January 4, 2024
Posting Amendment SF-30 to include Questions and Answers (QAs)
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A. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.
B. The Great Plains Area Indian Health Service (IHS) intends to award a firm-fixed price, non-personal healthcare service, ID/IQ contract, single award, commercial item, Mid-Level Certified Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Service and Psychiatrics Certified Nurse Practitioner Services at the Ft. Yates PHS, IHS Hospital, Ft. Yates, North Dakota in response to Request for Quote (RFQ) 75H70624Q00006. The contract resulting from this solicitation will not obligate funds; funds must be obligated prior to starting performance through a task order. Orders may be submitted electronically, facsimile or hard copy.
C., This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2024-01.
D. This RFQ is set-aside 100% Small Business Set-Aside Indian Economic Enterprises (IEE) with the associated NAICS Code of 621399.
E. The unit pricing must be all inclusive (to include but not be limited to travel, lodging, per diem, fringe benefits, federal, state and local taxes) plus all other costs pertinent to the performance of this contract. Utilize your most competitive and reasonable rates.
See attached SF-1449. Complete, sign and return the SF-1449 with your RFQ response.
F. Two (2) Mid-Level Certified Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Services for a total of 4,160 hours per year and one (1) Psychiatrics Certified Nurse Practitioner Services for a total of 2,080 hours per year. The providers will work a minimum of 40 hours per week at any of the following locations:
- Fort Yates Hospital Outpatient Clinic, 10 Standing Rock Ave, Fort Yates, ND 58538
- McLaughlin Health Center, 701 6th Street East, McLaughlin, SD 57642
- Cannonball Health Center, Weasel Street, Cannonball ND 58528
- Wakpala Health Center, 1st Street, Wakpala, SD 57658
- Bullhead Health Center, 102 Tasunka Street, Bullhead, SD 57621
The period of performance will be January 15, 2024 through January 14, 2025 with four (4), one (1) year option periods.
G. FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (September 2023).
Quotes shall be submitted on company letterhead stationery, signed, dated and it shall include:
- Solicitation number RFQ 75H70624Q00006.
- Closing Date: January 8, 2024 at 12:00 pm CT
- Name, address and telephone number of company and email address of contact person.
- Technical description of the item/service being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements of the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary.
- Terms of any express warranty
- Price and any discount terms
- “Remit to” address, if different than mailing address.
- A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3
- Acknowledgment of Solicitation Amendments (if any issued)
- Past performance information, when included as an evaluation factor, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information); and
- Include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Offers that fail to furnish required representations or information, or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.
In addition, Contractors shall provide the following:
- Name and phone number of three (3) professional references
- Shall meet the qualifications in the Statement of Work and provide copies of requested documents.
- Complete and sign IHS Buy Indian Act Indian Economic Enterprise (IEE) Representation Form
- Complete and sign Child Care Position Provisional Authorization
- Complete and sign the Declaration for Federal Employment – Optional Form 306.
- Complete and sign Addendum to Declaration for Federal Employment (OF306).
- Complete and sign Licensure Requirement Form.
- Copy of malpractice insurance coverage.
- Copy of active, current, and unrestricted license to practice.
- Copy of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) or the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)
- Copy of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB). Certification by the American Nurse Credentialing Center or American Academy of Nurse Practitioners with a reflected specialist of “psychiatric-mental health.”
- Active Board Certified and have current Basic Life Support (BLS).
- Copies of current Continuing Medical Education (CME)/Certified Education Unit (CEU).
- Current immunization record, including COVID-19 vaccines.
Attachments:
- Statement of Work
- IHS Buy Indian Act Indian Economic Enterprise (IEE) Representation Form
- Provisions and Clauses incorporated by reference and full text
- Business Associate Agreement
- Contractor’s Performance Conditions & Responsibilities
- HHS Residual Standard of Conduct
- Workplace Violence & Violence in the Workplace
- Courtesy and Respect in the Workplace Policy
- Mandatory Seasonal Influenza
- Basis of Award: Best Value with Lowest Price Technical Acceptable. See FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Products and Commercial Services; attached in full text
H. FAR 52.212-3 Offer Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (November 2023) See attachment for full text.
I. FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Item (November 2023) Applied to this acquisition and it’s incorporated by reference.
J. FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (December 2023) See attachment for full text.
K. Attached are the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) & Health & Human Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) clauses that are applicable.
L. Submit proposal to:
Great Plains Area Indian Health Service
Attn: Ursula Maslonka, Contract Specialist
115 4th Ave. SE, Room 309
Aberdeen, SD 57401
Email: Ursula.Maslonka@ihs.gov
Questions in regards to this solicitation shall be submitted in writing by emaill to Ursula.Maslonka@ihs.gov. The last day to submit questions is January 3, 2023, 12:00 pm, CT.
SECURITY CLEARANCE
A security pre-clearance must be performed for any employees referred to IHS through this contract.
Fingerprints must be completed and adjudicated prior to services being performed under this contract.
No contract award shall be made to any vendor or provider listed on the OIG Exclusion List http://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov throughout the duration of the contract. It shall be the responsibility of the contractor to notify the acquisition official if there is a change in provider.
Performance of this contract will require routine access by employees of the Contractor or its subcontractors to facilities or systems controlled by the Indian Health Service (I.H.S.). Before starting work requiring routine access to I.H.S. facilities or systems each person must complete a FBI National Criminal History Check (Fingerprint Check) adjudicated by an I.H.S. employee using the Office of Personnel Management Personnel Investigations Processing System. Contractors shall allow five business days for I.H.S. processing of fingerprints taken electronically at an I.H.S. site and thirty business days for non-electronic processing of fingerprints using FBI Form FD-258. A list of I.H.S. sites with electronic fingerprint capability is available from the Contracting Officer.
In addition, no Contractor or subcontractor employee shall be permitted to perform work under this contract if listed on the HHS Office of Inspector General List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE), http://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov. As soon as practicable prior to the start of work, the performance of the work the Contractor shall provide to the Contracting Officer the names of all individuals to be used in performance of work for screening against the LEIE. During the performance, the Contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer the names of any additional or substitute employees for screening before they begin work.
The Contractor is responsible for conducting security preclearance investigations in sufficient depth to ensure that each Contractor or subcontractor employee referred to I.H.S. is not on the LEIE and can obtain a favorable fingerprint clearance. Each security preclearance shall be conducted sufficiently in advance of the start of performance to avoid delays caused by denial of access. If this is a Time and Materials, Labor-Hour or Cost Reimbursement contract, the contractor shall not charge for or be reimbursed for labor hours or other costs incurred for employees who are unable to perform due to denial or access or the excess time required to resolve and clear unfavorable security clearance findings. If this is a Fixed Price contract, denial of access due to security clearance findings shall not be a basis for excusable delay or an increase to the contract amount.
Government will pay for the cost to process the contractors suitability clearances. However, multiple investigations for the same position may, at the Contracting Officers discretion, lead to reduction(s) in the contract price of no more than the cost of the extra investigation(s).
Employees that DO NOT have access to LMS, contractors, volunteers, or IHS employees with IPA’s or MOA’s to tribal organizations please, click here IHS Sexual Abuse Prevention website. When the contractors have completed and passed the training, please have them send a copy of the last page of the training with Name, Date, and Time to their Supervisor, COR, and Kimmen LeBeau, e-mail: Kimmen.LeBeau@ihs.govInvoice Processing Platform (IPP)
The Indian Health Service (IHS) is in the process of implementing an electronic invoicing system
In compliance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) M-15-19 memorandum “Improving Government Efficiency and Saving Taxpayer Dollars Through Electronic Invoicing” directing Federal agencies to adopt electronic invoicing as the primary means to disburse payment to vendors. Invoices submitted under any award resulting from this solicitation will be required to utilize the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) in accordance with HHSAR 352.232- 71, Electronic Submission and Processing of Payment Requests.
IPP is a secure, web-based electronic invoicing system provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRSTL). Respondents to this solicitation are encouraged to register an account with IPP if they have not already done so. If your organization is already registered to use IPP, you will not be required to re-register- however, we encourage you make sure your organization and designated IPP user accounts are valid and up to date.
Invoice Processing Platform (IPP)
The Indian Health Service (IHS) is in the process of implementing an electronic invoicing system
In compliance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) M-15-19 memorandum “Improving Government Efficiency and Saving Taxpayer Dollars Through Electronic Invoicing” directing Federal agencies to adopt electronic invoicing as the primary means to disburse payment to vendors. Invoices submitted under any award resulting from this solicitation will be required to utilize the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) in accordance with HHSAR 352.232-71, Electronic Submission and Processing of Payment Requests.
IPP is a secure, web-based electronic invoicing system provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRSTL). Respondents to this solicitation are encouraged to register an account with IPP if they have not already done so. If your organization is already registered to use IPP, you will not be required to re-register- however, we encourage you make sure your organization and designated IPP user accounts are valid and up to date.
The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov
If you require assistance registering or IPP account access, please contact the IPP Helpdesk at (866) 973-3131 (M-F 8AM to 6PM ET), or IPPCustomerSupport@fiscal.treasury.gov
“Should the contractor feel that use of the IPP would be unduly burdensome, their response to this solicitation should include an explanation of this position for a determination by the contracting officer”.
