Industry Day Notice - San Juan, Puerto Rico Laundry Service

AMENDMENT 0003 - The Industry Day event was held on 11 & 12 December 2024. This notice is amended to provide interested parties the Industry Day Presentation, Attendee List, and Questions and Answers submitted after the event. PLEASE SEE THE ASSOCIATED ATTACHMENTS TO THIS NOTICE AMENDMENT.

AMENDMENT 0002 - This notice is amended to provide the Industry Day location.

AMENDMENT 0001 - This notice is amended to provide a tentative agenda and to revise the response date to December 6, 2024.

INTRODUCTION

This is a notice for an Industry Day to be held on December 11 & 12, 2024. This notice is issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Facilities Acquisition (OFA), Office of Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) for professional laundry service in/around San Juan, Puerto Rico. This notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal, Invitation for Bid, or Request for Quotation, and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract. Furthermore, responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with Industry Day attendance or otherwise responding to this notice.

BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION

The San Juan Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) is conducting master planning activities to correct seismic deficiencies for its campus assets. A structural analysis of the laundry facility was conducted in 2021 and found that the facility did not comply with BSE-1N and BSE-2N standards for earthquake events. As a result, the VA is tasked with identifying viable solutions for laundry services in/around San Juan, Puerto Rico and is hosting an industry day to evaluate potential partners available within the community for contracting professional laundry services. The estimated Total Amount of Soiled Linens in fiscal year 2024 equaled approximately 2.13 million pounds with an assumed future state (10-year) need of approximately 2.01 million pounds, annually.

The Industry Day is scheduled to be held on December 11 & 12, 2024 virtually and in-person in San Juan, Puerto Rico with the purpose of determining whether there are interested and qualified firms to provide professional laundry services for VA Medical Centers in/around San Juan. The Industry Day will be held at the San Juan VA Medical Center, Hospital de Veteranos (VA Caribbean Healthcare System), located at 10 C. Casia, San Juan, 00921, Puerto Rico, Room 2M240. A tentative agenda is included as an attachment to this amendment. Firms will be limited to three attendees; at least one attendee must have a technical background who can answer Government questions regarding capabilities.

Registration for participation in the Industry Day is required. Please see Registration below for instructions. In addition to registering, firms are encouraged to provide a non-binding statement of interest and a capabilities statement, detailing your firm's experience in professional laundry services, and should address the following:

1. Infection Control. Hospitals need to maintain strict control over the cleanliness and sanitation of their linens to prevent the spread of infections. What protocols do you have in place for infection control to ensure the sanitation and cleanliness prevents the spread of infection?
2. Location of Operations. Hospitals require a sufficient supply of clean linens on-demand and may require expedited turnaround times, especially during emergencies, natural disasters, or high-demand periods. Please describe your operations (to include location(s) and contingency plans) to ensure turnaround times and demand are met.
3. Quality Control. Hospitals have unique requirements for their linens, including specific fabric types, sizes, and labeling for easy identification. Please describe how you are able to meet the unique requirements specified in the table in the attachment.
4. Confidentiality and Privacy. Hospital linens may contain sensitive patient information or bloodborne pathogens. Please describe how you plan to safeguard patient information and provide confidential and private operations while complying with data security regulations.
5. Customization. Hospitals may have unique laundry needs based on the types of patients they serve or specialized units within the facility. Are you able to tailor your operations if such a requirement presents itself? What ability do you have to tailor your operations to meet requirement changes and unique laundry needs?
6. Sustainability. Hospitals increasingly prioritize sustainability efforts, including reducing water consumption and carbon emissions. What are your plans for sustainability practices, such as utilizing energy-efficient machines and implementing eco-friendly detergent choices, now and into the future as regulations change and requirements expand?
7. Rapid Adaptation. Hospitals frequently encounter changes in demand, whether due to seasonality, patient volume fluctuations, or unexpected events like disease outbreaks. Describe your ability to adapt quickly to changes in demand with little notice and outline procedures in place to ensure a fast turnaround time to always provide clean linens, especially during emergencies and high-demand periods.
8. Alternative Approach. The seismic deficiencies noted and inquiries above do not preclude the Government from continuing laundry operations as it has in the past. What alternative approach(es) can you suggest that may better meet the need(s) of the VAMC's laundry requirements?

REGISTRATION

To register, please submit a cover sheet, company description, and capabilities statement electronically to andrea.greene2@va.gov and gerald.brusaw@va.gov no later than 3:00 P.M. ET on December 6, 2024. The email Subject must be marked with your company name followed by Industry Day, San Juan PR Laundry Service (i.e. Firm XYZ - Industry Day, San Juan PR Laundry Service ). All documents should be in Microsoft Word format or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).

1. The Cover Sheet should include a non-binding statement of interest and must indicate if your firm intends to participate virtually or in-person and must include:
   • Company name, address, and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) or Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), if available.
   • Names of attendees (limited to 3) and contact information for each, including telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.
2. Brief description of the company; years in business; size of company (small business or other than small business for NAICS 812320); and socioeconomic status.
3. Capabilities Statement, including responses to the questions above.

The VA appreciates industry's collaboration and is looking forward to a meaningful and productive session. If you have any questions regarding the meeting, please contact the points of contact noted above via email by the registration due date and time.