SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS ONLY This request for information (RFI) and sources sought is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. The submission of pricing, capabilities for planning purposes, and other market information is highly encouraged and allowed under this RFI in accordance with FAR 15.201(e). The purpose of this sources sought/RFI is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources, their socioeconomic status, and their size classification relative to NAICS 339116 Dental Laboratories size standard of 500 employees. Responses to this sources sought will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. This synopsis is neither a request for competitive proposal nor a solicitation of offers. This synopsis is to assist the VA in determining sources only and a solicitation is not currently available. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from responses to this RFI and sources sought. The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 22 is seeking potential sources capable of supplying Dental Laboratory Services, including but not limited to: Complete Dentures: Design, set-up, and processing of full sets. Custom Impression Trays: Tailored to individual patient requirements. Bite Rims: Set-up and processing for accurate bite registration. This will Meet the needs of eligible veteran beneficiaries that need dental restorations and prosthesis at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System. The proposed action is for a firm-fixed price, Base + 3 Option Years Contract. The Government contemplates issuing one (1) solicitation for these supplies to be provided to the following facilities: Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System 4601 S 6th Avenue Tucson, AZ 85723 Contractor shall provide the following information: Vendor: Address: Telephone Number: Business Size: Socioeconomic Category (i.e. SDVOSB, 8a, VOSB, etc.): UEI Number: FSS/ GSA Contract Holder Yes No FSS/ GSA Contract Number Effective Date / Expiration Date Country of Origin ( COO ) Responses to this sources sought are not request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation. Information received as a result of this notice will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether conduct a competitive procurement. This notice does not commit the Government to award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. This notice does not represent a commitment by the Government to pay for cost incurred in the preparation and submission of information or any other cost incurred as a response to this announcement. Inquiries will only be accepted in writing via email to
[email protected] telephone responses shall not be accepted. Please respond by February 25, 2026, 10AM PT. PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT(PWS) Dental Lab Services - Removable Part 1 General Information General: This is a non-personnel services contract to provide dental laboratory services to construct removable prosthesis for eligible veteran beneficiaries. 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. 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 dental laboratory services as defined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS) except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The Contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract. 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 its own prosthetic replacements for missing teeth. While the SAVAHCS facility operates its own dental lab, not all construction of dental prosthesis required for care of the veteran may be performed by the in-house lab due to lack of equipment or personnel. As a result, some dental lab services need to be sent to a certified commercial/private lab for construction. Objectives: Provide daily transportation for pickup and delivery of dental prosthetic cases Provide all necessary dental lab supplies to construct prosthesis Construct prosthesis according to provider s prescription Provide timely and accurate completion of dental lab cases: o Impressions, teeth, prescriptions, finished product, etc., will be picked up from SAVAHCS Dental Service and then delivered back to the Dental Service daily, except on Federal Holidays. Pickup and delivery shall be between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Patient casework will be identified with patient s last name and initial of first name only. o All complete and partial denture steps shall be completed and delivered within five (5) working days after pickup. Denture wax cases must be transported and delivered without distortion from heat due to local Arizona weather conditions. Consult with the dental provider as needed Troubleshoot quality concerns with face-to-face meetings with providers Scope: Contractors will provide both fixed and removable prosthetic services according to the specific list of dental lab services authorized under this contract (see estimated workload pricelist). Lab services will be provided according to lab prescription by SAVAHCS provider and cases returned within specified timeframes. Contractor must provide customized shade matching at contractor s site of business. The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, tools, materials, supervision, and other items necessary to perform dental laboratory services, including but not limited to: Complete Dentures: Design, set-up, and processing of full sets. Custom Impression Trays: Tailored to individual patient requirements. Bite Rims: Set-up and processing for accurate bite registration. Partial Dentures: Design, set-up, and processing. Frameworks: Custom design and processing of partial denture frameworks. Denture Repairs: Repairs of dentures, including laser welding techniques. Occlusal Guards: Fabrication of traditional occlusal guards. Reline/Rebase Services: Ensuring proper fit and comfort for dentures. Precision Attachments: Enhanced dental prosthetics attachments. Fixed Prosthetics: Multi-unit bridges, single units, porcelain composites, metal restorations, etc. Implant Restorations: Implant-supported crowns and guides. General Information Quality Control: 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 within 30 days after contract award. After acceptance of the Quality Control Plan, the Contractor shall receive the Contracting Officer s acceptance in writing of any proposed change to his Quality Control system. Quality Assurance: The Government shall evaluate the Contractor s performance under this contract in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. This plan is primarily focused on what the Government must do to ensure that the Contractor has performed in accordance with the Performance Standards. It defines how the Performance Standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable defect rate(s). Recognized Holidays: New Year s Day: Martin Luther King s Birthday: President s Day: Memorial Day: Juneteenth Independence Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Eve* Tentative Christmas Day The Day After Christmas* Tentative Hours of Operation: The Contractor is responsible for conducting business to provide reasonable coverage and to ensure timely fabrication and consultation for dental prosthesis. 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 the 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. There are no standard business hours. Security: The patient s last name and initial of first name will be used as an identifier both for the prescription and for billing purposes. No other personal patient identifiers will be used. Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this contract will be performed at the contractor s facility. Special Qualifications: Contractor s lab shall be certified by the National Association of Dental Laboratories. Contractor will provide a current copy of the firm s National Association of Dental Laboratories certification. 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. 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 drawing, designs, specifications Monitor Contractor s performance and notifies both the Contracting Officer and Contractor of any deficiencies Coordinate availability of government furnished property, and provider 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 orders. Key Personnel: No key personnel are specified, as any lab awarded a contract shall possess and maintain site certification. Contractor s lab shall be certified by the National Association of Dental Laboratories. Organizational Conflict of Interest: Contractor and subcontractor personnel performing work under this contract may receive, have access to, or participate in the development of proprietary or source selection information (i.e., cost or pricing information, budget information or analysis, specification or work statements, etc.) or perform evaluation services which may create a current or subsequent Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. The contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer immediately whenever it becomes aware that such access or participation may result in any actual or potential OCI and shall promptly submit a plan to the Contracting Officer to avoid or mitigate any such OCI. The Contractor s Mitigation Plan will be determined to be acceptable solely at the discretion of the Contracting Officer and in the event the Contracting Officer may affect other remedies as he or she deems necessary, including prohibiting the Contractor from participation in subsequent contracted requirements which may be affected by the OCI. Part 2 Definitions and Acronyms Definitions: Contractor: A supplier or vendor awarded a contract to provide specific supplies or services to the government. The term used in this contract refers to the prime. Contracting Officer: A person with authority to enter into, administer, and or terminate contracts, and make related determinations and findings on behalf of the Government. Note: The only individual who can legally bind the Government. Contracting Officer s Representative (COR): An employee of the U.S. Government appointed by the Contracting Officer to administer the contract. Such appointment shall be in writing and shall state the scope of authority and limitations. This individual has authority to provide technical direction to the contractor as long as that direction is within the scope of the contract, does not constitute a change, and has no funding implications. This individual does NOT have authority to change the terms and conditions of the contract. Defective Service: A service output that does not meet the Standard of Performance associated with the Performance Work Statement (PWS). Deliverable: Anything that can be physically delivered, but may include non-manufactured things such as meeting minutes or reports. Key Personnel: Contractor personnel that are evaluated in a source selection process and that may be required to be used in the performance of a contract by the key personnel listed in the PWS. When key personnel are used as an evaluation factor in best value procurement, an offer can be rejected if it does not have a firm commitment from the persons that are listed in the proposal. Physical Security: Actions that prevent the loss or damage of government property. Quality Control: All necessary measures taken by the Contractor to assure that the quality of an end product or service shall meet contract requirements. Quality Assurance: The government procedures to verify that services being performed by the Contractor are performed according to acceptable standards. Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP): An organized written document specifying the surveillance methodology to be used for surveillance of Contractor performance. Subcontractor: One that enters into a contract with a Prime Contractor. The Government does not have privity of contract with the Subcontractor. Work Day: The number of hours per day the Contractor provides services in accordance with the contract. Work Week: Monday through Friday, unless specified otherwise. Acronyms: ACOR Alternate Contracting Officer s Representative CCE Contracting Center of Excellence CFR Code of Federal Regulations CONUS Continental United States (excludes Alaska and Hawaii) COR Contracting Officer Representative COTR Contracting Officer s Technical Representative COTS Commercial-Off-the-Shelf FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 CO Contacting Officer OCI Organizational Conflict of Interest PIPO Phase In/Phase Out POC Point of Contact PRS Performance Requirement Summary PWS Performance Work Statement QA Quality Assurance QAP Quality Assurance Program QASP Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan QC Quality Control QCP Quality Control Program TE Technical Exhibit Part 3 Government Furnished Property, Equipment, and Services: Government Furnished Items and Services: Materials: The Government will provide denture teeth for removable cases when possible. The Government will also provide necessary impressions, casts, and implant restorative hardware for all cases submitted to the Contractor when possible. Part 4 Contractor Furnished Items and Services: Contractor Furnished Items and Responsibilities: 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. Materials: The Contractor shall furnish all materials, supplies, and equipment necessary to meet the requirement under this PWS. Equipment: The Contractor shall provide all the necessary equipment to meet the requirements under this PWS. Part 5 Specific Tasks: The Contractor shall provide dental laboratory services to fabricate fixed and/or removable prosthesis following SAVAHCS dental provider s prescription. If a lab prescription from the dental provider is not legible or not clearly understood, the contractor must contact the dental provider to obtain a legible prescription or for clarification of the requested procedure. Provide the necessary materials for the fabrication of fixed and removable dental prosthesis. Provide transportation to pickup and deliver prosthetic cases. Impressions, teeth, prescriptions, finished product, etc., will be picked up from SAVAHCS Dental Service, and then delivered back to Dental Service daily except on Federal Holidays. Pickup and delivery shall be between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Patient casework will be identified with patient s last name and initial of first name only. All crowns and bridge procedures shall be completed and delivered within ten (10) working days from the day of pickup from SAVAHCS. All complete and partial denture steps shall be completed and delivered within five (5) working days after pickup. The Contractor will offer professional case consultation and responsive and knowledgeable customer service. Contractor must interact with patients one on one at Contractor s site of business to provide local custom shade matching. The Contractor will, at no additional expense to the government, remake all dental items that are not correct or flawed due to Contractor error. For example, if a crown does not fit the die, it will be considered flawed and unacceptable. The crown will be remade at no additional expense to the Government. If the crown fits the die but not on the patient s tooth, it will be considered a flawed action of the Government and the remake will be at the governments expense. If, in the case of porcelain work, the porcelain shatters within twelve months of fabrication, it will be considered a flawed product from the Contractor and remade at no additional expense to the government. Part 6 Applicable Publications Applicable Publications (Current Editions): The Contractor must abide by all applicable regulations, publications, manuals, and local policies and procedures. The Contractor shall comply with the regulations governing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Quality System/Good Manufacturing Practices for products distributed in the United States Dental Laboratories. Additionally, the Contractor shall comply with standards by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in cooperation with the American Dental Association Department of Standards that require all materials used for fabrication of dental appliances meet the Standard Practices for Biological Evaluation of Dental Materials. Note* The Non-Manufacturer Rule (NMR) in accordance with 13 CFR § 121.406, September 4, 2019 applies to this acquisition. Additionally, as prescribed on 25.1101(a)(1). FAR 52.225-1 Buy American Supplies and FAR 52.225-2 Buy American Certificate applies to this acquisition. a) For small business set-asides other than construction or service contracts the prime contractor that s supplying products to the government is required to cover at least 50 percent of the cost of manufacturing those products. The non-manufacturer rule is an exception to that requirement. The rule allows a small business to supply products it did not manufacture as long as those products come from another small business. b) A manufacturer is defined as a business that, with its own facilities, performs primary activities in transforming inorganic or organic substances, including the assembly of parts and components, into the end product being acquired. In other words, a manufacturer makes or produces products. Businesses may qualify as a non-manufacturer if it meets the following criteria: Does not exceed 500 employees Is primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of products being supplied Will supply the end products of a small business manufacturer or processor made in the United States, or obtains a waiver of such requirement See Title 13 Part 121.406 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for detailed information about the non-manufacturer rule. FAR 52.225-1 Buy American-Supplies (Oct 2022) (a) Definitions. As used in this clause Commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) item (1) Means any item of supply (including construction material) that is (i) A commercial product (as defined in paragraph (1) of the definition of commercial product at Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2.101); (ii) Sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace; and (iii) Offered to the Government, under a contract or subcontract at any tier, without modification, in the same form in which it is sold in the commercial marketplace; and (2) Does not include bulk cargo, as defined in 46 U.S.C. 40102(4), such as agricultural products and petroleum products. Component means an article, material, or supply incorporated directly into an end product. Cost of components means (1) For components purchased by the Contractor, the acquisition cost, including transportation costs to the place of incorporation into the end product (whether or not such costs are paid to a domestic firm), and any applicable duty (whether or not a duty-free entry certificate is issued); or (2) For components manufactured by the Contractor, all costs associated with the manufacture of the component, including transportation costs as described in paragraph (1) of this definition, plus allocable overhead costs, but excluding profit. Cost of components does not include any costs associated with the manufacture of the end product. Critical component means a component that is mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States and deemed critical to the U.S. supply chain. The list of critical components is at FAR 25.105 . Domestic end product means (1) For an end product that does not consist wholly or predominantly of iron or steel or a combination of both- (i) An unmanufactured end product mined or produced in the United States; (ii) An end product manufactured in the United States, if- (A) The cost of its components mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States exceeds 60 percent of the cost of all its components, except that the percentage will be 65 percent for items delivered in calendar years 2024 through 2028 and 75 percent for items delivered starting in calendar year 2029. Components of foreign origin of the same class or kind as those that the agency determines are not mined, produced, or manufactured in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities of a satisfactory quality are treated as domestic. Components of unknown origin are treated as foreign. Scrap generated, collected, and prepared for processing in the United States is considered domestic; or (B) The end product is a COTS item; or (2) For an end product that consists wholly or predominantly of iron or steel or a combination of both, an end product manufactured in the United States, if the cost of foreign iron and steel constitutes less than 5 percent of the cost of all the components used in the end product. The cost of foreign iron and steel includes but is not limited to the cost of foreign iron or steel mill products (such as bar, billet, slab, wire, plate, or sheet), castings, or forgings utilized in the manufacture of the end product and a good faith estimate of the cost of all foreign iron or steel components excluding COTS fasteners. Iron or steel components of unknown origin are treated as foreign. If the end product contains multiple components, the cost of all the materials used in such end product is calculated in accordance with the definition of "cost of components". End product means those articles, materials, and supplies to be acquired under the contract for public use. Fastener means a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together. Examples of fasteners are nuts, bolts, pins, rivets, nails, clips, and screws. Foreign end product means an end product other than a domestic end product. Foreign iron and steel means iron or steel products not produced in the United States. Produced in the United States means that all manufacturing processes of the iron or steel must take place in the United States, from the initial melting stage through the application of coatings, except metallurgical processes involving refinement of steel additives. The origin of the elements of the iron or steel is not relevant to the determination of whether it is domestic or foreign. Predominantly of iron or steel or a combination of both means that the cost of the iron and steel content exceeds 50 percent of the total cost of all its components. The cost of iron and steel is the cost of the iron or steel mill products (such as bar, billet, slab, wire, plate, or sheet), castings, or forgings utilized in the manufacture of the product and a good faith estimate of the cost of iron or steel components excluding COTS fasteners. Steel means an alloy that includes at least 50 percent iron, between 0.02 and 2 percent carbon, and may include other elements. United States means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and outlying areas. (b) 41 U.S.C. chapter 83, Buy American, provides a preference for domestic end products for supplies acquired for use in the United States. In accordance with 41 U.S.C. 1907, the domestic content test of the Buy American statute is waived for an end product that is a COTS item (see 12.505(a)(1)), except that for an end product that consists wholly or predominantly of iron or steel or a combination of both, the domestic content test is applied only to the iron and steel content of the end product, excluding COTS fasteners. (c) Offerors may obtain from the Contracting Officer a list of foreign articles that the Contracting Officer will treat as domestic for this contract. (d) The Contractor shall deliver only domestic end products except to the extent that it specified delivery of foreign end products in the provision of the solicitation entitled "Buy American Certificate." (End of clause) FAR 52.225-2 Buy American Certificate (Oct 2022) (a)(1) The Offeror certifies that each end product, except those listed in paragraph (b) of this provision, is a domestic end product and that each domestic end product listed in paragraph (c) of this provision contains a critical component. (2) The Offeror shall list as foreign end products those end products manufactured in the United States that do not qualify as domestic end products. For those foreign end products that do not consist wholly or predominantly of iron or steel or a combination of both, the Offeror shall also indicate whether these foreign end products exceed 55 percent domestic content, except for those that are COTS items. If the percentage of the domestic content is unknown, select no . (3) The Offeror shall separately list the line item numbers of domestic end products that contain a critical component (see FAR 25.105). (4) The terms commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) item, critical component, "domestic end product," "end product," and "foreign end product" are defined in the clause of this solicitation entitled "Buy American-Supplies." Line Item No. Country of Origin Exceeds 55% domestic content (yes/no) ______________ _________________ _________________ ______________ _________________ _________________ ______________ _________________ _________________ (b)Foreign End Products: (b)[List as necessary] (c) Domestic end products containing a critical component: Line Item No. ___ [List as necessary] (d) The Government will evaluate offers in accordance with the policies and procedures of part 25 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (End of provision)