Solicitation Number 36C24523Q0610 INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE THIS IS AN INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE ANNOUNCEMENT AND IT IS FOR INFORMATION & PLANNING ANNOUNCEMENTS ONLY; IT IS NEITHER A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT, NOR A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION, PROPOSALS OR QUOTES AND DOES NOT OBLIGATE THE GOVERNMENT TO AWARD A CONTRACT. A CONTRACT MAY NOT BE AWARDED AS A RESULT OF THIS INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE ANNOUNCEMENT. IF A VENDOR RESPONDS TO THIS INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE, THE VENDOR WILL NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR MARKET RESEARCH, IN ORDER TO MAKE APPROPRIATE ACQUISITION DECISIONS, AND TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE OF POTENTIALLY QUALIFIED SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES, VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES, 8(A), HUBZONE AND OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES WHO STATE THEY ARE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING THE WORK. IN THE EVENT THAT A VENDOR DISAGREES WITH THIS SOLE SOURCE, THEN 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. IF A VENDOR DOES RESPOND, THEN IT SHALL SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING: 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, 8(A), HUBZONE, WOMEN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS, SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS, OR SMALL BUSINESS HUBZONE 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. ******THIS ANNOUNCEMENT EXPIRES ON MAY 25, 2023 @ 10AM EST****** CONTRACTING OFFICER IS
[email protected] STATEMENT OF WORK Contract Title: Farmers Market and Horticultural Activities for older Veterans enrolled in Whole Health Aging Gerofit program. Background: This contract directly relates to the Whole Health redesign initiative of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). In an effort to improve health outcomes and life expectancy and to lower costs, VHA is trying to empower Veterans to take charge of their healthcare. One of the components of this initiative is equipping Veterans with wellbeing programs to address loneliness and social isolation. The Gerofit program at the VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS) Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center (GRECC) is a health promotion and exercise program for older Veterans that has documented individuals in the program function physically better than they did upon entry, substantially reducing their risk of institutionalization. We are now adding a program that will allow Veterans enrolled in Gerofit to access fresh produce through a farmers market at the VA facility and have the opportunity to learn how to grow their own produce at either the Therapeutic Alternative of Maryland (TALMAR) Farm, or online in their own home. There are a number of well-established reasons associated with undernutrition in aging including physiological, social, and emotional changes. Among older Veterans with mobility limitations, these factors may be further compounded by accessibility limitations and inability to complete instrumental activities of daily living, including meal preparation and food shopping. This program will not only target improving dietary quality but will help combat the negative consequences of social isolation and loneliness by providing the opportunity for Veterans to learn about learn about healthy cooking and meal preparation in an in-person group setting with other Veterans. Additionally, teaching Veterans how to promote produce items to their peers will provide social interaction and educational opportunities for the Veterans receiving the produce. The virtual videos will increase accessibility of the educational opportunities to those with limited transportation options. The vendor will provide the produce for the farmers market, as well as provide videos that showcase how to store, prepare, and preserve the produce. Scope: TALMAR has provided horticultural training and therapeutic services for individuals with disabilities since 1998. The vendor has the expertise and resources required to provide produce and gardening supplies and instruction to the Veterans. Through a partnership with Therapeutic Alternative of Maryland (TALMAR) Farm during the summers of 2021 and 2022, participants received up to 24 weeks of assorted locally grown fresh produce. The VAFARMS program is a compensated work therapy program for Veterans eligible for behavioral healthcare services at the VA. This partnership allowed for a unique experience of our Veterans participants receiving produce grown by other Veterans in the sustainable agriculture/VA FARMS training program. The vendor will provide produce and deliver to the VA facility weekly for 24 weeks. They will also provide demonstration videos to allow participants to learn how to cook the produce in their own homes using simple and cost-effective techniques and recipes. Finally, the vendor will provide informational videos on the various produce items that will be used to teach a selected group of Veterans how to promote produce items to their peers visiting the produce stand. The C&A requirements do not apply, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required. Specific Tasks: The vendor SHALL provide the following- 1) Fresh vegetables from a local farm delivered weekly for 24 weeks 2) Earth boxes and gardening supplies for Veterans to grow herbs at home and have opportunities to ask questions about their herbs during the weekly Q&A with a veteran or via email with a TALMAR team member with knowledge of the herbs in question 3) Virtual sessions where Veterans can learn about how vegetables are grown, harvested, and how you can grow it at home, choose best options at the store/farmers marker, prepare it etc. DELIVERABLES: Deliverable 1: Fresh vegetables from a local farm delivered weekly for 24 weeks Deliverable 2: Virtual sessions and recordings where Veterans can learn about how vegetables are grown, harvested, and how you can grow it at home, choose best options at the store/farmers marker, prepare it etc. Deliverable 3: In-person field trip opportunities for Veterans to visit the farm and learn about how vegetables are grown and harvested. Performance Monitoring: The Gerofit Program Manager will monitor and assess performance on an ongoing basis to ensure the services are beneficial to the participants who partake. Security Requirements: All produce will be delivered to the Loch Raven VA and Veterans will pick it up from that location. The Vendor will be responsible for delivering the produce to the location. NO ISSO SIGNATURE NEEDED. NO SECURITY REQUIREMENT. Place of Performance: The homes of program participants and the Loch Raven VA facility for the Farmer s Market. Period of Performance/Place of Performance: BASE YEAR 06/01/2023 TO 05/31/2024 OPTION YEAR ONE 06/01/2024 TO 05/31/2025 OPTION YEAR TWO 06/01/2025 TO 05/31/2026 OPTION YEAR THREE 06/01/2026 TO 05/31/2027 Place of Performance: The homes of program participants and the Loch Raven VA facility for the Farmer s Market. LOCH RAVEN VA 3901 The Alameda Baltimore, MD 21218-2100