SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NEW EYE LANE DISCLAIMER: Please read this entire notice before responding. This notice is being issued for market research and planning purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Quote (RFQ), Request for Proposal (RFP), or Invitation for Bid (IFB). Responses to this notice will not be considered as quotes/offers, bids, or proposals and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. No evaluation letters or results from this market research will be issued to Vendors. However, the Government reserves the right to contact any Vendor and/or Vendor reference to obtain additional information. The Vendors are solely responsible for all cost associated with responding to this notice. At this time, no solicitation exists; therefore, please do not request a copy of the solicitation. Any procurement actions resulting from this notice will be announced in accordance with federal acquisition policies. Additionally, item descriptions and information in this notice are subject to change prior to any future announcements being issued. If further announcements are issued as a result of this market research, interested parties must respond to the specific posting in accordance with the specifications of that announcement. 1. Background: The Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office (NCO) 7 has a requirement to procure a new Eye Lane to be delivered, assembled, and installed at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center (CVVAMC) at 1826 Veterans Blvd, Dublin GA 31021. Vendors must review Attachment 1 Requirement Description for a full description of the required items. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 339112 and the small business size standard is 1,000 Employees. 2. Purpose: The purpose of this market research is to: (1) determine the availability of domestic products comparable to the items listed in Attachment 1 Part I: Requirement Description; (2) identify vendors that are interested, qualified, and capable of supporting the entire requirement, including delivery, assembly, and installation as described in Attachment 1; (3) determine whether there are small business manufactures and small business authorized distributors for these items; (4) determine whether the items can be procured from a single vendor; and (5) determine whether the requirement can be supported on an existing federal contract or in the open market. 3. RFI Response Instructions: Please review all information contained in this notice including all attachments before submitting a response. Respond to this notice by completing and submitting Attachment 2 - Vendor Questionnaire via e-mail to the Contracting Officer at lasonja.harvey@va.gov no later than 30 Aug 2024 at 1:00 PM ET and include 36C24724Q0979 Eye Lane in the subject line of the e-mail. 4. Additional Information for Responders: A. Buy America Act (BAA) and Free Trade Agreements: The Buy American Act (BAA) establishes a preference for the purchase of domestic products over foreign products in Federal Procurements. The Trade Agreement Act (TAA) applies to acquisitions over the BAA threshold and provides a waiver from the Buy American statute for designated trade partners, allowing their products and services to be considered for awards. Information obtained from this RFI will be used to determine whether domestic products can support this requirement and whether a waiver will be required. B. Nonmanufacturer Rule (NMR) and Limitations on Subcontracting (LOS): In order to qualify as a small business concern for a small business set-aside, a small business concern must meet SBA requirements at 13 CFR parts 121, 125, and 128 including the nonmanufacturer rule requirements at 13 CFR 121.406(b) and limitations on subcontracting at 13 CFR 125.6. C. Nonmanufacturers. A firm may qualify as a small business concern for a requirement to provide manufactured products or other supply items as a nonmanufacturer if it: Does not exceed 500 employees (or 150 employees for the Information Technology Value Added Reseller exception to NAICS Code 541519); Is primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of item being supplied; Takes ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice; and Will supply the end item of a small business manufacturer, processor or producer made in the United States, or obtains a waiver of such requirement. D. Limitations on Subcontracting: By submission of an offer and execution of a contract, the Contractor agrees that in performance of a contract assigned a NAICS code for Supplies (other than procurement from a nonmanufacturer of such supplies), it will not pay more than 50 percent of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance, excluding the cost of materials, to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities. Any work that a similarly situated entity further subcontracts will count towards the prime contractor's 50 percent subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. When a contract includes both supplies and services, the 50 percent limitation shall apply only to the supply portion of the contract. E. Gray Market Prevention: The Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) defines Gray Market Items as original equipment manufacturer goods intentionally or unintentionally sold outside an authorized sales territory or sold by non-authorized dealers in an authorized sales territory . The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) aims to prevent the sale of gray market items/goods . (a) Gray market items are Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) goods sold through unauthorized channels in direct competition with authorized distributors. This market research is for new OEM medical supplies, medical equipment and/or services for VA Medical Centers. No remanufactures or gray market items will be acceptable. (b) Vendor shall be an OEM, authorized dealer, authorized distributor, or authorized reseller for the proposed medical supplies, medical equipment, and/or services contracts for maintenance of medical equipment (i.e. replacement parts). (c) The delivery of gray market items to the VA in the fulfillment of an order/award constitutes a breach of contract. Accordingly, the VA reserves the right enforce any of its contractual remedies. This includes termination of the contract or, solely at the VA s election, allowing the Vendor to replace, at no cost to the Government, any remanufactured or gray market item(s) delivered to a VA medical facility upon discovery of such items. See Attachment 1 Requirement Description See Attachment 2 Vendor Questionnaire
