THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. The purpose of this notice is to conduct market research and obtain information from qualified Contractors who can meet the requirements identified in the accompanying Statement of Work. This is not a solicitation. A solicitation MAY be issued at a later date. This notice does not restrict the Government to a particular acquisition approach. All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary. The Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any Contractor for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 2 (NCO 2) has a requirement to provide milk and dairy products for the VA Medical Centers in Lyons, NJ. The requirement is detailed in the Statement of Work section of this document. The NAICS Code is 311511 - Fluid Milk Manufacturing. Interested Contractors are reminded that in accordance with FAR 4.12, prospective Contractors shall complete electronic annual representations and certifications in conjunction with FAR 4.11 required registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to award of a contract. Part of the purpose of this sources sought is to determine the viability of set aside to a specific socio-economic category (service-disabled veteran owned small business, veteran owned small business, women owned small business, HUB Zone, 8(a), small business). Interested parties MUST provide company/individual name, a capability statement, examples of same or similar work performed at other facilities, Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov and address, point of contact and social-economic category. Include letters from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) if your firm is an authorized distributor. If contractor is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), a Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), or any other special category of contractors, then contractor is responsible for providing documentation in support of this. This information will be used to determine the viability of a set aside for this requirement. If any of the requested information is not supplied with the response, this may result in the contractor not being considered in the Government s Procurement Strategy. Contractors shall identify any Federal Supply Schedules that may carry the desired equipment or supplies. Your response needs to address how you will meet the Government's requirements. All Contractors that are interested, regardless of their business type, and qualified to meet these requirements are asked to submit the following information: 1) Company Name: 2) Company Address: 3) Unique Entity ID: 4) Company POC Name: 5) Company POC Phone Number: 6) Company POC Email Address: 7) Company Website: 8) Business type: (Large, Small, Woman-Owned, VOSB/SDVOSB, etc.): Please identify your company's small business size standard and applicable NAICS code. For more information refer to http://www.sba.gov/content/table-small-business-size-standards. Note: If claiming SDVOSB or VOSB, the firm must be registered, and Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) verified in Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) https://veterans.certify.sba.gov/; also include VetCert certification. Please email statements of capabilities to Barry Sawyer no later than August 28, 2026 at 4:00PM Eastern to Barry.Sawyer@va.gov This notice is to assist the VA in determining sources only. A solicitation is not currently available. If a solicitation is issued it will be announced later, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this announcement. Responses to this sources sought announcement are not considered adequate responses to any future solicitation announcements. Statement of Work [VAMC Lyons: 151 Knollcroft Rd, Lyons NJ 07939] Introduction The VAMC Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and wellbeing. VA New Jersey Nutrition and Food Services has a daily need for a variety of fresh milk and other dairy products and juice drinks for patients requirements. Background /Objective VAMC: 151 Knollcroft Rd, Lyons NJ 07939 Nutrition and Food Service is currently seeking Dairy Products and Juice Drinks for the East Orange and Lyons VA Medical Center in Lyons, New Jersey. VA New Jersey Health Care System (VANJHCS) requires a variety of fresh milk and other dairy products and juice drinks for patients requirements 4x/week at the Lyons VA Medical Center, Lyons, New Jersey. The quantities listed are estimated requirements. Dairy products and juice drinks shall conform to the following freshness requirements: 1. All products shall conform to USDA Standards for U.S. No.1 Grade that are fresh, free from decay and free from damage caused by breakage, dirt, disease, insects, or other means. 2. Compliance with the provisions from the USDA Standards shall not excuse failure to comply with the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act or with applicable state laws, regulations, or VA regulations. 3. All shipping and transportation shall be in accordance with good commercial practice for fresh dairy in a controlled environment between 32-41 oF, and products that are labeled frozen and shipped frozen shall be received at no greater than 10 oF. 4. All risk shall be minimized of the contamination of dairy products by microbial pathogens and good industry practices shall be followed according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Daily delivery of a variety of fresh milk and other dairy products & juice drinks are available. Place of Delivery 151 Knollcroft Rd, Lyons NJ 07939, Bld 54 Main Kitchen Period of Performance Estimated Need Date: October 1st 2026. Listed below are legal Government Holidays: New Year s January 1 Martin Luther King s Birthday Third Monday in January Presidents Day Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Juneteenth June 19 Independence Day July 4 Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Veterans Day November 11 Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25 When one of the holidays falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as a legal holiday. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed as a legal holiday by the U.S. Government agencies. Administration staff will not be available on these following days or dates; however, delivery may still be accepted by NFS trained personnel. Customer Inquiry: Upon receipt of any inquiry, the contractor shall provide a response no later than by the close of the next business day. Responses to order status shall include the current stage of completion and estimated delivery date. The preferred method of communication is electronic mail (email). Normal business hours: [Monday - Friday] from [7:00am to 12:00noon] excluding federal holidays Federal holidays are: New Year Day, Labor Day, Martin Luther King Day Columbus Day, President's Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day Independence Day, & any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday. Place of Performance/Delivery Location: 151 Knollcroft Rd, Lyons NJ 07939 Bld 54 Loading Dock Lyons ITEM # DESCRIPTION QUANTITY UNIT UNIT COST TOTAL 1 HP 2% WHITE 182,000 EA 0.37 67,340.00 2 HP FF CHOC 6000 EA 0.40 2,400.00 3 HP WHOLE WHITE 28,000 EA 0.38 10,640.00 4 HP SKIM WHITE 7000 EA 0.38 2,660.00 5 HP LACTOSE FREE 15600 EA 0.72 11,232.00 6 HG LEMONADE 3200 EA 2.03 6,496.00 7 QT EGGNOG 72 EA 2.45 176.40 8 EA TOTAL: $100,944.40 Scope of Work Deliveries shall be made not less than two (2) days per week, preferably on Tuesday and Friday. If a holiday falls on one of these days, delivery on the holiday shall be made unless prior arrangements have been made with Nutrition and Food Service. All deliveries must be made after 6:00 a.m. and completion of all deliveries made by 3:30 p.m. Dairy products delivered must follow the current USDA Food Code to ensure food safety guidelines are followed for all dairy products. Quantity of dairy products needed will vary depending on the number of patients. Expired/damaged products shall be removed from premises by vendor on the day of dairy delivery. Empty milk crates shall be removed from premises by the vendor the day of the dairy Delivery The contractor shall notify Nutrition & Food Services immediately upon receiving Recall Notices from the Food and Drug Administration Enforcement Report publication. Substitutions: Substitutions shall be allowed on the condition that the substituted item is similar in appearance, composition, and package size. Substituted items shall be billed at no higher cost than the contracted items for which they are substituted. Preservation, Packaging and Packing: 1. Unless otherwise specified, preservation, packaging, and packing shall be to a degree of protection to preclude damage to containers and/or contents thereof 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. Shipping containers shall comply with the national motor freight classification and uniform freight classification in effect at the time of shipment. 2. All packaging and packing shall be in accordance with good commercial practice. Labeling shall be in accordance with commercial labeling, complying with Federal Food and Drug and Cosmetic Act and regulation promulgated thereunder. 3. All items shall be identified with readable dates (open code dates) or coded dates. Contractors who do not use open dating shall 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 listing shall be furnished to each destination receiving officer and each destination inspection agency with the first delivery. Dairy products shall be dated seven (7) days prior to expiration/use by dates, otherwise products may be refused. Specific Deliverables Meetings N/A Special Instructions Additional Requirements: All services will be performed during normal business hours of coverage unless otherwise is requested and approved by the Network Contracting Office. Contractor Experience Requirement: Familiarity with Lyons VA Medical Center and the capability to deliver fresh milk and other dairy needs 4x/week to VA New Jersey Nutrition and Food Services. J. Specifications and Standards: A. The delivered products shall meet the specifications listed in the attached Pricing Schedule document and 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 hereunder. B. Contractor's Certification. By submitting an offer, 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 and handling territories, or possessions; and is sold in the commercial market. The Government reserves the right to determine proof of such conformance prior to the first delivery from point of origin and any time thereafter, up to and including, delivery at final destination as may be necessary to determine conformance with the terms of the contract. K. Alternate items, Packaging, and Packing: A. Offerors may propose alternate items, packaging, or packing. Offerors clearly indicate, in their offer, the quantity, packaging size, unit or other different features upon which the offer is submitted. Evaluation of the alternate item will be made against a common denominator (i.e., weight, package quantity, etc.). Offers are reminded that the alternate item must meet all the requirements of the Government specifications. B. Environmental Standards. Should the contractor manufacture and provide company brand dairy products, the contractor should utilize, if possible, recycled materials for containers as long as they meet the FDA sanitary standards for the specified commodity. List recycled materials for containers as long as they meet the FDA sanitary standards for the specified commodity. L. Source of Manufacture: Items supplied under this contract are required to originate from a sanitarily approved source. The supplier must 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. Preference will be given to locally sourced vendors. M. Ordering: A. The Lyons/East Orange VA Medical Center shall place orders no less than 2 workdays prior to required delivery date, upon delivery at the receiving location, items ordered shall be less than 24 hours of age. Orders shall not be placed more than 5 days prior to required delivery date, with the Government reserving the right to adjust orders 24-hours prior to scheduled delivery. Orders will be placed by the COR or his/her designee. Each order will show ship to and bill to addresses and purchase order number (if required). B. Quantities shown on previous pages represent the quantities estimated to be ordered over the delivery period. Quotes will be evaluated based on the estimated quantities. Actual quantities ordered may vary among the line items. C. The items listed in this contract are required subsistence items for the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Medical Centers at the addresses listed in this document. Products and deliveries are to be in accordance with the terms, conditions, and schedules noted herein. The period of performance is October 01, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Prices quoted will be F.O.B. destination. Packing List: There shall be a packing list enclosed with any shipments made under this contract. The packing list shall show the following as a minimum: Contractor s name and address; VA Purchase Order Number (if one is provided); the VA Facility and Service placing the order; the items shipped; and quantity. Return Policy: Offerors shall clearly indicate their return policy with their quote. Defective products or incorrect product shipped by Contractor error shall be replaced at no cost to the Government. Products shipped by Government error may be returned subject to the Contractor s normal return policy. Offerors shall provide the name and telephone number for reporting delivery/product problems for each VA location. Warranty/Guarantee information The Contracting Officer or his/her designee will notify the contractor of any noncompliance with the foregoing provisions and the action to be taken. The Contractor shall, after receipt of such notice, immediately correct the conditions to which attention has been directed. Such notice, when served on the Contractor or his/her representative at the site of the work, shall be deemed sufficient for the purpose aforesaid. If the Contractor fails or refuses to comply promptly, the Contracting Officer may issue an order stopping all and any part of the work, and hold the Contractor in default. Government Furnished Property
