TITLE: U- NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD SOLE SOURCE SOL: 36C24219Q1251 DUE: 20 September 2019 at 5:00pm EST SET ASIDE: N/A NAICS: 813910 POP START: 9/30/2019 AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs - Montrose POC: Carlton Lunsford, email:
[email protected] DESCRIPTION: NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT TO Friends Hilltop Hannover Farm & Environmental Center, Inc. Market research was conducted and determined that Friends Hilltop Hannover Farm & Environmental Center, Inc is the only vendor capable of providing the Agricultural Farming Pilot Program service necessary that meets the requirements. All items are proprietary to Friends Hilltop Hannover Farm & Environmental Center, Inc and not able to be sourced out to another. This Notice of Intent is not a request for Proposals or Quotations. No solicitation document exists and no telephone or email inquiries will be accepted. No contract award will be made on the basis of proposals, or quotations received in response to this notice. The government MAY consider all Expressions of Interest (EOI) received prior to 20 September 2019. A determination by the government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Responses to this notice must be emailed to
[email protected] and received by 5:00 PM EST on 20 September 2019. Submitters are responsible for ensuring their EOI reaches the designated contracting officer on-time. STATEMENT OF WORK GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Title of Project: Agricultural Farming Pilot Program at Friends Hilltop Hannover Farm & Environmental Center, Inc. 2. Scope of Work: VA Hudson Valley Health Care system is seeking a local agricultural community organization partner to provide both an educational and hands-on skill building foundational program which introduces Veterans to farming and agriculture. 3. Background: The VA Hudson Valley Health Care System (VA HVHCS) Mental Health Department (MHD) Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program, in conjunction with Suicide Prevention, Whole Health, Nutrition and Food Service, and community partners, propose to initiate an Agricultural Training Program to help Veterans develop marketable skills and positive life habits through education, therapy, and skills development. Proposed activities will take place in community farms, the CWT Program Wellness Center (WELLSTAR), online and in other Medical Center settings. 4. Performance Period: September 30, 2019 September 29, 2020 plus 4 option years 5. Places of Performance 1 offsite location 1. Friends of Hilltop Hannover Farm & Environmental Center, INC 1271 Hanover Street Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 6.Scope or Tasks (for services)/Product Specifications (for supplies) The vendor must be able to provide a comprehensive training program for veterans in the field of agriculture and farming. The vendor will provide a Program Manager to communicate with VA representatives, as well as all materials which will be required for training and workshops. The Vendor will ensure that the Veteran participants and competent in the use of any tools or equipment prior to usage. Each participant will be supervised and evaluated for skills. This training must include both comprehensive educational sessions as well as hand-on real world experience. This will allow the participants to acquire the knowledge and technical skills while gaining practical experience by deploying those skills in the field. The vendor may be required to provide lunches and transportation for the veterans should the need arise. The vendor must also develop a comprehensive program which teaches Veterans skills and connects them to other community resources regarding job placement. Training workshops are as follows: Vegetable production, farm set up and farm stand operations, working in a greenhouse or high tunnel environment, designing or a garden or raised bed Germination, basic landscaping, identification of common pests and plant diseases as well as treatments and prepping plants and vegetables for farm stand production. Business planning, and job placement. Expected results and benefits: It is expected that upon completion of this program, Veterans will have the necessary skill level to obtain an entry level position in the agricultural field. Veterans will also gain knowledge, confidence, skills and experience in sustainable food production and healthy lifestyle. 7. Security GENERAL Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors, and subcontractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards, and VA Directives and Handbooks as VA and VA personnel regarding information and information system security. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE Information made available to the contractor or subcontractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor/subcontractor in performance or administration of the contract shall be used only for those purposes and shall not be used in any other way without the prior written agreement of the VA. This clause expressly limits the contractor/subcontractor's rights to use data as described in Rights in Data - General, FAR 52.227-14(d) (1). Prior to termination or completion of this contract, contractor/subcontractor must not destroy information received from VA, or gathered/created by the contractor in the course of performing this contract without prior written approval by the VA. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a contractor/subcontractor must be done in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management and its Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures, applicable VA Records Control Schedules, and VA Handbook 6500.1, Electronic Media Sanitization. Self-certification by the contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met must be sent to the VA Contracting Officer within 30 days of termination of the contract. 8. Safety Codes/ Certifications/ Licensing None Travel Included in price Special Material Requirements None Any Other Requirements unique to the solicitation None Contracting Office Address: VISN 3 Network Acquisition & Logistics James J. Peters VA Medical Center MCC: 10N3/NAL, 130 West Kingsbridge Road, Bronx, New York 10468-3992