Page 8 of 8 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 (SDVOSB) and Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) 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. SDVOSB, VOSB, and (i) must provide a capability statement that addresses the organization s qualifications and ability to perform as a contractor for the work described below. SDVOSB respondents must address how they will meet the limitation on subcontracting requirement found at VAAR 852.219-10 if awarded this procurement that requires at least 50 percent of the cost of personnel for contract performance be spent for employees of the concern or employees of other eligible service-disabled veteran-owned small business concerns. VOSB respondents must address how they will meet the limitation on subcontracting requirement found at VAAR 852.219-11 if awarded this procurement that requires at least 50 percent of the cost of personnel for contract performance be spent for employees of the concern or employees of other eligible veteran-owned small business concerns. 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 SDVOSB or VOSB if there are no SDVOSBs. However, if response by SDVOSB or VOSB proves inadequate, an alternate set-aside or full and open competition may be determined. The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 812210 ($7.5M). 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, mail or ground carrier to: Southern AZ VA HealthCare System, 3601 S. 6th Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85743 or by e-mail to
[email protected]. All information submissions to be marked Attn: Cynthia Valdes, Contract Specialist (9-90C) and should be received no later than 2:00 pm Arizona Time on July 12, 2017. After review of the responses to this announcement, the Government intends to proceed with the acquisition and a subsequent solicitation will be published. WORK DESCRIPTION DECEDENT SERVICES FOR THE SOUTHERN ARIZONA VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM GENERAL INFORMATION 1. GENERAL: This is a non-personal services contract to provide decedent services in the form of transport of remains and preparation of remains for burial services. The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government. 1.1 Description of Services/Introduction: The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform decedent services as defined in this Performance Work Statement except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract. 1.2 Background: The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) provides health care services to veterans of the U.S. armed services. Part of the care provided to veterans involves providing decedent services in the form of guidance and support for veterans, family members, hospital staff, and our community, ensuring the all areas of decedent affairs are administered with dignity, benevolence, confidentiality, efficiency, and earned respect. SAVAHCS is in need of contracted support for transport of remains and burial preparation services. Transport services are needed in the Tucson, Arizona Metro area as well as to the National Cemetery in Phoenix, AZ. 1.3 Objectives: 1.3.1 Pickup and deliver remains in the Tucson area 1.3.2 Prepare remains for burial and transport to National Cemetery, Phoenix, AZ Scope: The Contractor shall provide facilities, equipment, supplies and services to take possession of unclaimed remains at the place where the death occurs or where remains are located. In some instances, the contractor shall then transport remains to the contractor s facility, prepare remains for burial, and transport prepared remains to the National Cemetery located in Phoenix, AZ. The Contractor shall furnish caskets, urns, shipping containers and other supplies herein. Services include the pickup of remains from the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System and delivery within the SAVAHCS facility, delivery to the University Medical Center (UMC) in Tucson, AZ, occasional pick up from UMC and return to SAVAHCS, preparation and furnishing of the death certificate, and delivery to the contractor s facilities as well as the National Cemetery in Phoenix, AZ. Remains transported to the contractor s facility will be prepared for burial. A casket will be provided by the contractor for transport of the body to and burial within the National Cemetery in Phoenix, AZ. Period of Performance: The period of performance shall be for one (1) Base Period and four (4) 12-month option periods. The Period of Performance reads as follows: Base Period Date of Award (anticipated start of October 1, 2017) through September 30, 2018 Option Year I October 1, 2018-September 30, 2019 Option Year II October 1, 2019-September 30, 2020 Option Year III October 1, 2020-September 30, 2021 Option Year IV October 1, 2021-September 30, 2022 1.6 General Information 1.6.1 Quality Control (QC): The contractor shall develop and maintain an effective quality control program to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. The contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The contractor s quality control program is the means by which he assures himself that his work complies with the requirement of the contract. A proposed Quality Control Plan shall be submitted with the offeror s proposal. After acceptance of the quality control plan the contractor shall receive the contracting officer s acceptance in writing of any proposed change to his QC system. A burial preparation checklist shall be developed by the contractor as a part of the Quality Control Plan. This checklist will be used to ensure that all requirements are completed prior to delivering remains to the National Cemetery. Copies of the checklists shall be maintained for the life of the contract and be available for inspection by the Government. 1.6.2 Quality Assurance: The government shall evaluate the contractor s performance under this contract in accordance with the performance requirements identified in Technical Exhibit 1. The performance requirements are designed to ensure the contractor has performed in accordance with the performance requirements and identify the means by which the Government will monitor the contractor s performance. It defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable defect rate(s). The contractor shall make remains available at the contractor s facility for inspection by the Government prior to final delivery to the National Cemetery. The Government will inspect the casket at the time the remains are inspected. A casket with more than one minor defect will be rejected. The Government may require the contractor to remove the remains from the casket and perform one or more of the following: 1.6.2.1 re-dress the remains, 1.6.2.2 place remains in a new casket. The Government may also require that remains be removed from the casket to reapply/touch up cosmetics, wash and/or trim hair, or any other procedures deemed necessary to ensure a natural appearance of the remains. 1.6.3 Recognized Holidays: The contractor shall provide transport services (under CLIN 0001) seven days per week, 24 hours per day. Pickup and transport of remains for burial preparation and delivery to the National Cemetery are only required on business days. The Federal Government recognizes the following holidays: New Year s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King Jr. s Birthday Columbus Day President s Day Veteran s Day Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day Independence Day Christmas Day 1.6.4 Hours of Operation: The contractor is responsible for conducting business (under CLINs 0002 and 0003), between the hours of 8:00am and 4:00pm Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings. For other than firm fixed price contracts, the contractor will not be reimbursed when the government facility is closed for the above reasons. The Contractor must at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the Government facility is not closed for the above reasons. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce are essential. As noted above, business hours and holidays are not observed when performing services under CLIN 0001. 1.6.5 Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this contract will be performed at the contractor s facility, i.e., burial preparation, and at the Government s facility when pickup and delivery of remains are needed at SAVAHCS. The contractor shall also perform services at the National Cemetery when delivering remains for burial appointments at that location. 1.6.6 Type of Contract: The government will award and Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity with fixed pricing for Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) identified in the contract. 1.6.7 Security Requirements: Contractor personnel shall have a general background check and be appropriately licensed for the jobs they perform. Persons involved in the burial preparation process shall be licensed by the State of Arizona to perform these services. Drivers transporting remains shall be licensed drivers holding a license appropriate to the vehicle being utilized for the transport services. 1.6.7.1 Physical Security: The contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all government equipment, information and property provided for contractor use. At the close of each work period, government facilities, equipment, and materials shall be secured. If the contractor identifies a potential security risk or concern while at the SAVAHCS facility, the risk/concern shall be conveyed immediately to the VA Police. 1.6.7.2 The C&A requirements do not apply, a Security Accreditation Package is not required. Contractor to comply with Section D.1 Contract Security. 1.6.7.3. Background Investigations and Special Agreement Checks All contractor employees are subject to the same level of investigation as VA employees who have access to VA Sensitive Information. The level of background investigation commensurate with the level of access needed to perform the statement of work is: Low Risk. This requirement is applicable to all subcontractor personnel requiring the same access. 1.6.8 Special Qualifications: The contractor shall be licensed by the State of Arizona to perform burial preparation services. This licensure shall be maintained for the life of the contract. http://www.azfuneralboard.us/ Employees and subcontracted personnel shall have a general background check and be appropriately licensed for the jobs they perform. Persons involved in the burial preparation process shall be licensed by the State of Arizona to perform these services. Drivers transporting remains shall be licensed drivers holding a license appropriate to the vehicle being utilized for the transport services. The contractor shall maintain the following types of insurance during the life of the contract: Motor Vehicle, General Liability and Workers Compensation. Unless otherwise specifically provided in this contract, the quality of all services rendered hereunder shall conform to the highest standards in the relevant profession, trade or field of endeavor. All services shall be rendered by or supervised directly by individuals fully qualified in the relevant profession, trade or field, and holding any licenses required by law. 1.6.9 Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. The contracting officer, Contracting Officers Representative (COR), and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the contractor to review the contractor's performance. At these meetings the contracting officer will apprise the contractor of how the government views the contractor's performance and the contractor will apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the government. 1.6.10 Contracting Officer Representative (COR): The (COR) will be identified by separate letter. The COR monitors all technical aspects of the contract and assists in contract administration The COR is authorized to perform the following functions: assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract: perform inspections necessary in connection with contract performance: maintain written and oral communications with the Contractor concerning technical aspects of the contract: issue written interpretations of technical requirements, including Government drawings, designs, specifications: monitor Contractor's performance and notifies both the Contracting Officer and Contractor of any deficiencies; coordinate availability of government furnished property, and provide site entry of Contractor personnel. A letter of designation issued to the COR, a copy of which is sent to the Contractor, states the responsibilities and limitations of the COR, especially with regard to changes in cost or price, estimates or changes in delivery dates. The COR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the resulting order. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT, AND SERVICES 3. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES: 3.1 Materials: The Government will provide clothing (except shoes) when the contractor is providing burial preparation services for unclaimed remains. The clothing and a United States Flag will be provided to the contractor at the time the body is picked up for transport to the contractor s facility. The remains will be enclosed in a Government provided body bag. 3.2 Services: The Government will provide the open burial site at the National Cemetery in Phoenix, AZ. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES 4. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 4.1 General: The Contractor shall furnish all supplies, equipment, facilities and services required to perform work under this contract that are not listed under Section 3 of this PWS. 4.2. Materials: The Contractor shall provide all materials required to prepare remains for burial, including a casket. Any exceptions, e.g., clothing, are detailed in Section 3.1 of the PWS. 4.3. Equipment: The Contractor shall provide appropriate vehicles, including stretchers/gurneys and motor vehicles, for transport of remains under this contract. The contractor shall also provide all facilities required for the preparation of remains for burial. 4.4. Facility and Personnel: The Contractor shall employ protective and precautionary hygienic measures and techniques. SPECIFIC TASKS 5. Specific Tasks: 5.1. Basic Services. The contractor shall provide for transport of remains between the SAVAHCS facility and the SAVAHCS morgue, between SAVAHCS and the University Medical Center in Tucson, AZ, between SAVAHCS and the contractor s facility, and between the contractor s facility and the National Cemetery in Phoenix, AZ. In addition, the contractor shall provide burial preparation services, to include provision of a casket. 5.1.1. Pickup and delivery of remains from and to the SAVAHCS facility. The contractor shall pick up remains from the SAVAHCS facility and deliver the remains to the SAVAHCS morgue. Authorized SAVAHCS personnel will contact the contractor via telephone to identify the need for this task. The contractor shall respond to the request by picking up the remains within 3 hours of the request. Arrival sooner than 3 hours is preferred. When arriving at SAVAHCS, the contractor shall provide identification so that employment with the contractor may be validated by SAVAHCS staff. The contractor shall pick up two forms (Human Remains Release Form and Standard Form 523A, Disposition of Body) and transport those forms with the remains to the SAVAHCS morgue. The forms will be provided to the SAVAHCS personnel in the morgue. On occasion, remains must be picked up from contracted nursing homes in the Tucson area where the veteran resided. In these instances, the contractor may charge mileage for the miles in excess of the mileage between the contractor s facility and the main SAVAHCS facility (see CLIN 0005). Mileage will be reimbursed at the current standard mileage rate as defined by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. 5.1.2 Pickup of remains from SAVAHCS and delivery to the University Medical Center (and occasionally picking up of remains from UMC and delivering it to SAVAHCS). The contractor shall pick up remains from the SAVAHCS facility and deliver the remains to the University Medical Center s morgue in Tucson, AZ. Authorized SAVAHCS personnel will contact the contractor via telephone to identify the need for this task. The contractor shall respond to the request by picking up the remains within 3 hours of the request. Arrival sooner than 3 hours is preferred. An SF523, Authorization for Autopsy, will be provided by the Government. No autopsies will be performed on remains weighing in excess of 350 lbs. 5.1.3 Pickup of remains from SAVAHCS or UMC and Burial Preparation and Transport to the National Cemetery. This task is for appropriate handling of unclaimed remains where no Next of Kin is known. The contractor shall pickup remains from SAVAHCS or UMC, transport the remains to the contractor s facility, and prepare the remains for burial. The Government will provide the contractor with clothing for the remains as well as a United States Flag. Following the burial preparation, the remains and casket will be inspected by SAVAHCS. Remains shall be available for inspection by SAVAHCS within 24 hours of the call for pickup. Remains shall be dressed using clothes provided by SAVAHCS at the time of pickup. Remains shall be placed in an appropriate casket (steel or particle board/wood) with no more than one minor defect. Following successful inspection by SAVAHCS, the contractor shall drape the U.S. Flag over the casket with the blue portion of the flag over the left shoulder. The outside foot end of the casket shall be labeled with the deceased s name. If the remains will not fit within a standard size casket, the contractor shall provide a larger casket that will accommodate remains up to 600 lbs CLIN 0004 provides for a supplemental charge for the difference in price between the standard casket and the larger casket.Within 24 hours of the successful inspection, the contractor shall contact the National Cemetery to schedule a burial appointment. The contractor shall transport and deliver the remains to the National Cemetery (23029 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, AZ) at the appointed date and time for the burial. The contractor shall remove the casket from their vehicle and place it in the National Cemetery s vehicle. The transfer of the remains to the National Cemetery s vehicle as well as a written transfer (chain of custody/release of remains document) constitutes delivery. One original copy of the death certificate shall be provided to the Decedent Affairs Clerk or his/her designee (Patient Advocate or COR) within 14 days following the contractor s receipt/pickup of the remains. Performance Requirements Summary The contractor service requirements are summarized into performance objectives that relate directly to mission essential items. The performance threshold briefly describes the minimum acceptable levels of service required for each requirement. These thresholds are critical to mission success. Performance Objective Standard Performance Threshold Method of Surveillance PRS # 1. The contractor shall provide timely pickup and delivery of remains from the SAVAHCS facility. The contractor shall pickup remains from the SAVAHCS facility within 3 hours of a request for services from the Government. Timely pickup and delivery of remains shall occur 98% of the time. COR surveillance Pickup and Delivery Report PRS # 2 The contractor shall provide timely preparation of remains for burial. The contractor shall prepare remains, e.g., dress, groom, position in casket within 24 hours of picking up the remains. Timely preparation of remains for inspection shall occur 98% of the time. COR surveillance Remains Preparation Report PRS #3 The contractor shall provide timely transport and delivery of prepared remains to the National Cemetery in Phoenix, AZ. The contractor shall transport and deliver remains to the National Cemetery (in order to meet scheduled appointment time for burial) following the satisfactory inspection by the COR or his designee. Timely transport and delivery of remains to the National Cemetery 98% of the time. COR surveillance Remains Preparation Report PRS # 4 The contractor shall provide proper burial preparation and provision of suitable casket in accordance with the SAVAHCS Decedent Affairs Standard Operating Procedure. The contractor shall provide burial preparation to meet state licensing standards and shall prepare the remains for viewing in accordance with professional standards. Proper burial preparation and provision of an appropriate casket shall occur 98% of the time. COR surveillance 100% inspection DELIVERABLES SCHEDULE Deliverable Frequency # of Copies Medium/Format Submit To Pickup and Delivery Report Monthly by 10th calendar day following the month being reported. 1 copy Via facsimile in a typed format 1 copy to Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) Remains Preparation Report Monthly by 10th calendar day following the month being reported 1 copy Via facsimile in a typed format 1 copy to COR Contractor Staff List Upon award of the contract; annually (when each option year is exercised); and when changes occur 1 copy 1 electronic copy 1 copy to COR Invoices Monthly by 15th calendar day following the month being reported 2 copies 1 electronic copy to COR; 1 electronic copy to VA-FSC Austin 1 copy to COR; 1 copy to VA-FSC Austin ESTIMATED WORKLOAD DATA This technical exhibit lists the historical workload data, i.e., the number of remains transported within the facility (from hospital to morgue) and the number of remains transported from SAVAHCS to University Medical Center, and the number of unclaimed remains requiring burial preparation services. ITEM DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED QUANTITY* 1 Pickup of remains from SAVAHCS Hospital and delivery to SAVAHCS morgue. 95 2 Pickup of remains from SAVAHCS Hospital/morgue for delivery to University Medical Center, Tucson, AZ. 14 3 Pickup of remains from SAVAHCS/UMC for transport to the contractor s facility for burial preparation and subsequent transport to the National Cemetery. 6 *This data is being updated and will cover the most recently available annual information. NOTHING FURTHER ON THIS PAGE