Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice Page 7 of 7 Sources Sought Notice *= Required Field Sources Sought Notice Page 1 of 7 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 Supply of Meal Kits, Snacks, and Drinks that at a minimum meet the brand name and/or can possibly provide an equal product for New Mexico VA Healthcare System, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Brand Name 36 units of Meal Kits for 25 people, 5 different varieties of regular diet 8 units of Meal Kits for 25 people, 4 different varieties of puree diet 33 units of Nonfat Milk, 50 servings/can 27 units of crackers and peanut butter snacks, 25 servings/2 cans 6 units of crackers snack, pureed, 25 servings/2 cans Contractor shall provide the listed food and drink items to Raymond G. Murphy VAMC, Nutrition and Food Services and delivered to Raymond G. Murphy VAMC Logistics Warehouse, Bldg. 46. Performance Monitoring The product shipment will be evaluated upon delivery by NFS personnel to determine all quantities procured arrived and no damage to product. Security Requirements General Not Applicable Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE)/Government-Furnished Information (GFI). Not applicable Other Pertinent Information or Special Considerations. a. Identification of Possible Follow-on Work. Not applicable b. Identification of Potential Conflicts of Interest (COI). Not applicable c. Identification of Non-Disclosure Requirements. Not applicable d. Packaging, Packing and Shipping Instructions. Preservation, packaging and packing shall be to a degree of protection to preclude damage to containers and/or contents under normal shipping conditions, handling, etc. and shall conform to normal commercial practices and applicable carrier rules and regulations involving shipment from the Contractor to the receiving activity for storage. All packaging and packing shall be in accordance with good commercial practice. Labeling shall be in accordance with commercial labeling, complying with Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and regulation promulgated there under. All items must be identified with readable dates (open code dates) or coded dates. Contractors who do not use open dating will provide a product code number key listing. The product code number key listing shall explain the actual date of production or processing. Copies of key-code listings will be furnished to each destination receiving officer and each destination inspection agency with the first delivery. SOURCE OF MANUFACTURE Items supplied under this contract are required to originate from a sanitary approved source. The supplier shall 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. EPA Should the contractor manufacturer and/or providing company brand the product, the contractor should utilize, if possible, recycled materials for containers as long as they meet the FDA sanitary standards for the specified commodity. Inspection and Acceptance Criteria. The Government reserves the right to inspect delivered goods for compliance of specifications, including but not limited to, correct products, quantities, proper packing, damaged goods, etc. Any items determined unacceptable will be refused with full credit/replacement due at the discretion of the Government. Replacement of rejected products shall be delivered the same day no later than 3:00 p.m., unless otherwise specified by the Facility Point of Contact. The Contractor shall be responsible for delivery to the appropriate locations specified by the delivery schedule or Facility Point of Contact. The Contractor shall provide the necessary means to accomplish such delivery (e.g.: hand truck, dolly, cart, etc.) The Government assumes no obligation to provide and/or make available to the Contractor, any such means required for such delivery, nor shall the Government be required to accept shipment should the Contractor be unable to make delivery as required. Risk Control All items furnished under this contract shall be prepared, processed, and packed under sanitary conditions and in accordance with good commercial practice and approved standards established by the Food and Drug Administration. All containers shall be clean, sound and securely covered or sealed to provide adequate protection from dirt, filth and all other contamination. The delivered products shall 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 there under. Contractor s Certification. By submitting a quote, 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 facilities located within the United States, its territories, or possessions; and is sold on the commercial market. The Government reserves the right to determine proof of such conformance prior to the first delivery at final destination as may be necessary to determine conformance with the provisions of the contract. PROCUREMENT FROM ANOTHER SOURCE: The Contracting Officer shall make every effort to ensure that offered substitutions are given fair and reasonable consideration and that procurement from an alternate source is made only if necessary. If procurement from an alternate source is required due to the Contractor s fault, the Contractor is responsible for any price difference and any other additional charges. CONTRACTOR LICENSE, PERMITS AND FACILITIES: The Contractor shall obtain all necessary licenses and/or permits required to perform under this contract. The Government may, prior to contract award or at any time during the term of the contract, inspect the Contractor s plan, personnel, equipment, processes, and protective containers to determine compliance with State and Federal sanitary requirements. QUALITY MANAGEMENT: The Government further reserves the right to enter and inspect any vehicle used to deliver goods for, but not limited to, compliance of sanitation conditions, proper refrigeration, proper cargo area temperature, etc. Such inspection shall be made on a random basis, upon delivery. CONTRACTOR DELIVERY PERSONNEL: All Contractor personnel are required to wear distinctive clothing bearing the name of the Contractor and by wearing badges bearing the Contractor s name, employee picture, and the employee s name in English, and proper hair restraints. Place of Performance. Raymond G. Murphy VAMC, Nutrition and Food Services 1501 San Pedro SE, Bldg 41/BB110, Albuquerque, NM 87108 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 subcontract 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 subcontracted 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 03/27/2025 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.
