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Amendement One (1) - Questions and Answers - uploaded

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A. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 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.

B. The Great Plains Area Indian Health Service (IHS) intends to award a Fixed Unit Price, Non-Personal Healthcare Service, Contract in response to Request for Quote (RFQ) RFQ-23-076.

C. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2023-02.

D. This RFQ is for 100% Small Business set-aside, and the associated NAICS Code is 621399, which has a small business standard size of $8 million.

E. The quoted unit pricing must be “all-inclusive cost”; to include to travel, lodging, per diem, fringe benefits, i.e.; life insurance, health insurance, Medicare, social security, all applicable federal, state and local taxes (contact the local TERO Office to see if taxes are applicable). No Differential pay, No Holiday pay, or no overtime pay will be paid, this must be included in the “all inclusive” cost per hour. Plus, all other costs pertinent to the performance of this contract. Utilize your most competitive and reasonable rates.

Period of Performance: Date of Award for six (6) months. Complete the attached Bid Schedule:

Total Bid Schedule Price - $ ____________________

F. Firm Fixed-Price, Non-Personal Healthcare Services, Commercial Item, Purchase Order to provide Professional Staffing Services:

two (2) Certified Nursing Assistants and two (2) Medical Support Assistants

for the Great Plains Area IHS Regional Drug and Dependency Unit (GPA IHS RDDU).

G. See Attached Statement of Work (SOW). Services will be provided at the GPA IHS DDU at 113 South Bluff Street, Winnebago, Nebraska 68071.

H. FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (November 2021).

Quotes shall be submitted on company letterhead stationery, signed, dated and it shall include:

1. Solicitation number RFQ-23-076.


2. Closing Date: March 14, 2023 at 12:00 pm, CT.


3. Name, address and telephone number of company and email address of contact person.


4. Technical description of the item/service being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements of the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary.


5. Terms of any express warranty


6. Price and any discount terms


7. “Remit to” address, if different than mailing address.


8. A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3


9. Acknowledgment of Solicitation Amendments (if any issued)


10. Past performance information, when included as an evaluation factor, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information); and


11. Include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Offers that fail to furnish required representations or information, or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

In addition, Contractors shall provide the following:

• Must Provide Name and Phone number of three (3) professional references.


• Must meet the qualifications in the Statement of Work and provide copies of requested documents.


• Must Complete and sign Waiver IHS Provisional Authorization Memo - Child Care.


• Must Complete and sign the Declaration for Federal Employment – Optional Form 306.


• Must Complete and sign Addendum to Declaration for Federal Employment (OF306).


• Must Complete and sign Licensure Requirement Form.


• Must Provide Copy of malpractice insurance coverage.


• Must meet the Scope: CNA and MSA Qualifications and Employee Health Requirement in the Statement of Work and provide copies of required documents.


• Must Provide Copy of current certification in BLS, CPR and AED.


• Must Provide Copy of Diploma(s) and/or Specialty Certification(s) and Continuing Education.


• Must Provide Copy of current Health Information to include: immunization records, including COVID-19 vaccines.


• Must Provide CV/Resumes for two (2) CNA’s and for two (2) MSA’s.

Attachments:

• Statement of Work


• Bid Schedule


• Provisions and Clauses incorporated by reference and full text


• Business Associate Agreement


• Contractor’s Performance Conditions & Responsibilities


• Waiver IHS Provisional Authorization Memo - Child Care


• Declaration for Federal Employment – Optional Form 306.


• Addendum to Declaration for Federal Employment (OF306).


• Licensure Requirement Form.


• HHS Residual Standard of Conduct


• Workplace Violence & Violence in the Workplace


• Courtesy and Respect in the Workplace Policy


• Mandatory Seasonal Influenza


• Wage Determination No.: 2015-5361 – Nebraska, Thurston

I. FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Products and Commercial Products and Commercial Services (November 2021) See attached for full text. by reference.

Basis of award is Lowest Price, Technically Acceptable “LPTA” factors determining the successful contractor. The Government will not use the formal source selection procedures described in FAR part 15. The Government will evaluate quotations utilizing the procedures of FAR 13.106-2 Evaluation of quotations or offers. Offers will be evaluated for acceptability, but not ranked using the non-price factors/sub-factors. All non-price factors and sub-factors will be rated as either “acceptable” or “unacceptable”. The Government intends to evaluate and make award without discussion with the offerors other than minor clarifications, unless discussions are determined to be necessary. A decision on the technical acceptability of each offeror’s quotations will be made. For those offeror’s which are determined to be technically acceptable, award will be made to that vendor with the lowest overall prices.

The LPTA evaluation process will be accomplished as follows - Technical Acceptability will be comprised of three subfactors: 1.) Meeting all areas in the SOW; 2.) Price is Fair and Reasonable; and 3) Responsiveness to requirements.

1) Must provide the items stated in the SOW and must provide requirements posted in solicitation.

2) Price: Price is Fair and Reasonable. Must complete Bid Schedule for all line items and will be evaluated as to completeness and reasonableness. The offeror with the lowest technically acceptable prices represents the best value for the Government.

3) Responsiveness to requirements.

J. FAR 52.212-3 Offer Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (December 2022) See attachment for full text.

K. FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Item (December 2022) Applied to this acquisition and it’s incorporated by reference.

L. FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (December 2022) See attachment for full text.

M. Attached are the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) & Health & Human Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) clauses that are applicable.

N. Submit proposal to:

Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service

Attn: Ursula Maslonka, Contract Specialist

115 4th Ave. SE, Room 309

Aberdeen, SD 57401

Email: ursula.maslonka@ihs.gov

Questions in regards to this solicitation shall be submitted in writing by email. The last day to submit questions is:

March 6, 2023, 12:00 pm, CT.

SECURITY CLEARANCE:

Performance of this contract will require routine access by employees of the Contractor or its subcontractors to facilities or systems controlled by the Indian Health Service (I.H.S.). Before starting work requiring routine access to I.H.S. facilities or systems, each person must complete a FBI National Criminal History Check (Fingerprint Check) adjudicated by an I.H.S. employee using the Office of Personnel Management Personnel Investigations Processing System. Contractors shall allow five business days for I.H.S. processing of fingerprints taken electronically at an I.H.S. site and thirty business days for non-electronic processing of fingerprints using FBI Form FD-258. A list of I.H.S. sites with electronic fingerprint capability is available from the Contracting Officer.

The Indian Health Service utilizes the eQIP (Electronic Questionnaire Investigations Processing) system to process background investigations. Contractors are required to work with the Service Unit Background Coordinator or other designee to properly complete their eQIP entry without error. Proper submission of the eQIP entry to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is required prior to the individual being allowed to begin their performance under this contract. Computers have been provided to the service unit for this purpose.

A security pre-clearance must be performed for any employees referred to IHS through this contract.

Fingerprints must be completed and adjudicated prior to services being performed under this contract.

In addition, no Contractor or subcontractor employee shall be permitted to perform work under this contract if listed on the HHS Office of Inspector General List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE), http://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov As soon as practicable, prior to the performance of the work, the Contractor shall provide to the Contracting Officer the names of all individuals to be used in performance of work for screening against the LEIE. During the performance, the Contractor shall provide the Contracting Officer the names of any additional or substitute employees for screening before they begin work.

The Contractor is responsible for conducting security preclearance investigations in sufficient depth to ensure that each Contractor or subcontractor employee referred to I.H.S. is not on the LEIE and can obtain a favorable fingerprint clearance. Each security preclearance shall be conducted sufficiently in advance of the start of performance to avoid delays caused by denial of access. If this is a Time and Materials, Labor-Hour or Cost Reimbursement contract, the contractor shall not charge for or be reimbursed for labor hours or other costs incurred for employees who are unable to perform due to denial or access or the excess time required to resolve and clear unfavorable security clearance findings. If this is a Fixed-Price contract, denial of access due to security clearance findings shall not be a basis for excusable delay or an increase to the contract amount.

Government will pay for the cost to process the contractor's suitability clearances. However, multiple investigations for the same position may, at the Contracting Officer's discretion, lead to reduction(s) in the contract price of no more than the cost of the extra investigation(s).

“In accordance with Indian Health Service Circular No. 19-05, that all Indian Health Service (IHS) health care providers, including (but not limited to) employees, volunteers, and CONTRACTORS shall review, Chapter 20 – Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse by Health Care Providers (Policy can be found at https://www.ihs.gov/ihm/pc/part-3/p3c20/) and review the training titled, “Child Sexual Abuse Briefing-IHS June 2019 (Training slides are available at Orientation or Contact the Contacting Officer).”

Employees that DO NOT have access to LMS, contractors, volunteers, or IHS employees with IPA’s or MOA’s to tribal organizations please, click here IHS Sexual Abuse Prevention website. When the contractors have completed and passed the training, please have them send a copy of the last page of the training with Name, Date, and Time to their Supervisor, COR, and Kimmen LeBeau, e-mail: Kimmen.LeBeau@ihs.gov

No contract award shall be made to any vendor or provider listed on the OIG Exclusion List; http://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov throughout the duration of the contract. It shall be the responsibility of the contractor to notify the acquisition official if there is a change in provider.

Contractor must be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov

The solicitation does not commit the Government to pay for any cost for preparation and submission of an offer. In addition, the Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with this proposed acquisition.

Invoice Processing Platform (IPP)

The Indian Health Service (IHS) is in the process of implementing an electronic invoicing system in compliance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) M-15-19 memorandum “Improving Government Efficiency and Saving Taxpayer Dollars Through Electronic Invoicing” directing Federal agencies to adopt electronic invoicing as the primary means to disburse payment to vendors. Invoices submitted under any award resulting from this solicitation will be required to utilize the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) in accordance with HHSAR 352.232-71, Electronic Submission and Processing of Payment Requests.

IPP is a secure, web-based electronic invoicing system provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRSTL). Respondents to this solicitation are encouraged to register an account with IPP if they have not already done so. If your organization is already registered to use IPP, you will not be required to re-register- however, we encourage you make sure your organization and designated IPP user accounts are valid and up to date.

The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov

If you require assistance registering or IPP account access, please contact the IPP Helpdesk at (866) 973-3131 (M-F 8AM to 6PM ET), or IPPCustomerSupport@fiscal.treasury.gov

“Should the contractor feel that use of the IPP would be unduly burdensome, their response to this solicitation should include an explanation of this position for a determination by the contracting officer”.

ACCEPTANCE PERIOD: Your quote must stipulate that it is predicated upon all the terms and conditions of this RFQ. In addition, it must contain a statement to the effect that it is firm for a period of at least 60 days from the date of receipt by the Government.

Attachments/Links