This Sources Sought Notice is for planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products and/or services. Your response to this Sources Sought Notice will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise because of contractor submission of responses to this announcement or the Government use of such information. This request does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter negotiations to award a contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort. The information provided may be used by the Department of Veterans Affairs in developing its acquisition approach, statement of work/statement of objectives and performance specifications. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to award a contract based on this Sources Sought Notice or to otherwise pay for the information submitted in response to this Sources Sought Notice. The submission of pricing, capabilities for planning purposes, and other market information is highly encouraged and allowed under this Sources Sought Notice in accordance with (IAW) FAR Part 15.201(e). The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of potential qualified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, Veteran Owned Small Businesses, 8(a), HubZone and other Small Businesses interested and capable of providing the products and/or services described below. Documentation of technical expertise must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary functional area expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition. Responses to this notice shall include the following: (a) Company Name; (b) Address; (c) Point of Contact; (d) Phone, Fax, and Email; (e) UEI Number; (f) Cage Code; (g) Tax ID Number; (h) Type of Small Business, e.g., Services Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Veteran Owned Small business, 8(a), HUBZone, Women Owned Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, or Small Business HUBZone business, etc.; (i) State if your business has an FSS contract with GSA, VA NAC, NASA SEWP, or any other federal contract, that can be utilized to procure the requirement listed below and provide the contract number; and (j) Must provide a capability statement that addresses the organization s qualifications and ability to perform as a contractor for the work described below. Requirement: The VA Heartland Network 15 Contracting Office located at 3450 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, KS, 66048-5055 is seeking potential qualified contractor to provide maintenance and support on the DSS RX Pyxis Inpatient VistA Interface to the VA St. Louis Healthcare System, Jefferson Barracks Pharmacy and John Cochran pharmacy locations. The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS Code) is 541519 (Other Computer Related Services), size standard of $34million. Based on this information, please indicate whether your company would be a Large or Small Business and have a socio-economic designation as a Small Business, VOSB or SDVOSB. Important Information: The Government is not obligated to, nor will it pay for or reimburse any costs associated with responding to this source sought synopsis request. 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 an acquisition approach. The Government will in no way be bound to this information if any solicitation is issued. Currently a total set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms is anticipated based on the Veterans Administration requirement with Public Law 109-461, Section 8127 Veterans Benefit Act. However, if response by Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business firms proves inadequate, an alternate set-aside or full and open may be used. Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to Maria Riza Owen at maria.owen2@va.gov. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses must be received no later than Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 1:00pm CST. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this sources sought. Responses to this source sought notice are not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation. 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 located on the web at www.sam.gov). Additionally, all Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses or Veteran Owned Businesses who respond to a solicitation on this project must be registered with the SBA VetCert at https://veterans.certify.sba.gov/ STATEMENT OF WORK DSS RX Pyxis Inpatient VistA Interface Maintenance and Support Services St. Louis VA Healthcare System I. General Information (a) Service Agreement: The VA St. Louis Health Care System is requesting to establish a service contract for maintenance and support on the DSS RX Pyxis Inpatient VistA Interface located at Jefferson Barracks Pharmacy in Clinic Building 55 and John Cochran pharmacy locations. The St. Louis facilities are located at: VA St. Louis Healthcare System John Cochran Division 915 N. Grand Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63106 VA St. Louis Healthcare System Jefferson Barracks Division 1 Jefferson Barracks Dr. St. Louis, MO 63125 (b) Scope of Work: The Contractor shall supply all labor, travel, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, and all incidentals required to complete software subscription maintenance and support of the equipment in the following list: Item Manufacturer Part Number Location 1 Document Storage Systems Inc. DSSRX-Pyxis Logistics-VA-PL VA St. Louis Health Care System 2 Document Storage Systems Inc. DSSRX-Pyxis Logistics-VA-PL-AM VA St. Louis Health Care System 3 Document Storage Systems Inc. DSS-INST-R VA St. Louis Health Care System This work will be completed in accordance with Manufacturer s recommendations, Joint Commission standards, design specifications, and the specifications, terms, and conditions of this contract. (c) Background: This contract is issued to ensure the continuous reliability of the RX Framework on the DSS Pyxis Inpatient VistA Interface software and ancillary equipment identified in the statement of work. The equipment is critical for continuous pharmacy procedures at all VA Medical Centers within the VISN and the reliable and accurate operation of the equipment at all times is considered critical to the health of patients. (d) Performance Period: The Contractor shall begin the work required under this SOW commencing with the effective date of August 10, 2025, unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer (CO) and shall provide continuous service until the date of contract expiration. The contract would be for one year with renewal options for an additional four years. (e) Type of Contract: Firm-fixed-price (f) Extension of Contract: This contract may be extended in accordance with FAR Clause 52.237-3 Continuity of Services, in order to transition the services to a successor. II. Equipment to be Serviced Each of the following items is to be serviced in accordance with the specifications, terms and conditions of this contract: Item Manufacturer Part Number Location 1 Document Storage Systems Inc. DSSRX-Pyxis Logistics-VA-PL VA St. Louis Health Care System 2 Document Storage Systems Inc. DSSRX-Pyxis Logistics-VA-PL-AM VA St. Louis Health Care System 3 Document Storage Systems Inc. DSS-INST-R VA St. Louis Health Care System III. Services to be Provided The contractor shall provide software support services, including emergencies, on the DSS RX Pyxis Framework. (a) Summary of Services a. Software subscription maintenance and support i. M-F 8a-7p EST ii. Includes bug fixes b. Minor release upgrades c. Telephone Support (b) Parts The Contractor shall have ready access to all parts, including unique and/or high mortality replacement parts. All parts supplied shall be compatible with existing equipment. The contract shall include all parts except -if applicable - those parts specifically listed as being EXCLUDED. The contractor shall use only new Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or OEM-approved parts. All parts shall be of current manufacture and have complete versatility with the presently installed equipment. All parts shall perform identically to the original equipment specifications. Parts removed from another system, rebuilt and/or used, shall not be installed without specific approval by the Contracting Officer and the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR). All defective parts replaced become the property of the Contractor, unless otherwise specified by the CO, COR or Alternate COR. No EXCLUDED parts are listed. (c) Service Manuals/Tools/Equipment a. The VA shall not provide tools, test equipment, service manuals or service diagnostic software to the contractor. Contractor shall obtain, have on file, and make available to its FSE all operational and technical documentation (such as operational and service manuals, schematics and parts list) which are necessary to meet the performance requirements of this contract. The location and listing of the service manuals, by name and/or the manuals themselves shall be provided to the CO upon request. b. The Contractor shall provide the COR, Pharmacy Manager, and the Biomedical Engineering Shop Supervisor copies of all documentation that pertains to any software upgrade or repair. c. Copies of the latest version(s) of all documentation and licensing agreements, which shall include operation, service and diagnostic software. The COR shall have access to the same operation, service, diagnostic software, and documentation as the OEM's FSE. Contractor shall provide to the COR OEM Service Bulletins for the equipment covered under this contract. All documentation and service bulletins, etc. shall be provided within 30 days of award in either hard copy or electronic format. Any future service bulletins generated during the contract period shall be provided to the COR within 30 days of receipt in either hard copy or electronic format. (d) Services Not Covered by Contract CO or COR authorization for any work outside the scope of this contract must be received prior to performance of work or payment will not be authorized. (e) Removal of Equipment Approval from the CO must be obtained before removing any equipment from the VA Medical Facility. No transportation charges will be allowed for either the repairperson or equipment to or from the Contractors facility. The Contractor will be responsible for all damage or loss of equipment. A loaner of the same type and functionality of the equipment removed, if required, shall be furnished, installed and made fully operational by the contractor without additional cost. IV. Condition of Equipment All equipment is currently fully operational per required standards. The Contractor will be provided an opportunity to visit the VA Medical Centers, examine the equipment, and note in writing to the CO any condition which may affect the Contractor s performance of this contract. With the exception of any conditions so noted the Contractor accepts responsibility for the equipment described in Section II in "as is" condition. Failure to inspect the equipment prior to contract award will not relieve the Contractor from performance of the requirements of this contract. V. Definitions/Acronyms a. CO Contracting Officer, Network Contracting Office (NCO) 15. b. COR Contracting Officer s Representative appointed under the contract. c. ESR - Engineering Service Report - Documentation provided by the vendor of the services rendered for each incidence of work performance under the terms and conditions of the contract. d. FSE - Field Service Engineer - A person who is authorized by the contractor to perform maintenance (corrective and/or preventive) services on the AVAHCS premises. e. NFPA - National Fire Protection Association. f. OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer. g. OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration. h. PM - Preventive Maintenance Inspection. Services which are periodic in nature and are required to maintain the equipment in such condition that it may be operated in accordance with its intended design and functional capacity with minimal incidence of malfunction or inoperative conditions. i. Unscheduled repairs emergency services required to restore equipment to working condition outside normal hours of coverage. j. UL Underwriter s Laboratories VI. Conformance Standards Contractor shall ensure that the equipment functions in conformance with the latest published edition of the applicable standards; including but not limited to Joint Commission, NFPA-99, UL, OSHA, VA, CDRH, etc. and the Manufacturer's Performance standards/ specifications as used when the equipment was originally procured and that any upgrades/updates will meet the stated standards/specifications. VII. Hours of Coverage a. The contractor will provide all required services within the normal business hours (8:00 AM to 7:00 PM (EST) M-F). b. All services shall be performed during these normal hours of coverage unless one of the following conditions exists: i. The contractor wishes to furnish services at a time that is outside of the normal hours of coverage, at no additional cost to the Government, the contractor submits a request to the COR prior to the proposed start of the work and the request is approved in writing by the COR before work is begun. ii. The COR directs that the services be furnished at a time that is outside the normal hours of coverage and the additional cost is recommended by the COR and authorized by the CO. c. Work performed outside the normal hours of coverage must be preapproved by the CO, COR or Alt COR. The Contractor will provide a written estimate of the charges prior to approval of the work. d. Work performed outside the normal hours of coverage at the request of FSE/contractor shall be considered service performed during normal hours of coverage. e. There will be no additional charge for time spent waiting at the site during or after the normal hours of coverage for delivery of parts. Note: Hardware/software update/upgrade installations shall be scheduled and performed during normal hours of coverage at no additional charge to the government. VIII. Federal Holidays Observed by the VA Medical Center New Year s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President s Day (Washington s birthday), Memorial Day, Juneteenth Day Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and any other day specifically designated by the President of the United States. XI. Documentation/Reports No later than seven (7) business days after the conclusion of any maintenance or repair the Contractor will provide to the COR or Alt COR a signed detailed service/inspection report listing all devices, all repairs for each device, parts used to maintain or repair the devices and operating efficiency of the devices. The service/inspection report shall contain, at a minimum, the following information: (a) Date and time of the technician s arrival on station. (b) Type, model, and serial number(s) of all equipment on which maintenance was performed. (c) Total time spent performing maintenance (exclusive of any travel time). (d) Detailed narrative description of work performed. (e) Complete list of parts replaced. (f) Comments as to the cause of the malfunction when applicable (g) Date and time the repair/preventive maintenance was completed. X. Security Requirements Upon arrival at the VA Medical Center, all Contractor personnel shall be required to report to the VA Medical Center Police for a temporary ID and then to the COR for check-in. This check-in process is mandatory. When the service is completed, the personnel shall be required to check out with the COR, Biomedical Engineering Shop Supervisor or Pharmacy Manager. The contractor's field service employee shall wear visible identification at all times while on the premises of the VA Medical Center. XI. Competency of Contractor Personnel a. The Contractor must have an established business, with an office and full-time staff. The staff includes a "fully qualified" FSE and a "fully qualified" FSE who will serve as the backup. b. Fully Qualified" is based upon training and experience in the field. For training, the FSE(s) must have successfully completed a formal OEM Certified (or equivalent) training program for all equipment to be maintained and all equipment to be utilized in the performance of the contract. For field experience, the FSE(s) must have a minimum of two years of experience in the installation, calibration, maintenance and repair of the specific equipment identified in Section II. c. All work shall be performed by "Fully Qualified" competent FSEs. The Contractor shall provide written assurance of the competency of their personnel and a list of credentials of approved FSEs. The CO may authenticate the training requirements by request training certificates or credentials from the Contractor at any time for any personnel who are providing services. The CO and/or the COR or Alt COR specifically reserve the right to reject any of the Contractor's personnel and refuse them permission to work on equipment. d. If subcontractor(s) are used, they must meet the same competency standards as Contractor personnel and be preapproved by the CO. The Contractor shall submit any proposed change in subcontractor(s) to the CO for approval or disapproval. XII. Exposure to Blood Borne or Infectious Material There is a potential for exposure to blood borne or other infectious material with equipment throughout the medical centers. All maintenance persons must use the Universal Precautions (i.e. decontamination of medical equipment, wearing protective gloves, aprons and goggles) during cleaning and maintenance/repair procedures. XIII. Test Equipment The Contractor shall provide the COR or Alt COR with a copy of the current calibration certification of all test equipment which is to be used by the Contractor in the performance of this contract. Test equipment calibration shall be traceable to a national standard. XIV. Identification, Parking, Smoking and VA Regulations a. Contractor s personnel shall wear visible identification at all times while on the premises of the VA. Identification shall include, as a minimum, the employee s name, position, and the contractor s trade name. b. It is the responsibility of the contractor to park in the appropriate designated parking areas. Information on parking is available from VA Police Service. VA will not invalidate or make reimbursement for parking violations of the contractor under any conditions. c. Possession of weapons is prohibited. Enclosed containers, including tool kits, shall be subject to search. Violations of VA regulations may result in citation answerable in the United States (Federal) District Court, not local district, state or municipal court. d. Smoking is prohibited inside all VA buildings and on all VA premises. e. Possession of weapons is prohibited. Enclosed containers, including tool kits, shall be subject to search. Violations of VA regulations may result in citation answerable in the United States (Federal) District Court, not a local district, state or municipal court.
