This is a sources sought announcement only. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Responses in this sources sought notice must be in writing. The purpose of this sources sought announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential businesses interested and capable of providing the supplies described below. The Memphis VA Medical Center, 116 N Pauline Street, Memphis, TN 38105 is looking to purchase milk and dairy products as listed below. This procurement shall be a brand name or equal that meet or exceed the physical, functional, and performance of listed statement of work outlined below. Contractors shall show clear, compelling, and convincing evidence that all equal to items meet all requirements as outlined in the included statement of work including brand name and model numbers IAW FAR 52.211-6 Brand Name or Equal. CLIN ITEM DESCRIPTION QTY UOM 0001 Milk - 2% Milk Fat, Grade A, containing 8.25% milk solids, homogenized, pasteurized, and fortified with vitamins A and D 0.5 pint 14,000 EA 0002 Milk - Non-fat, Skim with 0.5% or less milk fat, Grade A, homogenized, pasteurized, and fortified with vitamins A and D 0.5 pint 3,000 EA 0003 Milk - 0.5 to 1% Milk Fat, Chocolate Flavored, Low fat, Grade A, containing 8.25% milk solids, homogenized, pasteurized, and fortified with vitamins A and D 0.5 pint 2,000 EA 0004 Milk - Whole, Grade A, homogenized, pasteurized, and fortified with vitamins A and D 0.5 pint 14,000 EA 0005 Sour Cream, 18% Ref SS Stik Pk 3lbs containers 1 EA 0006 Cottage Cheese, Group I, Type II, Low fat, Small or Large Curd, Style A or B 5oz container 1 EA 0007 Ice Cream, Vanilla, Type I, Grade I, General 10.0% MR (min.), 4 oz. cups 8,000 EA 0008 Ice Cream, Chocolate, Type I, Grade I, General 10.0% MR (min), 4 oz. cups 2,000 EA 0009 Sherbet, Orange, Type IV (4 oz. cups) 2,000 EA 0010 Buttermilk 0.5 pint container 500 EA 0011 Lactose Free Milk .5 pint containers 500 EA 0012 Eggnog, Dairy, Regular, Plastic, Ref 0.5 gallon containers 12 EA 0013 Water 12oz case 1 EA 0014 Cottage Cheese 3 lbs container 150 EA STATEMENT OF WORK: 1. OVERVIEW: The contractor shall provide milk and dairy products to the VA Medical Center (hereafter referred to as the VA) located at 116 N Pauline Street, Memphis, TN 38105. The VA intends to award a firm, fixed price contract for the provision of milk and dairy products. The quantities listed in the attached Pricing Schedule are estimated requirements for the Nutrition & Food Services. The contractor shall be a United States (US) Vendor and a US citizen. 2. SCOPE OF WORK: A. General: The scope of this requirement involves providing milk and dairy products, which conform to the specifications outlined and referenced herein to the VA s Nutrition & Food Service. Both of these services are located at the VA at 1030 Jefferson Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104. The Government anticipates award of a Firm Fixed-Price Estimated Requirements contract for the period October 1, 2024- September 30, 2025 with (4) four option years. B. Quantities: The Government does not guarantee the estimated yearly quantity. Any proposed alternate item shall meet the requirements of the Government specification as cited in the Index of Federal Specifications/Standards (FED) and or commercial Item Description (CID). The awarded contract shall constitute the entire agreement including all terms and conditions applicable to the contract. C. Period of Performance: The period of performance for the provision of milk and dairy products shall be a one (1) year base period from October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2025 with the option for renewal at the end of each contract period. Base Period October 01, 2024 September 30, 2025 1st Option Period October 01, 2025 September 30, 2026 2nd Option Period October 01, 2026 September 30, 2027 3rd Option Period October 01, 2027 September 30, 2028 4th Option Period October 01, 2028 September 30, 2029 3. RECOGNIZED FEDERAL HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day Martin Luther King Day Presidents Day Memorial Day Juneteenth Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Christmas Deliveries that fall on Federal holidays may require additional coordination with the COR in advance. 4. HURRICANES/DISASTERS/EMERGENCIES: The contractor must be able to ensure delivery to the VA at all times, inclusive of hurricane, disasters, and/or any other emergency condition. The VA may place a special order in preparation for, or in response to, a disaster or emergency situation, including but not limited to a hurricane. For anticipatory situations, such orders will be placed 24 hours or less in advance. In an emergency, the contractor will be notified with the amount and type of products required by the VA that shall be delivered within 24 hours of order placement. The order may be placed for larger quantities than the normal weekly order. The contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer and both technical representatives with its designated point of contact and contact information for emergency orders. 5. SPECIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS: A. The delivered products shall meet the specification as listed in the attached Pricing Schedule document and comply with all applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, packaging, labeling, storage, distribution, and sales of the products with the commercial marketplace. All deliveries shall conform in every respect to the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and regulations, promulgated hereunder. B. Quality Assurance. All raw milk for pasteurization, condensed and dried milk, finished products and the plant in which the products are processed shall comply with all applicable requirements of the "Grade A pasteurized Milk Ordinance - 1978 Recommendations of the United States Public Health Service" or latest revision thereof, or regulations substantially equivalent thereto. The raw milk for pasteurization, milk plant, and pasteurized milk and milk products each shall have a compliance rating of 90 or more as certified by the State Milk Sanitation Rating Officer and shall be listed in the "Sanitation Compliance and Enforcement Ratings of Interstate Milk Shippers." Milk laboratories approved by Federal and State agencies and listed in the previously mentioned document shall do all testing. C. Contractor's Certification. By submitting an offer, the contractor certifies that the product offered meets the specified salient characteristics and requirements of the Federal Hospital Subsistence Guide; conforms to the producer's own specifications and standards, including product characteristics, manufacturing procedures, quality control procedures, and storage and handling territories, or possessions; and is sold in the commercial market. The Government reserves the right to determine proof of such conformance prior to the first delivery from point of origin and any time thereafter, up to and including, delivery at final destination as may be necessary to determine conformance with the terms of the contract. D. Alternate Items. Offers on items not listed above (alternate items) will only be considered if acceptable bids on required items are not available or an offer is not received. Offerors must clearly identify any items that are not exact and specify the exceptions which differ from the required item. 6. SANITATION AND WORKMANSHIP: 1. All products furnished shall be prepared, processed and packed under sanitary conditions and in accordance with good commercial practice. All containers shall be clean, sound and securely covered or sealed to provide adequate protection from dirt, filth, and all other contamination. Chilled and frozen items shall be maintained at temperatures necessary for the preservation of the product according to the standards established by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). 2. The VA Contracting Specialist or his/her designee reserves the right to inspect the Offeror's premises at any time during the life of the contract. A pre-award, on-site visit to inspect the manufacturing plant, personnel, process and packaging equipment and premises in order to verify compliance with all applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, packaging, labeling storage, distribution, and sales of the products with the commercial marketplace may be performed by the government prior to contract award. If the plant of the apparent low Offeror does not meet specification or is not acceptable, the quote will be rejected. 7. FRESHNESS REQUIREMENT FOR DAIRY PRODUCTS: A. Fluid dairy products and other dairy products shall have sufficient remaining shelf life commensurate with good commercial practice at a minimum: (1) Milk, whipping cream (fresh), eggnog and half and half (fresh) must be delivered a minimum of 14 days prior to the expiration date and within 72 hours after pasteurization. (2) Half and Half (ultra-pasteurized), and buttermilk must be delivered a minimum of 21 days prior to the expiration date. (3) Whipping cream (ultra-pasteurized), and cream (ultra-pasteurized) must be delivered a minimum of 21 days prior to the expiration date. (4) Cottage cheese, cultures, normal shelf life must be delivered within 4 days after date of packing, cottage cheese, acidified, normal shelf life, must be delivered within 5 days after date of packaging, cottage cheese, culture or acidified, extended shelf life, must be delivered a minimum of 21 days prior to the expiration date. (5) Sour Cream must be delivered a minimum of 21 days prior to the expiration date. (6) Ice milk mix, fresh (soft serve), milk shake mix, fresh (direct draw) must be delivered a minimum of 21 days prior to the expiration date. (7) Yogurt must be delivered a minimum of 21 days prior to the expiration date. 8. PACKAGING, PACKING, AND LABELING: A. Unless otherwise specified, preservation, packaging, and packing shall be to a degree of protection to preclude damage to containers and/or contents thereof under normal shipping conditions, handling, etc., shall conform to normal commercial practices and applicable carrier rules and regulations, involving shipment from the contractor to the receiving activity for storage. Shipping containers shall be in compliance with national Motor Freight Classification and Uniform Freight classification (issue in effect at time of shipment). NOTE: (a) Gallon Containers Acceptable packaging = plastic containers (b) ½ pint Containers Acceptable packaging = ½ PT Cardboard Containers measuring 4-1/2" x 2-1/3" OR ½ PT Cardboard Containers measuring 2-7/8" x 3" B. All packaging and packing shall be in accordance with good commercial practice. Labeling shall be in accordance with commercial labeling, complying with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and regulations promulgated there under. C. All fluid milk products will have a pull date (date stamped on container) that is a minimum of seven (7) days before expiration on the date of delivery. Expiration dates shall be legible on each product. Cottage Cheese, yogurt, and sour cream will have a minimum expiration date of fourteen (14) days after delivery. Failure to comply with this requirement will render a contract in default and be grounds for termination. D. If it is determined that a significant number of products are leaking, spoiled, or otherwise found to not be in accordance with the specifications contained herein, the Contractor will be notified to exchange the products for ones that are in accordance with these specifications within two hours of notification. If the number of such products is determined to be insignificant in number, they may be held for pick up by the contractor at the next scheduled delivery. 9. SOURCE OF MANUFACTURE Items supplied under this contract are required to originate from a sanitarily approved source. The supplier must identify the source of manufacture on the primary container or in the accompanying shipping documents. The identification on the primary container may consist of either the manufacturing plant name and address or a manufacturing plant code. When the manufacturing plant is identified on the shipping documents accompanying the delivery, the plant shall be identified by its complete name, address and plant code. Preference will be given to locally sourced vendors. 10. ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS Should the contractor manufacturer and provide company brand milk products, the contractor should utilize, if possible, recycled materials for containers as long as they meet the FDA sanitary standards for the specified commodity. List recycled materials for containers as long as they meet the FDA sanitary standards for the specified commodity. 11. METRIC PRODUCTS Products manufactured to metric dimensions will be considered on an equal basis with those manufactured using inch/pound units, providing they fall within the tolerances specified using conversion tables contained in the latest revision of Federal Standard No. 376B and all other requirements of this document are met. If a product is manufactured to metric dimensions and those dimensions exceed the tolerances specified in the inch/pound units, a request should be made to the Contracting Officer to determine if the product is acceptable. The Contracting Officer s Representative, will accept or reject the product. 12. ORDERING 1. The Memphis VA Medical Centers estimate milk orders will be submitted up to three times per week, with 48 hours notice, with the Government reserving the right to adjust orders 24-hours prior to scheduled delivery. Ice cream orders will be submitted weekly, as needed, with 48 hours notice and with the Government reserving the right to adjust orders 24 hours prior to scheduled delivery. Orders will be placed by the COR or his/her designee. Each order will show ship to and bill to addresses and purchase order number (if required). Orders for product may be placed by phone, fax, email, mail or EDI. If the contractor is not already set up as an EDI Vendor, they must be set-up by contacting the VA Austin Automation Center. 2. Quantities shown on previous pages represent the quantities estimated to be ordered over the delivery period. Quotes will be evaluated based on the estimated quantities. Actual quantities ordered may vary among the line items. 13. PACKING LIST There shall be a packing list enclosed with any shipments made under this contract. The packing list shall show the following as a minimum: Contractors name and address; VA Purchase Order Number (if one is provided); the VA Facility and Service placing the order; the items shipped; and quantity. 14. RETURN POLICY Offeror s shall clearly indicate their return policy with their bid. Defective product or incorrect product shipped by contractor error shall be replaced at no cost to the Government. Product shipped by Government error may be returned subject to the contractor s normal return policy. Offeror s shall provide the name and telephone number for reporting delivery/product problems for each VA location. 15. UTILIZATION OF CONTRACT: Delivery orders will be issued on an as-needed basis. 16. DELIVERIES AND INVOICING 1. Deliveries shall occur up to four times per week between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday and Friday, excluding federal holidays. Ice Cream will be delivered once per week between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Requests for deliveries on different days and/or at a different time shall be submitted to and approved by the Contracting Officer and his/her designee in writing. 2. Deliveries and invoicing for the Nutrition and Food Services must be accomplished separately at the office listed below. Invoices must contain at a minimum the purchase order and itemized list of products delivered, unit prices, and total price. Nutrition & Food Services Accounting Section (614/120) Memphis VA Medical Center 116 N Pauline Street Memphis, TN 38105 3. While performing under this contract, all vehicles used by the contractor shall be locked and the keys removed when not in use. This is intended to protect the contractor s property as well as the safety of patients and staff at the medical centers. 4. While performing under this contract, all vehicles used by the contractor shall have temperature tracking systems in place on the refrigerated trucks to ensure they are being maintained in accordance with federal safety & sanitation guidelines. 17. PAYMENTS Payments under this contract shall be made by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) by the VA or VCS Finance Center. See Clause 52.232-34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer Other than Central Contractor Registration for further information. Contractor may elect to accept the Government Purchase Card as a method of payment for all orders under $3,000.00 if the contractor is set-up to accept credit cards. 18. EVALUATION CRITERIA 1. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: Price: All evaluation factors other than cost or price when combined are approximately equal to cost or price. The Government is not obligated to nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this sources sought announcement. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. The VA is mandated by Public Law 109-461 to consider a total set-aside for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses. However, if there are insufficient Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business responses, an alternate set-aside or full and open competition may be determined. No sub-contracting opportunity is anticipated. The North American Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 311511 (1,150 employees). Notice to potential offerors: All offerors who provide goods or services to the United States Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov. Additionally, all Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses or Veteran Owned Small Businesses must be registered with U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) located at http://veterans.certify.sba.gov. Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to delaney.dickey@va.gov. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Questions must be submitted no later than 08/19/2024 10:00 AM Central Standard Time (CST). Responses must be received no later than 08/21/2024 10:00 AM CST.
