notification. Supplies will be provided by PVAHCS. Restroom Trash Removal: the contractor shall empty all trash containers in restrooms and locker rooms. The contractor shall dispose of all trash and clean trash containers, inside and out, and return containers to their original locations. The contractor shall replace any obviously soiled or torn plastic trash can liners. Trash receptacles shall be left clean, free of foreign matter and free of odors. Immunizations: the contractor shall ensure that all contractor employees assigned to perform work under this contract are free of communicable diseases, to include tuberculosis, prior to entering VA facilities. All contract employees shall have the following immunizations required by Immunizations and Chemoprophylaxis prior to an employee being allowed to perform work under this contract. The contractor shall provide certification that all of its employees meet the above conditions. Any required immunizations will be at the contractor s expense. Mumps Measles Tuberculosis Skin Test Rubella Tetanus Varicella Diphtheria Hepatitis B Polio Certifications and Training Requirements: the contractor shall ensure all personnel performing work under this contract are trained and certified in all forms of medical and terminal cleaning Operating Room Protocol, Blood Born Pathogen Training and Product Training in Sterile Environment. All personnel performing work under this contract will need documentation showing they have had a minimum of 10 days of training/working in a terminal clean environment. The contractor shall also have a training program that covers all aspects of the scope of work and shall comply with federal, state, local, and OSHA requirements. A copy of the training program shall be provided to the contracting officer with the technical proposal. Vendor shall be an OEM, authorized dealer, authorized distributor or authorized (or certified) reseller for the proposed medical supplies, medical equipment and/or services contracts for maintenance of medical equipment (i.e. replacement parts), verified by an authorization letter or other documents from the OEM, such that the OEM s warranty and service are provided and maintained by the OEM, if applicable. All software licensing, warranty and service associated with the medical supplies, medical equipment and/or services contracts for maintenance of medical equipment shall be in accordance with the OEM terms and conditions. The delivery of gray market items to the VA in the fulfillment of an order/award constitutes a breach of contract. Accordingly, the VA reserves the right enforce any of its contractual remedies. This includes termination of the contract or, solely at the VA s election, allowing the Vendor to replace, at no cost to the Government, any remanufactured or gray market item(s) delivered to a VA medical facility upon discovery of such items. Important information: The Government is not obligated to nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this sources sought synopsis request. 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. The VA is mandated by Public Law 109-461 to consider a total set-aside for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business set aside. However, if response by Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms proves inadequate, an alternate set-aside or full and open competition may be determined. No sub-contracting opportunity is anticipated. The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 561720 Janitorial Services ($18.0M Average Annual Receipts). Notice to potential offerors: All offerors who provide goods or services to the United States Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov and complete Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA). Additionally, all Service Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses or Veteran Owned Businesses who respond to a solicitation on this project must be registered with the Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Veterans Enterprise VetBiz Registry located at http://vip.vetbiz.gov. All interested Offerors should submit information by e-mail to
[email protected]. All information submissions shall be received no later than 3:30pm pm Eastern Time on Friday, August 2, 2019. After review of the responses to this announcement, the Government intends to proceed with the acquisition and a subsequent solicitation may be published.