R614--Anchorage Regional Office Shredding Services

Page 1 of 2 This is a Sources Sought notice only. This is not a request for quotes and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. The Government will not provide any reimbursement for responses submitted in response to this Source Sought notice. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interest parties must response to that solicitation announcement separately. Responses to this notice are not a request to be added to a prospective quoters list or to receive a copy of the solicitation. The purpose of this announcement is to perform market research to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS Code 561990, (All other support services) with a size standard of 16.5 million. The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Anchorage Regional Office (RO), in Anchorage, AL, is seeking to identify any vendor capable of providing Shredding Services per the Statement of Work below. This Sources Sought notice provides an opportunity for respondents to submit their capability and availability to provide the requirement described below. Vendors are encouraged to submit information relative to their capabilities to fulfill this requirement, in the form of a statement that addresses the specific requirement identified in this Sources Sought. Information received from this Sources Sought shall be utilized to facilitate the Contracting Officer s review of the market base, for acquisition planning, size determination, and procurement strategy. Submission Instructions: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by 11:00am EST, on May 14th, 2026. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to [email protected] with RFQ # 36C10D26Q0093 in the subject line. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. Interested parties should complete the attached Sources Sought Worksheet. Parties may submit additional information related to their capabilities, provided it contains all the requirements contained in the Sources Sought Worksheet. Responses to this Sources Sought shall not exceed 8 pages. In addition, all submissions should be provided electronically in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. Attachment 1 Sources Sought Worksheet QUALIFICATION INFORMATION: Company / Institute Name: _______________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: ________________________________________________________________ Point of Contact: _______________________________________________________________ E-mail Address: ________________________________________________________________ Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) #: ___________________________________________________ CAGE Code: __________________________________________________________________ SAM Registered: (Y / N) Other available contract vehicles applicable to this sources sought (GSA/FSS/NASA SEWP/ETC): __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS: VIP Verified SDVOSB: (Y / N) VIP Verified VOSB: (Y / N) 8(a): (Y / N) HUBZone: (Y / N) Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N) Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N) Small Business: (Y / N) NOTE: Respondent claiming SDVOSB and VOSB status shall be registered and Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) verified in VetBiz Registry www.vetbiz.gov. BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SDVOSB, VOSB, SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. CAPABILITY STATEMENT: Provide a brief capability and interest in providing the (service) as listed in Attachment 2 STATEMENT OF WORK with enough information to determine if your company can meet the requirement. The capabilities statement for this Sources Sought is not a Request for Quotation, Request for Proposal, or Invitation for Bid, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach, but rather the Government is requesting a short statement regarding the company s ability to provide the services outlined in the (SOW). Any commercial brochures or currently existing marketing material may also be submitted with the capabilities statement. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government will not pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Attachment 2 STATEMENT OF WORK Shredding Services Anchorage VA Regional Office BACKGROUND The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Anchorage Regional Office (RO) located at 1201 North Muldoon Road, Anchorage, AK 99504 provides a variety of services to United States of America Veterans. Subsequently, creating sensitive documentation while carrying out the mission and shall be properly disposed when no longer required. The VBA needs on-site shredding services and the disposal of approximately 5,000 pounds of material each year, to include option period(s) if exercised. SCOPE The contractor shall provide all labor and equipment required to properly shred materials (which may contain but not limited to folders and, other non-paper materials. Folders and, other non-paper materials are described as - 44 U.S.C. 3301: "Regardless of physical form or characteristics" means that the medium may be paper, film, disk, or another physical type or form. It also means that the method of recording may be manual, mechanical, photographic, electronic, or any combination of these or other technologies.) And shall also be responsible for disposing of all shredded materials in the approximate volume of 5,000 pounds of material per year. All shredding shall take place in accordance with regulations and directives referenced in Sections 6 and 12. The contractor shall provide 1 64-gallon secure containers (bins) to collect and store materials to be shredded until such time that shredding of the materials occurs. Bins shall have wheels, capable of holding an average of 200 lbs. (64 gallon), and possess locking mechanisms (key, combination lock, etc.). Sets of keys and/or combination for the bin locking mechanisms shall be issued to the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Government representative. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) has one location that requires shredding services bi-monthly (two times per month scheduled in advance) located at: Department of Veteran Affairs Anchorage Regional Office 1201 North Muldoon Road Anchorage, AK 99504 TYPE OF CONTRACT Firm-fixed price contract. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: The base year period of performance shall be 12 months with potential of four (4) twelve (12) month option years. Work at the government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO). Contractor shall attend a Pre-Performance meeting prior to the start of work. The Pre- Performance meeting is to ensure that all contractors that will be working at the site described in Section 2 have completed the Contractor s Rules of Behavior. The Records Management Office and Support Services Staff will conduct the meeting. We will be discussing initial bin delivery, bi-monthly (two times per month) pick up schedules, confirming that a certificate of destructions shall be issued after each job is completed, and what is needed to gain access at the location site described in Section 2. PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES OBJECTIVES The contractor shall arrive with equipment capable of picking up, loading, and on-site destruction shredding bins at the identified location provided in Section 2. Contractor s owned and operated equipment shall produce crosscut shred particles NAID processing standard of 5/8-inch by ½ inch cross cuts or pulverize/disintegrate paper materials using disintegrator devices equipped with a 3/32 inch security screen. Contractors are invited to propose equipment that shall crosscut the materials and achieve smaller cut specifications. At the conclusion of each shredding service visit, the contractor shall provide validation to the witnessing Government representative by providing a Certificate of Destruction. At the end of each calendar month, the contractor shall provide the Regional Office with an invoice detailing the number of bins that were collected, weight, date(s) the shredding services was performed. CONSTRAINTS Contractor shall be capable of shredding approximately 5,000 pounds per year. Contractor s owned and operated equipment shall produce crosscut shred particles NAID processing standard of 5/8-inch by ½ inch cross cuts or pulverize/disintegrate paper materials using disintegrator devices equipped with a 3/32 inch security screen. VBA Staff Member may make unannounced visits to the Contractor s facilities or other locations that are used by the contractor for completing the services requested. Subject to criminal prosecution, contractor personnel shall comply with all manner of confidentiality when engaging in the destruction of any and all VBA temporary records. As per attachment, VA Directive 6371, Destruction of Temporary Paper Records. Any Contractor personnel found to be reading any VBA material shall be promptly removed from the premises where the job is being performed, and the person(s) involved shall not be allowed to have access to any future service requests at VBA locations. The Contractor shall adhere to the VBA policies applicable to all record destruction as outlined in VA Handbook 6300, Records and Information Management, VA Directive 6371, Destruction of Temporary Paper Records, and VBA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management. These guidelines are designed to protect sensitive and private information from being disclosed to unauthorized parties and adhere to the Privacy Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Privacy rules and regulations. Examples of sensitive information include but not limited to: personal identifiable information (PII), personal health information (PHI), benefits, VBA sensitive information, personnel and or personal information; financial, budgetary, research, quality assurance, confidential commercial, critical infrastructure, investigatory, and law enforcement information. The contractor shall provide a contingency plan for instances where equipment malfunction occurs during the shredding process within twenty-four work hours. Contractor shall maintain a current listing of employees. The list shall include the employee s name, address, phone number, level of security, and position held. The list shall be validated and signed by the company Facility Security Officer and provided to the Regional Office Support Services Staff. An updated listing shall be provided when an employee s status or information changes. The Contractor has twenty-four hours to inform the RO, in writing that the employee does not work for them. Due to termination, transfer, suspension, or extended absence from the employer s duty position. If the employee is reinstated a written notification must be provided to the RO. Contractor and Staff shall comply with Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 (HSPD-12), NIST 800-53, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance M-05-24, as amended, and Federal Information Processing standards Publication (FIPS PUB) Number 201, as amended. Contractor personnel shall immediately report to the RO and provide any information or circumstances of which they are aware may pose a threat to the security of Department of Veterans Affairs personnel, Contractor personnel, resources, classified, and unclassified information. Contractor employees are prohibited from possessing weapons, firearms, or ammunition, on themselves or their contractor-owned or privately-owned vehicle while on VBA premises and locations. If the RO finds it in the best interest of the Government he/she may at any time during the performance of this contract may order the Contractor to remove any of his/her personnel from further performance under this contract for reasons of their moral character, unethical conduct, security reasons and violation of on-site building rules. In the event that it becomes necessary to replace any Contractor personnel for any of the above reasons, the Contractor shall bear all costs associated with such removal, including the costs for the replacement of any personnel so removed. These charges shall not be chargeable to the Government. In the event of an accident on the Department of Veterans Affairs premises or locations involving Government personnel or property, the Contractor shall submit a report immediately to the RO in a company letterhead that shall include the following: (1) the time and date of occurrence; (2) the place of occurrence; (3) a list of personnel directly involves; and (4) a narrative or description of the accident to include chronological order of the accident and circumstances. The Contractor shall not hold any discussions or release any information related to the contract to anyone not having a direct interest in performance of this contract, without written consent of the RO. This restriction applies to all news releases of information to the public, industry, or Government agencies. The Contractor shall not advertise information about projects performed for this contract without Government review and approval. Advertisement is considered but not limited to promotional brochures, posters, tradeshow handouts, world-wide-web-pages, magazines, newspapers, and similar promotions. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE / HOURS OF OPERATION The VBA facilities listed in paragraph Section 2 are Federal Government Facilities and require proper identification for all personnel entering the grounds/facilities. Services shall be performed at the following location, dates and times: Department of Veteran Affairs Anchorage Regional Office 1201 North Muldoon Road Anchorage, AK 99504 Schedule for shredding for the RO are Monday thru Friday 8:00 am 2.00 pm local time. If a Federal Holiday falls on a day scheduled for shredding, the shredding will resume the next official workday between the scheduled hours as per each location. All additional service requests shall be accomplished within forty-eight hours after the contractor has been notified by VBA. Unless directed by the RO, or Anchorage Regional Office, work at the site shall not take place on Federal Holidays or weekends. Driver shall contact the Records Management Technician (RMT) at least one hour prior to arrival at the shred material pick up locations by calling his/her direct extension (Office: 907-433-1023 or email [email protected]). Changes to the Statement of Work (SOW) Any changes to this SOW shall be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the Contracting Officer. Costs incurred by the contractor through the actions of parties other than the Contracting Officer shall be borne by the contractor. Holidays If a Federal holiday falls on a Thursday, shredding shall take place the next official workday. All additional service requests shall be accomplished within 48 hours after the contractor has been notified by the Portland RO. Unless directed by the Contracting Officer, work at the site(s) shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=2023 Government Points of Contact Contracting Officer Representative (COR): Shelby Wilkinson, 907-433-1023, [email protected] Contracting Officer (CO): Craig Harris, 603-222-5737, [email protected] SECURITY General All Contractors and Contractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal security and privacy laws, regulations, standards and VA policies as VA, including the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. §552a, and VA personnel, regarding information and information system security. Contractors must follow policies and procedures outlined in VA Directive 6500, Information Security Program; and VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security which are available at: http://www1.va.gov/vapubs and its handbooks to ensure appropriate security controls are in place. Records Management Obligations Applicability This clause applies to all Contractors whose employees create, work with, or otherwise handle Federal records, as defined in Section B, regardless of the medium in which the record exists. Definitions Federal record as defined in 44 U.S.C. § 3301, includes all recorded information, regardless of form or characteristics, made or received by a Federal agency under Federal law or in connection with the transaction of public business and preserved or appropriate for preservation by that agency or its legitimate successor as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the United States Government or because of the informational value of data in them. The term Federal record: includes VBA records. does not include personal materials. applies to records created, received, or maintained by Contractors pursuant to their VBA contract. may include deliverables and documentation associated with deliverables. Requirements Contractor shall comply with all applicable records management laws and regulations, as well as National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records policies, including but not limited to the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. chs. 21, 29, 31, 33), NARA regulations at 36 CFR Chapter XII Subchapter B, and those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a). These policies include the preservation of all records, regardless of form or characteristics, mode of transmission, or state of completion. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for Government use and delivered to, or falling under the legal control of, the Government are Federal records subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statute or regulation. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, Contractor shall maintain all records created for Government use or created in the course of performing the contract and/or delivered to, or under the legal control of the Government and must be managed in accordance with Federal law. Electronic records and associated metadata must be accompanied by sufficient technical documentation to permit understanding and use of the records and data. VBA and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of VBA or destroyed except for in accordance with the provisions of the agency records schedules and with the written concurrence of the Head of the Contracting Activity. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. In the event of any unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records, Contractor must report to VBA. The agency must report promptly to NARA in accordance with 36 CFR 1230. The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate Contracting Officer upon discovery of any inadvertent or unauthorized disclosures of information, data, documentary materials, records or equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorized personnel with a need-to-know as described in the Firm-fixed price contract. The Contractor shall ensure that the appropriate personnel, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is properly protected. The Contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems, or facilities or systems operated or maintained on the Government s behalf, without the express written permission of the Head of the Contracting Activity. When information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is no longer required, it shall be returned to VBA control or the Contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items returned to the Government shall be hand carried, mailed, emailed, or securely electronically transmitted to the Contracting Officer or address prescribed in the Firm-fixed price contract. Destruction of records is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4). The Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, contracts. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and VBA guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary information, classified, and controlled unclassified information. The Contractor shall only use Government IT equipment for purposes specifically tied to or authorized by the contract and in accordance with VBA policy. The Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any non-public VBA information that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract. The Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected from public disclosure by an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act. The VBA owns the rights to all data and records produced as part of this contract. All deliverables under the contract are the property of the U.S. Government for which VBA shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Any Contractor rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20. Training. All Contractor employees assigned to this contract who create, work with, or otherwise handle records are required to take VBA-provided records management training. The Contractor is responsible for confirming training has been completed according to agency policies, including initial training and any annual or refresher training. [Note: To the extent an agency requires contractors to complete records management training, the agency must provide the training to the contractor.] Flowdown of requirements to subcontractors The Contractor shall incorporate the substance of this clause, its terms and requirements including this paragraph, in all subcontracts under this Firm-fixed price contract, and require written subcontractor acknowledgment of same. Violation by a subcontractor of any provision set forth in this clause will be attributed to the Contractor. REFERENCES VA Directive 0710, Personnel Suitability, and Security Program VA Directive 6371, Destruction of Temporary Paper Records VA Handbook 6300.1, Records Management Procedures VA Directive 6300, Records, and Information Management