The Perry Point VA Medical Center is conducting this Sources Sought to identify contractors who possess capabilities to provide the services described in the Statement of Work below. As permitted by the FAR Part 10, this is a market research tool being utilized for the informational and planning purposes. Your responses will assist the Government in the development of its acquisition strategy. Response is strictly voluntary it is not mandatory to submit a response to this notice to participate in formal RFQ process that may take place in the future. However, it should be noted that information gathered through this notice may significantly influence our acquisition strategy. All interested parties will be required to respond separately to any solicitation posted as a result of this sources sought notice. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. We appreciate your interest and thank you in advance for responding to the sources sought. This service will be implemented using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 562111. If a small business is interested in this procurement, they must provide at least 51 percent of the services rendered. NOTES All Capability Statements/Responses to this Sources Sought Notice shall be submitted via email only to tracy.dotson@va.gov. Telephone, Fax, or any other form of communication inquiries will not be reviewed or accepted. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice must be received no later than September 20, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time). This Sources Sought Notice may or may not assist the VA in determining sources only. A solicitation is not currently available. If a solicitation is issued, it may or may not be announced at a later date, and all interested parties shall respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this Sources Sought Notice. DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked a proprietary will be handled accordingly in accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e), RFIs may be used when the Government does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes. Responses to these notices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses incurred associated with responding to this RFI. INTERESTED & CAPABLE RESPONSES NCO 5 is seeking responses from businesses that are interested in this procurement and consider themselves to have the resources, rights, and capabilities necessary to provide these services. Please respond with your: Business name (including Unique Entity ID (SAM.gov), business type, socio-economic status (e.g., Veteran-Owned, Woman-Owned, Disadvantaged Small Business, 8(a), etc.), person of contact (including telephone number & email address). Capability statement GSA Contract number, if applicable, to include NAICS Brief summary of categories of professional services that your company can provide. Applicable Certification(s)/Licenses STATEMENT OF WORK Solid Waste Open Top Containers and Collection, Cardboard and Single Stream Recycling Containers and Collection, Composting Compactor and Collection Service, Single Stream Recycling Interior Containers, Rear Load Single Stream Recycling Containers and Services, and Back Up Services within 4 hours for VA Owned FEL (Front End Loader) Truck for Solid Waste Collection of VA Owned Dumpsters to the County owned Landfill Facility. 2.1 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES. 2.1.1 The Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, tools, equipment and supervision necessary to provide collection, storage, removal, transportation, and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste, cardboard and single stream recycling (processable and non-processable), organic waste for composting and the back-up for the VA Owned front-end loader truck. The waste is generated at the Perry Point VAMC, Perry Point, Maryland (VA). Most of the solid waste generated at the facility is collected by the VAMC staff and taken to Cecil County Central Landfill for disposal. The VA has a front-end loading truck and containers throughout the campus. The truck periodically is out of service for repair or maintenance. The contractor will be responsible to providing back-up services for the VA within 24 hours. This is a critical function to prevent waste from backing up on the campus. The contractor shall describe their capabilities to provide back-up services to the facility for these services in the event the facility experiences and downtime and has a need for back up service. Tonnage to be included within pick-up fees. The government intends to negotiate and award a firm fixed price requirement contract. Option years will be exercised at the discretion of the government and are subject to the availability of funds. 2.1.2 Contractor shall provide quantity (1) one rental 30-cubic yard roll off dumpster that is always on site. Contractor shall provide a second 30-cubic yard roll off dumpster according to the same standards and cost if requested by the CO or COR. This container will be for various waste items generated at the facility. It could be bulky solid waste, construction type debris, or various items from clearing out the warehouse. There will be no hazardous waste deposited into the container. It will be utilized for both solid waste and construction debris and it should be proposed accordingly. It is estimated that it will be pulled 25 times annually. 2.1.3 The Contractor shall provide quantity (1) one rental 30-cubic yard dumpster that conforms to current industrial standards and safety regulations. The VA will have the right to refuse any dumpster that the COR views as unsafe or not up to standards. In this case the contractor shall remove and replace the dumpster within 24 hours of request to do so. 2.1.4 Contractor shall provide quantity (16) sixteen rental 8-cubic yard. Two (2) of the 8-cubic yard containers shall have locking bars and locking doors located at building 17H. Quantity (1) one rental 2-cubic yard front load containers for the collection of cardboard and single stream recyclables. The containers will be able to accept cardboard and single stream recycling in the same container. All containers should have lids and side doors and be in good operating condition. Containers deemed to be unsafe or in poor operating condition will be rejected by the COR and will be required to be immediately swapped out with a suitable container. 2.1.5 Contractor shall also provide quantity (31) thirty-one rental 96-gallon containers for the collection of cardboard and single stream recyclables. The containers will be able to accept cardboard and single stream recycling in the same container. All containers should have lids and be in good operating condition. Containers deemed to be unsafe or in poor operating condition will be rejected by the CO or COR and will be required to be immediately swapped out with a suitable container. Shall also be clearly marked for single stream recycling. 2.1.6 Contractor shall also provide quantity (75) seventy-five rental 23-gallon slim-jim style containers with lids designed with the integral slot for containers and paper (slot with hole in center) for the collection of cardboard and single stream recyclables internally. The containers will be able to accept cardboard and single stream recycling in the same container. All containers should have lids and be in good operating condition. All containers shall be labeled with stickers on the side and the front of the container with the VA Designed labels. Contractor to provide labels and to apply to the containers to ensure all containers are clearly marked for single stream recycling. Contractor shall provide pale green liners as a part of the service. The dimension and thickness are as follows 28.5x 44 1mil, green tent. The liners are delivered monthly up to 20 cases. 2.1.7 Contractor shall provide collection for each rented recycling front load dumpster twice per week on a mutually agreed upon and consistent day, and once per week for the rented rear load 96-gallon containers. These containers will be designated and utilized for cardboard and single stream recycling. The contractor is required to weigh all front load containers individually and to report the weights back to the VA Medical Center. All rear load containers will be weighed separately from any other generators recyclables and the weights reported to the VA. A total weight for the front-load containers is not acceptable. The individual weights are required to ensure that each building is properly participating in the Campus wide recycling program. 2.1.8 The Contractor shall comply with all current county or municipal, state, and federal laws, regulations and guidelines when collecting, storing, removing, transporting, disposing of and/or recycling all wastes under the scope of this contract. 2.1.9 The Contractor shall provide quantity (1) one rental 20-cubic yard self-contained compactor with odor control system for organic waste. Compactor to be marked clearly to indicate organic waste diversion for composting. Contractor shall be responsible for installation of unit, all maintenance and repair, and removal of unit upon completion of contract. Contractor shall respond within 4 hours to all service and repair requests for this machine. It serves as the only organic waste receptacle for the kitchen staff. 2.1.10 The Contractor shall provide the logistics necessary to move bulk linen carts containing clean but not needed linens out of our program to make way for additional storage. The linens are to be recycled and not enter any landfill. The bulk linen carts need to be returned to EMS. The total weight of all collected linen items minus the weight of the carts need to be reported back to EMS so that it can be entered into the waste/ recyclable tracker system. The Contractor shall provide logistics for the bulk linen carts during the month of January. Contractor shall determine the linen location for recycling at no cost to the VA. All linens must remain out of the landfill and the VA requires the tonnage weight minus cart weight be documented for tracking purposes. The VA provides the carts, and they shall be returned. All transportation and processing fees must be included in the per cart fee. 2.1.11 The Contractor shall comply with all current county or municipal, state, and federal laws, regulations and guidelines when collecting, storing, removing, transporting, disposing of and/or recycling all wastes under the scope of this contract. Compactor to be hauled to a compost facility for organic waste recycling. The VA will rent all waste receptacles listed above. 2.2 COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS AND SCHEDULE. 2.2.1 Contractor shall pick up the 30-cubic yard waste dumpster as needed between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., local time Tuesdays and Fridays. Services are on call, as needed, up to 25 containers annually. 2.2.2 Contractor shall pick up the front-end loading containers twice per week between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., local time Tuesdays and Fridays. 2.2.3 Contractor shall pick up the rear end loading containers once per week between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., local time Tuesdays and Fridays. 2.2.4 Contractor shall pick up the organic waste compactor every third week between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., local time Tuesdays and Fridays. 2.2.5 Contractor shall pick up the VA Owned front-end loading containers for solid waste as needed within 24 hours, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., local time Tuesdays and Fridays. Must be taken to Cecil County Landfill. 2.3 PERMITS AND LICENSING. 2.3.1 Contractor shall submit as part of its quote copies of all applicable permits and licenses such as a disposal facility permit, waste, transportation licenses, certificate of insurance, permits or recycling facility permits that will be necessary to perform this contract. In addition, a fully detailed written description and procedural manual of the methodology that will be used to transport, treat, & dispose of the waste as well as processing of recyclables shall be furnished. 2.3.2 As requested, the Contractor shall provide proof of regulatory compliance such as inspection reports, policies and procedures, staff training records, and emergency plans. 2.4 REPORTS, TRAINING AND ON-SITE MONTHLY MEETING. The Contractor shall provide, as requested by the government, methods of disposal, recycling, weight tickets and the address of the disposal site, recycling center. On a monthly basis the contractor must provide a tonnage report that tracks the net weight of all recyclables collected. Contractor must have the ability to weigh each individual front load dumpster to get the net weight of the contents for the cardboard and single stream recycling. The weights will be tracked on the monthly report. Each month the contractor shall inspect the containers for any potential deficiencies and shall have deficient containers swapped out. Monthly the Contractor shall be required to facilitate an on-site meeting to confirm service levels, present waste tracking reports, and to provide the container report. Contractor shall provide education and training to the campus. The training and education include in-service training on the most current waste and recycling practices, information tables and waste audits. Contractor will provide annual waste audits to review further diversion opportunities to ensure the VA is complying the VA Directives 1850.06 (Waste Management Program) & 1851 (Waste Minimization and Compliance Report). 2. 5 TITLE. The Contractor shall take title of all solid waste and recycling once the material is fully loaded into contractor furnished vehicles. MAINTAINING CONTAINERS AND COLLECTION AREA. The Contractor shall maintain all containers in good, workable condition. They must remain accessible to the customers. The Contractor shall perform all cleaning, repair and other maintenance tasks off-VA property. VA personnel will regularly monitor the container area and if additional containers are needed, necessary coordination to address any issues will be made at that time. OFF-SITE DISPOSAL. The Contractor shall transport and dispose of all solid waste and recycling at a licensed off-site location selected by the contractor. Disposal shall be in accordance with existing local, state, and federal regulations. The contractor shall be responsible for any permit or fees associated with the use of off-site disposal locations. The VA owned front end loader containers will be taken to Cecil County Landfill when back up services are utilized. QUALITY CONTROL/ASSURANCE. The Contractor shall develop and maintain a quality program to ensure refuse services are performed in accordance with commonly accepted commercial practices and to ensure that all recyclables are processed for diversion to ensure the maximum diversion rates for the Campus. The VA will appoint a Contracting Officer s Representative(s) (COR) to monitor performance to ensure services are received. The COR will periodically evaluate Contractor s performance through intermittent on-site inspections of the contractor's quality control program and receipt of any complaints from VA personnel. SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. The Contractor shall develop and maintain a written safety plan that will be undertaken to protect the staff of the VA Medical Center and contractor including the surrounding community. Such safety plan shall be submitted to the Government as requested. In the performance of this contract, the Contractor shall take such safety precautions as the COR, or his designee may determine to be reasonably necessary to protect the lives and health of the employees and patients of the VA. The COR or his designee will notify the contractor of any noncompliance with the foregoing provisions and the action to be taken. The Contractor shall, after receipt of such notice, immediately correct the conditions to which attention has been directed. Such notice, when served on the Contractor or his representative at the work site, shall be deemed sufficient for the purpose aforesaid. If the Contractor fails or refuses to comply promptly, the Contracting Officer may issue an order stopping all or any part of the work and may ultimately terminate the contract for default. DEFINITIONS. 2.10.1 Solid Waste. Shall mean garbage, refuse, yard waste and other discarded solid materials generated by residential units and commercial establishments, including Solid Waste materials resulting from industrial, commercial, or agricultural operations, governmental operations, and from other activities; it does not include solids or dissolved materials in domestic sewage or other significant pollutants in water resources such as silt, dissolved materials in irrigation return flows, other common water pollutants, or any by- products, the sale or reuse of which is intended by the persons from whose process they resulted. 2.10.2 Non-Processable (solid waste). Shall mean furniture such as couches, chairs, tables; bedding such as mattresses and box springs and other similar items; white goods such as refrigerators, ovens, water heaters, window air conditioning units and other similar appliances; non-combustible construction material and demolition debris such as steel, concrete, brick, glass, asphalt roofing material and other similar materials; motor vehicles and major vehicle parts; tires; machinery, equipment or other metals. 2.10.3 Compost Shall mean food waste and organic materials from the kitchen designated for compost as processing as opposed to landfill. This waste stream shall be a beneficial use as opposed to being deposited in the local landfill. Items include food, paper products, waxed cardboard, and wood. Shall be for pre- and post-consumer organics. 2.10.4 Processable (single stream recycling). Shall mean any single stream recycling, including but not limited to, cardboard, paper products, plastics, aluminum, glass, etc. FEDERAL HOLIDAYS. New Year s Day January 1 Martin Luther King s Birthday 3rd Monday in January President s Day 3rd Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Independence Day July 4 Labor Day 1st Monday in September Columbus Day 2nd Monday in October Veterans Day November 11 Thanksgiving Day 4th Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25 SERVICE DELIVERY SUMMARY. The contractor service requirements are summarized into primary performance objectives. The performance threshold briefly describes the minimum acceptable levels of service required for each requirement. These thresholds are considered critical to acceptable performance. Performance Objective Performance Threshold Collect and dispose of waste and recyclables in accordance with the established schedule. No more than 2 customer complaints per month. Maintain containers and collection area. No more than 2 customer complaints per month. Provide monthly reporting of weights. No more than 1 customer complaints per month. Provide training and education. No more than 1 customer complaints per month. Provide emergency response for VA owned front-loading truck. No more than 1 customer complaints per month.
