NOTICE OF PROPOSED CONTRACT ACTION: In accordance with FAR Subpart 5.2, this notice is provided for information purposes only. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics, Strategic Acquisition Center Frederick intends to negotiate, on behalf of the VA Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC), a non-competitive, firm-fixed price contract with HILR Partners, LLC to provide classroom space and daily meals for students attending training at the VA LETC staying at the Holiday Inn Presidential Downtown and the Comfort Inn & Suites Little Rock I-30. OVERVIEW: The VA LETC currently has an agreement for offsite lodging management services. Over the next two years, students attending training at LETC will stay at two offsite lodging venues, the Holiday Inn Presidential, 600 Interstate 30, Little Rock, AR 72202 and the Comfort Inn & Suites, 707 Interstate 30, Little Rock, AR 72202. Both hotels are owned and operated by HILR Partners, LLC, a small business. The Holiday Inn Presidential has a restaurant and lounge located within the hotel capable of meeting student meal requirements. Both venues offer conference room and meeting space for students suitable for socially distanced classroom training environments within walking distance (3 blocks) of the student lodging. Due to COVID 19, VHA has restricted training at the VA LETC campus. Per guidance and recommendations from VHA, lodging and training must happen at a centralized off-site location to prevent exposure and transmission of the virus. A single case of COVID-19 would require all students of the infected class to be quarantined. Transporting students to separate venues is impractical and introduces risk to student health and safety since they cannot adhere to social distancing guidelines without an excessive number of shuttle busses that are not readily available. Additionally, logistics of transporting students to/from meals venue and classroom venue would add unacceptable transportation time to the student s already extensive training day. STATUTORY AUTHORITY: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 1901 as implemented by FAR Subpart 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items. This procurement will be in accordance with FAR Subpart 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items, specifically FAR Subsection 13.501(a)(1), where acquisitions conducted under simplified acquisition procedures are exempt from the requirements of FAR Part 6, but still require a justification using the format at FAR Subsection 6.303-2, modified to reflect that the procedures in FAR Subpart 13.5 were used in accordance with 41 U.S.C. 1901. In accordance with FAR Subsection 13.106-1(b)(2), for purchases exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, the requirements at FAR Subsection 13.501(a) apply to sole-source acquisitions of commercial items conducted pursuant to Subpart 13.5. THIS SPECIAL NOTICE IS NOT A SOLICITATION or request for competitive offers, quotations or proposals. It does not constitute a commitment or an obligation by the Government. No solicitation package is available. In accordance with FAR 5.207(c)(16)(i) all responsible sources may submit a bid, proposal, or quotation which shall be considered by the agency. Interested parties must provide evidence of their capabilities to fulfill the requirement within fifteen (15) calendar days after date of publication of this notice to Jacky Jean-Jacques, Contracting Officer, at
[email protected] with a copy to Dante Ruiz, Contract Specialist, at
[email protected] . A determination by the Government not to compete this procurement action, based on responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.