THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)/SOURCES SOUGHT/RFI IS ISSUED SOLELY FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. THE SUBMISSION OF PRICING, CAPABILITIES FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, AND OTHER MARKET INFORMATION IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED AND ALLOWED UNDER THIS RFI IN ACCORDANCE WITH (IAW) FAR 15.201(e). DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. IAW 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 RFI. SOURCES SOUGHT/RFI DESCRIPTION This is NOT a solicitation announcement. This is a Sources Sought/RFI/RFI only. The purpose of this Sources Sought/RFI/RFI is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS 311991 (size standard of 700 employees). Responses to this Sources Sought/RFI/RFI will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After review of the responses to this Sources Sought/RFI, a solicitation announcement may be published. Responses to this Sources Sought/RFI synopsis are not considered adequate responses for a solicitation announcement. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), VISN 22 Long Beach Network Contracting Office, is seeking sources who can possibly provide Emergency Daily Meals that at a minimum meet the brand name and/or can possibly provide an equal product for VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, located in Los Angeles, CA. Brand name Information: 7,800 Emergency Daily Meals for the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System that are full cooked and are self-heating to sustain staff and patients in an emergency or disaster situation. A Daily Meal will consist of 3 entrees and snacks as detailed below. A Daily Meal will provide at least 2650 calories. Of the 7,800 Emergency Meals - 7,300 have no dietary restrictions and 500 must be gluten-free. Self-Heating Meal No Dietary Restrictions Kit for 1 person for 1 day with: 3 entrees (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Multi-grain Breakfast Cereal of at least 380 calories equivalent to https://readywise.com/products/daybreak-coconut-blueberry-multi-grain Noodle Dish of at least 440 calories equivalent to https://readywise.com/products/switchback-spicy-asian-style-noodles Veggie Chili Dish of at least 390 calories equivalent to https://readywise.com/products/high-plateau-veggie-chili-soup 3 dried fruit snacks, each of at least 60 calories 3 cookies or other baked snacks, each of at least 420 calories self-heating device (to include water measuring pouch and heater pad) Cutlery set Self-Heating Meal Gluten Free Kit for 1 person for 1 day with: 3 entrees (breakfast, lunch, dinner) Breakfast of at least 390 calories equivalent to https://readywise.com/products/early-dawn-breakfast-skillet Veggie Chili Dish of at least 390 calories equivalent to https://readywise.com/products/high-plateau-veggie-chili-soup Teriyaki Chicken and Rice Dish of at least 520 calories equivalent to https://readywise.com/products/self-heating-kit-teriyaki-chicken-and-rice-snack-bundle 3 dried fruit snacks, each of at least 60 calories 3 cookies, each of at least 420 calories self-heating device (to include water measuring pouch and heater pad) Cutlery set Similar to requirement - https://readywise.com/collections/self-heating-meal-kits/products/self-heating-meal-kit-bundle-3 https://readywisefoodservices.com/pages/self-heating-meal-kits https://www.heartlandemergencyessentials.com/products/self-heating-meal-combo-1 The information identified above is intended to be descriptive, not restrictive and to indicate the quality of the supplies/services that will be satisfactory. It is the responsibility of the interested source to demonstrate to the government that the interested parties can provide the supplies/services that fulfill the required specifications. We are seeking sources for products that meet the requirements set forth by the Buy American Act (41 U.S.C. 8301-8305). The purpose of this notice is to identify potential offerings that are compliant with the BAA, which stipulates that the U.S. government give preference to domestically produced goods. All products offered must be either manufactured in the United States or, if manufactured outside of the United States, must qualify as domestic end products or construction materials as defined in the BAA and its implementing regulations. By submitting a response to this notice, you certify that the products offered meet these requirements and that upon request, you can provide documentation verifying compliance. Failure to comply with these criteria may result in disqualification from consideration. If you are interested and are capable of providing the sought-out supplies/services, please provide the requested information as well as the information indicated below. Response to this notice should include company name, address, point of contact, size of business pursuant to the following questions: (1) Please indicate the size status and representations of your business, such as but not limited to: Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Hubzone, Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Large Business, etc.)? (2) Is your company considered small under the NAICS code identified in this RFI? (3) Are you the manufacturer, authorized distributor, and/or can provide equivalent solution to the items being referenced above? If applicable, please provide the manufacturer name and business size. (4) Is the end product manufactured in the United States; and is the cost of the components made in the U.S. at least 60% of the total cost of components required to manufacture the end product? If the item is not manufactured in the U.S., please provide the country of origin. (5) If you are a large business, do you have any designated/authorized distributors? If so, please provide their company name, telephone, point of Contact and size status (if available). (6) If you're a small business and you are an authorized distributor/reseller for the items identified above or an equivalent solution, do you alter; assemble; modify; the items requested in any way? If you do, state how and what is altered; assembled; modified? (7) If you intend to sub contract any work on this contract, what portion of the total cost will be self-performed/will be performed by your organization? Please provide estimated detailed percentage breakdowns related to sub contracted work and completion of job. (8) Does your company have a Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) GSA/NAC/SAC/BPA/NASA SEWP or any other Federal Government contract? If so, please provide the contract number. (9) If you are an FSS GSA/NAC/SAC/BPA/NASA SEWP or any other Federal Government contract holder, are all the items/solution you are providing information for available on your schedule/contract? Please state if all or some items are available on the contract. (10) General pricing of your products/solution is encouraged. Pricing will be used for the purpose of market research only. It will not be used to evaluate for any type of award. (11) Please submit your capabilities statement illustrating your organization's ability to meet the described salient characteristics or "equal to items" for planning purposes; show clear, compelling and convincing evidence that all "equal to items" meet all the salient characteristics. (12) Please review salient characteristics/statement of work (if applicable) and provide feedback or suggestions. If none, please reply as N/A. (13) Please provide your SAM.gov Unique Entity ID/Cage Code number. Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to isaac.shimizu@va.gov. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses must be received no later than 03/20/2025 by 12:00PM PST. All responses to this Sources Sought/RFI will be used for planning purposes only. If a solicitation is issued as a result of the information provided from this RFI, all interested parties must respond to that solicitation separately IAW the specifications of that solicitation announcement. Responses to this Sources Sought/RFI notice is not considered a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation.
