The Black Hills Health Care System requires pest control services at multiple locations as described in the Statement of Work. This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE only looking for businesses to provide the services listed below for market research purposes. No proposals are being requested or accepted with this notice. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS OR PRICING AND NO CONTRACT SHALL BE AWARDED FROM THIS NOTICE. This notice shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Responses to this notice will be treated only as information for the Government to consider as part of their market research efforts. The information provided will be used by the Government in developing its acquisition strategy regarding possible set aside for Veteran Owned and other socio-economic categories of small business. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to pay for the information submitted in response to this notice and parties responding will not be entitled to payment for direct or indirect costs incurred in responding to this notice. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 561710, Exterminating and Pest Control Services, with an SBA Small Business Size Standard of $17.5 Million. Please identify any of your firm s existing contract vehicles (e.g., GSA federal supply schedules) which provide similar services as those described in the Performance Work Statement below. Please provide all socio-economic categories of your firm (e.g., SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, Large Business, 8a, etc.) as well as your firm s SAM Unique Entity ID number (replaces DUNS number) and Government Contract POC. If you are a vendor capable of providing the requested information and required services described below with competitive pricing, send your information with a description of proof of capability to: Alisha.Milander@va.gov on or before 12:00 PM Central Time on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. See attached draft Statement of Work below for details of the requirement. *If applicable, FAR Provision 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting, will apply to the potential solicitation if set-aside for Small-Businesses.* *If applicable, 852.219-76 VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting Certificate of Compliance for Supplies and Products, will apply to the potential solicitation if set-aside for Veteran Owned Small-Businesses.* DISCLAIMER This Sources Sought is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this Sources Sought that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), 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 Sources Sought. The deadline for this information is 12:00 PM Central Time on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Statement of Work GENERAL INTENTION: The purpose of this solicitation is to obtain Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Services for the Veterans Affairs, Black Hills Health Care System located at Fort Meade, Hot Springs, and Rapid City, South Dakota, hereinafter referred to as VA BHHCS, as well as Transitional Residences in Sturgis, Rapid City, Hot Springs, and Pine Ridge, SD. LOCATIONS: VA Black Hills Health Care System (VA BHHCS): Fort Meade VA Medical Center (FM VAMC) 113 Comanche Road Fort Meade, SD 57741 Hot Springs VA Medical Center (HS VAMC) 500 North 5th Street Hot Springs, SD 57747 Rapid City Community Based Outpatient Center (RC CBOC) 2165 Promise Rd. Rapid City, SD 57701 Sturgis Transitional Residence 1215 Junction Ave Sturgis, SD 57785 Rapid City Transitional Residence 4117 Woodbine Pl Rapid City, SD 57702 Hot Springs Transitional Residence 500 N 5th St Hot Springs, SD 57747 Pine Ridge Transitional Residence 403 Veteran Ave Pine Ridge, SD 57770 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor shall adhere to VHA Directive 1850.02 Pest Management Operations and local VA policy FAC-10 Pest Control. The VA is committed to an IPM. IPM is a process for achieving long term, environmentally sound pest suppression using a wide variety of technological and management practices. The Contractor shall use control strategies that extend beyond the application of pesticides to include structural and procedural modifications that reduce the food, water, harborage, and access used by pests. This will be achieved through detailed scheduled inspections that result in recommendations for a treatment plan that will be written and presented for approval by the VA Contracting Officer s Representative (COR). The Contractor shall provide all supplies, materials, equipment, labor, supervision, management, and transportation to perform all tasks. This will be a one-year contract with four additional option years based on performance. The Contractor will be expected to perform to the standards of this contract. The Contractor shall have experience in eradicating a wide variety of pests and rodents (trap and removal). This includes, but is not limited to, eradication of bed bugs and other insects in large hospital settings, multiple campus locations, and outbuildings with a quick response time of less than 24 hours from time of notification. The Contractor will provide a written IPM for each location within VA BHHCS and the other above-listed locations which includes approval by the COR at the time of award. CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: The Contractor shall assume full responsibility for compliance with all environmental regulations and VHA Handbook 1850.02, and FAC-10 Pest Control (Enclosures), as they apply to IPM. The Contractor shall also perform all work in accordance with the guidelines established by Federal, State, and local ordinances. The Contractor will assume full responsibility for clean up in the event any chemical spill is released into the environment accidentally or otherwise, on VA property. BUILDING INSPECTION: The Contractor will provide a detailed IPM to inspect all areas of the VA facilities for pest infestation and pest prevention measures. At a minimum, all food service areas will be inspected monthly, operating rooms (OR), sterile processing and supply (SPS), and pharmacy IV compounding rooms areas will be inspected quarterly, all patient treatment areas semiannually, and all other areas (to include outbuildings) annually. Any problems identified in between inspections will be communicated to the COR and handled immediately. During these inspections the Contractor will: Determine which IPM measures are appropriate and required. Recommend environmental sanitation practices that restrict or eliminate food, water, or harborage for pests. The Contractor will make recommendations to the COR that may require action by the VA Facility Maintenance to achieve adequate pest management prevention at HS VAMC and FM VAMC. The Contractor will make recommendations to the COR who will communicate action to the RC CBOC Administrative Officer who will inform the Leaser or Lessor (General Services Administration), of required actions for pest management prevention at the RC CBOC. Select and utilize non-chemical control methods that eliminate, exclude, or repel pests (i.e., insect electrocution devices, traps, air screens, etc.). Select and use the most environmentally sound pesticide(s) to effect control when chemical control methods are necessary. Determine and implement a course of action if the facilities have issues with cockroaches, ants, carpet beetles, spiders, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, bees, wasps, houseflies, stable flies, blowflies, lice, bedbugs, fleas, scabies, mites, ticks, mosquitoes, scorpions, chiggers, saw tooth grain beetles, red/confused flour beetles, grain moths, house mice, field mice, mice, roof rats, voles, norway rats, bats, squirrels, gophers, moles, skunks, snakes, rabbits, raccoons, pigeons, starlings, sparrows, magpies, and any wood destroying organisms; however this list is not all-inclusive. Identify, remove, and clean any droppings that are known to be a health concern in ceilings, employee work areas, patient areas, or any other public areas. (This does not include barns or outbuildings not occupied by staff or patients). Continue to monitor treated areas to ensure control measures were adequate. A detailed written account (monthly report), due on the 8th of every month for the preceding month, will be provided where any treatment was provided, and will indicate how much chemical was applied, any traps that were placed and exact locations, and the pest(s) targeted. This information may vary from time to time based on the requirements set by the Federal Guidelines. In addition, a written annual report will be provided one month prior to the end of each annual period of performance with details of what type and quantity of chemicals were applied each month to date within that period of performance. RC CBOC only requires quick response treatments for emergent situations within 24 hours with monthly reporting, and will not need inspections, or quarterly and annual treatments. SCHEDULED WORK: Pest management tasks to be completed shall be coordinated with the COR on an agreed upon time schedule with the understanding that often the most efficient times to inspect and develop a treatment plan are during slower periods, and frequently after hours. Whenever possible, routinely scheduled work should be performed during normal business hours, which are Monday through Friday, 7:30 am until 4:30 pm., excluding holidays. The Contractor will coordinate treatment applications where personnel will be present in advance so that individuals with special health needs can be reasonably accommodated. Whenever pesticides are used in a large-scale application, the COR will notify the Industrial Safety Office in advance. EMERGENCY CALL BACK: The Contractor shall respond to any emergent conditions within four (4) hours after receipt of notification by the Contracting Officer (CO) or his/her designee and perform (IPM) Services to correct the emergent condition. This call back service shall be accomplished at no additional charge to the Government. Examples of emergent conditions would be suspected or confirmed bed bugs, or any pest that is affecting working conditions or patient care. NON-EMERGENT CALLS: The Contractor shall report within a mutually agreed upon time of less than 24 hours with COR for non-scheduled services without additional charge to the Government. The Contractor shall provide a method, such as cellular telephone number(s) or email address that is checked every four (4) hours where they can be contacted at any time. Pest Control Chemical, Materials, and Equipment: Storage of pest control chemicals, materials, or equipment is prohibited on government property. Any pest control chemical applied on VA property will have a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and a copy of the SDS will be provided to the COR prior to the application of the chemical. The Contractor shall provide SDS book upon award to the COR of all hazardous chemicals used. Contractor Security Requirements: 1. All Pest Control Technicians shall wear VA provided identification (I.D.) badges above the waist while on the VA grounds. The Contractor shall be required to coordinate with the COR to obtain the VA provided PIV badges for all staff. 2. No personal electronic devices are allowed to be used in the VA Medical Centers while working unless it is an emergency. 3. The Contractor will provide the VA COR a listing of Pest Control Technicians who will be performing services under the contract for the background investigation process to commence. 4. Contracted Pest Control Technicians will need to complete OF 306, Contractor Background Investigation Request, Self-Certification Form, and Security PIV Sponsorship Form. Additional forms may be needed to complete the background checks. All forms will come to the COR to submit to Employee Labor Relations Shared Service Unit (Personnel Security). 5. Fingerprinting is required for all background investigations and when completed is known as a Special Agreement Check (SAC) clearance. Fingerprinting can be done at the local VA facility with the Contractor/Employee Fingerprint Resource Form filled out. 6. All Contractor personnel providing services under this contract are required to complete VA s Privacy, Rules of Behavior, and Cyber Security training courses before starting work and annually as required. Documented proof must be provided to the task order CO and COR. Safety and Security Precautions: The Contractor shall provide their employees with any safety equipment that is required for performance of the contract. The Contractor shall also take all required precautions regarding fire and safety policies/procedures within VA. The Contractor is responsible for immediately notifying the COR of any existing or potentially unsafe conditions noted or that may develop in which any space the Contractor is aware (i.e., frayed electrical cord, dripping, or seeping of fluids). The Contractor shall comply with all Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and other applicable laws/regulations for the protection of his/her employees. The Government shall assume no liability or responsibility for the Contractor s compliance or noncompliance with such requirements. Performance Standards and Potential Penalties: The quality assurance surveillance plan (QASP) chart below outlines performance objective, standards, minimum quality levels, surveillance methods, and possible penalties for non-performance to serve as a guide for Contractor performance evaluations under this Contract. Terms may be tailored and added. Confirmation of delinquent performance will be made known to the Contractor immediately upon discovery. Any identified deficiency will be noted by the observer, reported to the CO, and the CO will be responsible for investigating if the deficiency is founded or not. Performance Objective Standard Minimum Quality Level Surveillance Method Possible Penalty Timeliness Contractor delivers supplies and services in a timely manner. Service Technicians arrive as scheduled. Emergency within 4 hours and Non-Emergency within 48 hours. Performance will meet standard 90% of the time Observation, validated complaints. Performance Evaluation to reflect poor performance; 10% reduction of relevant invoice payments Professionalism Contractor shall present themselves in accordance with the terms of the Contract, follow work site requirements, and behave courteously and professionally. Performance will meet standard 90% of the time Observation, validated complaints. Performance Evaluation to reflect poor performance Supply and Service availability Supplies and services the Contractor states they can provide are provided when scheduled. Performance will meet standard 100% of the time Observation, validated complaints. Performance Evaluation to reflect poor performance; termination of contract Quality of supplies and services Contractor provided items will be qualified and capable of performing the services scheduled. Performance will meet standard 100% of the time Observation, validated complaints. Performance Evaluation to reflect poor performance; 100% reduction of invoice payment
