Q502--691 | Cardiovascular Technology Staffing SBAR Request Approval #21873 Received (FY26)

This amendment (Amendment 4) answers questions regarding the Request for Quote (RFQ). Questions with their respective answers are as follows: Does the $7,000,000 ceiling apply cumulatively over the entire 5-year contract period (i.e., $7M total across all task orders issued from 2026-2031)? OR does the $7,000,000 ceiling apply to each annual task order that will be issued for each contract year (i.e., up to $7M per year, for a potential maximum of $35M over 5 years)? ANSWER: The $7,000,000 applies cumulatively over the entire 5-year contract period. Surge or Emergency Staffing Needs: Does the VA anticipate surge needs (e.g. temporary expansion in cath lab capacity) that may require staffing above the 7 FTEs? If so, will those be addressed through separate task orders? ANSWER: This is not anticipated. Option Year Pricing Adjustments: Can the contractor apply escalation in option years (e.g., based on wage increases or locality rate changes), or must all rates remain level unless renegotiated? ANSWER: How prices are quoted is at the discretion of the contractor. Contract Transition Requirements: If Capstone is selected, will there be a transition-in period (e.g., 2 4 weeks) for onboarding and training before full performance starts February 1, 2026? ANSWER: It is anticipated award will be made in sufficient time to coordinate a transition of personnel to the new contract. There will not be a transition-in period for onboarding and training. The instructions in Section E.1 request a list of contracts "with the Quoter as the prime contractor." However, the Reference Contract Worksheet (Attachment D.3) explicitly asks for details regarding tasks performed by "the Offeror (or the Offeror's proposed subcontractor)." Can the Government confirm that relevant experience from a proposed subcontractor is acceptable for Factor 1? ANSWER: The Reference Contract Worksheet is a more detailed set of instructions, where answers are used for evaluation purposes. Relevant experience from proposed subcontractors is acceptable. Is there an incumbent? If yes can you disclose the incumbents Name and the contract number? ANSWER: This information will not be disclosed. How will the quote be evaluated will it be lowest price technically acceptable or best trade off procurement? ANSWER: The evaluation will be conducted as outlined in Section E.7. From historical data how often is the Cath team activated after hours for STEMIs?   ANSWER: Historical data will not be provided. In section 21.0 work hours, for clarification are the two shifts (07:00-15:30, 09:00-17:30) Monday through Friday only or are the two shifts every day including Monday-Friday, weekends and National Holidays? ANSWER: Standard hours are Monday through Friday; however, it is possible contractor personnel may have to work weekends and/or holidays if circumstances warrant. For on-call cardiovascular technologists is the call taken in house? If not in-house call is there a distance limit or time limit the techs must be able to return to hospital within? ANSWER: Contract CVTs are assigned individual pagers, pager can go off while contract CVT are on site working through their regular shifts and in-house calls are answered as soon as the tech becomes available because pager can go off while the techs are in the labs with patients and physicians.  Pager can go off after regular shifts and if pager goes off while they are walking to the parking lot and after regular shifts ended, then that is call back and OT.  When the pager goes off once the techs are home, then the techs have 30 minutes to return to the labs.   Besides the request for the 7 contract FTEs are there other cardiovascular technologists employed by the VA? ANSWER: This question is outside the scope of this RFQ. We understand that the position is for Cardiovascular Technologist. Our question has to do with the recruiting and staffing experience. Does the Government consider experience staffing cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology labs with invasive cardiology technologists to meet the specialized experience requirement, even when the job title used by the client differed from Cardiovascular Technologist, provided the duties and acuity align with the Statement of Work? ANSWER: Since this is a staffing experience question, the evaluation team will have to consider what has been submitted relevant to experience to determine if it is acceptable. Given that services are performed on-site at VA facilities, can the Government confirm whether automobile liability insurance is required only in circumstances where contractor personnel operate vehicles in performance of the contract? ANSWER: Supplemental Insurance Requirements are explained in Section C.3. Under Factor 1, will the Government place greater weight on direct VA cardiovascular staffing experience, or on demonstrated equivalency in non-VA hospital catheterization and electrophysiology labs where scope, complexity, and clinical environment are comparable? ANSWER: See answer to Question 7. Are third-party credentialing or occupational health providers considered subcontractors for purposes of limitations on subcontracting compliance, or are these services treated as allowable direct costs excluded from LOS calculations? ANSWER: This question cannot be adequately answered here. The evaluation team will have to examine each quote to determine acceptability, to include meeting subcontracting compliance requirements.