RFP FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS GENERAL INFORMATION Document Type: Combined Synopsis Solicitation Solicitation Number: 36C78620R0090 Post Date: 9/8/2020 Original Response Date: 9/18/2020 at 2:00 pm Applicable NAICS: 812220 Classification Code: Z1PZ Unrestricted Period of Performance: Date of Award 365 days plus (4) one-year options if exercised Issuing Contracting Office: Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration, Contract Services 18434 Joplin Road Triangle, VA 22172 Place of Performance: Northwoods/Rhinelander National Cemetery 4520 Lakewood Road Harshaw WI, 54529 Attachments: A Performance Work Statement B Contract Line Items (CLINs) C Wage Determination D Past Performance Questionnaire This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation is issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP), solicitation number 36C78620R0090. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2020-07 Effective August 31, 2020. The applicable North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 812220, with a business size standard of $22 million. This notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to ultimately award a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, anticipates the award of a Firm Fixed Priced Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract. The minimum order will be met with the first Task Order. Scope: The contractor shall be responsible for providing all-encompassing burial services at Northwoods/Rhinelander National Cemetery. PRICE SCHEDULE: Contractor shall provide all labor, supervision, material, equipment, tools and supplies to provide burial services as Northwoods/Rhinelander National Cemetery in accordance with (IAW) National Cemetery Administration standards. Units and services to be in accordance with Performance Work Statement, Technical Specifications, Performance Incentives/Disincentives, terms and conditions contained in this solicitation. The schedule price shall be all-inclusive, including all labor, equipment, materials, and supplies to complete the Contract Line Items (CLINs). Offerors shall enter unit price and total amounts for each CLIN as indicated in the schedule. In the event there is a difference between a unit price and the extended total amount, the unit price will be held to be the intended bid price and the total of the CLINs will be recomputed accordingly. Provide pricing for the base year date of award through September 28, 2021 and four (4) option periods. Tentative date of award: 9/29/2020 9/28/2021 Option Periods: 9/29/2021 9/28/2022 9/29/2022 9/28/2023 9/29/2023 9/28/2024 9/29/2024 9/28/2025 Department of Labor (DOL) Wage determination link: https://beta.sam.gov/search?index=wd Services to be Provided: See Attachment A Performance Work Statement SITE VISIT: In keeping with the recommended pre-cautions announced by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. There will be one guided site visit offered where social distancing will be maintained. Offerors shall familiarize themselves with National Cemetery Administration rules and regulations governing behavior and conduct of visitors while on Cemetery property. Offerors should take notice that Cemetery grounds are Federal Government property. Site Visit: 9/14/2020 10:00am - 3:00pm Responses to this Request for Proposal (RFP) are due to the Contracting Officer no later than 2:00 pm on 09/18/2020. Responses to this announcement will result in a Firm-Fixed Price IDIQ Contract and the Government intends to make award without discussions. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary and the Government will not pay for information provided nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided for the Government. Offerors are responsible for obtaining any and all amendments or additional information concerning this announcement at https://beta.sam.gov/ All questions regarding this solicitation are to be submitted to the contracting officer, via email, no later than 9/16/2020 at 2:00pm. Questions will not be addressed using the telephone. Questions pertaining to this announcement shall be sent by email to: [email protected] . Questions pertaining to this solicitation will be answered through an amendment to the solicitation. Proposal Format and Submission Information: Proposals must be submitted on company letterhead. Commercial format is encouraged. All Proposals shall include the following information as part of their submission: Legal Business/Company Name (as listed in www.sam.gov) DUNS Number Point of Contact Name Telephone number Email Address -Pricing shall be submitted as requested in the Schedule of Supplies/Services -Technical Package for Evaluation -Past Performance Questionnaire (Attachment C) -List of References Offers shall be submitted via email or via mail to the following addresses: Email: [email protected] Electronic submissions shall be in either Microsoft Word or Adobe pdf platforms. Compressed files and/or Zip files will be rated as technically unacceptable and removed from consideration. Evaluation Process: The Government intends to award a firm fixed price, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible contractor whose proposal conforming to the solicitation that provides the best benefit to the Government, price and other factors considered. Proposals will be evaluated by performing a comparative evaluation in accordance with FAR 13.106-2(b)(3). Proposals will be evaluated by performing a direct comparison of one proposal with another in a uniform manner to determine which proposal provides the government with its needs, as identified in the RFP. The government reserves the right to consider a response that offers more than the minimum and select that response if it provides a benefit to the government. The government has the discretion to accept other than the lowest priced proposal that provides additional benefits. The government also has the discretion to make an award based on whether the lowest priced of the quotations having the highest past performance rating possible represents the best benefit to the government. The following factors shall be used to evaluate proposals: Pricing: The sum of all the CLINs, will represent the total evaluated price. Proposed price must be determined to be fair and reasonable in order to be eligible for award in terms of reasonableness and realism using any or all the methods listed below. Comparison of proposed prices received in response to the solicitation. Comparison of previously proposed prices and previous Government and commercial contract prices with current proposed prices for like items. Use of parametric estimating methods/application of rough yardsticks to highlight significant inconsistencies that warrant additional pricing inquiry. Comparison with competitive published price lists, published market prices of commodities, similar indexes, and discount or rebate arrangements. Comparison of proposed prices with independent government cost estimates. Comparison of proposed prices with prices obtained through market research for the same or similar items. Analysis of pricing information provided by the offeror. Because below-cost prices are not inherently improper, when vendors are competing for award of a fixed-price contract, vendors are given notice that a business decision to submit a low-priced quotation may be considered as reflecting on their understanding of the contract requirements or the risk associated with their approach. Contractors are cautioned against submitting a proposal that contains unbalanced pricing. Unbalanced pricing exits when, despite an acceptable total evaluated price, the price of one or more contract line items for the base and or option years is significantly overstated or understated as indicated by the application of analysis techniques. Pricing that is determined to be unbalanced may be rejected if the lack of balance poses an unacceptable risk to the Government. Technical Acceptability Qualification of all Personnel (training, experience, certifications). Sufficient Personnel/Equipment- list of all equipment to be utilized in this contract as well as staffing and the tasks they will perform, number of total persons to be on the ground working. Equipment List shall have the models, horsepower and ages of the motorized equipment. List of proposed supplies. List of Subcontractors business names (if being used) and the tasks and/or CLINS they will perform. Write up detailing the technical methods and management of completing a cycle. Number of hours you believe each CLIN requires per cycle. Number of employees you expect a cycle requires. Outline the plan to cover/correct employee absences, vacations and low staffing levels. Provide a Gantt chart containing the employees, equipment and hours for all tasks in the CLINs. Information will be evaluated on it demonstrating an understanding of the work requirements (Adequate Performance Plan) 3. Past Performance The offeror is responsible for providing a minimum of three (3) references of their choosing and no more than six (5) total. Send a copy of the attached Past Performance Questionnaire (Attachment D) for their completion. The completed questionnaire is to be returned to the Contracting Officer for review. The completed questionnaires shall be sent to: [email protected] no later than the solicitation s closing date and time. The references chosen by the offer should be selected based on past projects of the same or similar work. Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses The full text of FAR/VAAR provisions or clauses may be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html. https://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaar/ The following solicitation provisions apply to this acquisition: FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items (Jun 2020) FAR 52.237-1 Site Visit (Apr 1984) VAAR 852.270-1 Representatives of Contracting Officers (Jan 2008) Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications on-line at http://orca.bpn.gov in accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications Commercial Items. (Jun 2020) If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required. The following solicitation clauses apply to this acquisition: The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items (Oct 2018) applies to this acquisition. Addendum to FAR clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items (Oct 2018): FAR 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018) FAR 52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020) FAR 52.216-18 Ordering (Aug 2020) (date of award through 365 calendar days) FAR 52.216-19 Order Limitations (Oct 1995) ($250.00 | $25,000.00 | $25,000.00| 30 days) FAR 52.216-21 Requirements (Oct 1995) (March 31, 2025) FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (Nov 1999) (15 days) FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000) (5 days | 30 days | 5 years & 6 months) FAR 52.228-5 Insurance Work on a Government Installation (Jan 1997) FAR 52.232-18 Availability of Funds (Apr 1984) FAR 52.232-19 Availability of Funds for the Next Fiscal Year (Apr 1984) (September 30, 2020 | September 30, 2020) FAR 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (Dec 2013) FAR 52.237-2 Protection of Government Buildings, Equipment, and Vegetation. (Apr 1984) FAR 52.237-3 Continuity of Services (Jan 1991) VAAR 852.203-70 Commercial Advertising (May 2018) VAAR 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payments Requests (Nov 2018) VAAR 852.237-70 Indemnification and Medical Liability Insurance (Oct 2019) VAAR 852.270-1 Representatives of Contracting Officers (Jan 2008) The clause at 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders (Aug 2020) applies to this acquisition. The following subparagraphs of FAR 52.212-5 are applicable: (b)(4), (b)(18), (b)(22), (b)(25), (b)(26), (b)(27), (b)(28), (b)(30), (b)(33)(i), (b)(42), (b)(49), (b)(55), (c)(2), (c)(8), and (c)(9). (c)(3) 52.222-42 Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (May 2014) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 67) Employee Class Monetary Wage Fringe Benefits 11210 Laborer, Grounds Maintenance 14.25 + Fringe CL-120 Supplemental Insurance Requirements In accordance with FAR 28.307-2 and FAR 52.228-5 (Jan 1997), the following minimum coverage shall apply to this contract: (a) Workers compensation and employer s liability: Contractors are required to comply with applicable Federal and State workers compensation and occupational disease statutes. If occupational diseases are not compensable under those statutes, they shall be covered under the employer s liability section of the insurance policy, except when contract operations are so commingled with a Contractor s commercial operations that it would not be practical to require this coverage. Employer s liability coverage of at least $100,000 is required, except in States with exclusive or monopolistic funds that do not permit workers compensation to be written by private carriers. (b) General Liability: $500,000.00 per occurrences (c) Automobile Liability: $200,000.00 per person; $500,000.00 per occurrence and $20,000.00 property damage. (d) The successful bidder must present to the Contracting Officer, prior to award, evidence of general liability insurance without any exclusionary clauses for asbestos that would void the general liability coverage. End of Addenda