Posted: Aug. 30, 2025, 2:18 p.m. EDT
COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION SWITCHBOARD SERVICES ALBANY VA MEDICAL CENTER (i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items, and FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Items as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested, and a written solicitation document will not be issued. (ii) This solicitation is issued as a request for quote (RFQ). Request for Quote will be submitted through beta.sam.gov on RFQ reference number 36C24225Q0986. (iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2024-01 (eff. 07/11/2025) and VAAR Update 2008-36 (eff. 04/01/2025). (iv) This solicitation is a Service Disable Veteran Owned Small-Business Set-Aside Open-Market solicitation. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 561421 TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICES and has a small business size standard of $16.5 Million. The FSC/PSC is R699 SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIVE. (v) This is a services contract to provide 5 Year Switchboard Operation & Information Desk Services for the Stratton VAMC Albany Campus. Below is a template for pricing. Contractors may provide their own pricing document, but it must be broken down to allow for price reasonableness determination. PRICING TABLE FOR: 5 Year Switchboard Services CLIN BASE: 10/1/2025 - 09/30/2026 UNIT COST PER UNIT UNITS PER WEEK COST PER WEEK TOTAL COST (COST PER WEEK X NUMBER OF WEEKS). 0001 Switchboard Personnel (5) operators per day. HR $ 280 $ 0002 Information Desk Personnel HR $ 0 $ 0003 Management Services HR $ 168 $ 0004 Materials for Services JB $ 1 _ $ 0005 Overhead & Profit JB $ 1 _ $ Total $ OPTION 1: 10/1/2026- 09/30/2027 1001 Switchboard Personnel (5) operators per day. HR $ 280 $ 1002 Information Desk Personnel HR $ 80 $ 1003 Management Services HR $ 168 $ 1004 Materials for Services JB $ 1 _ $ 1005 Overhead & Profit JB S 1 _ $ Total $ OPTION 2: 10/1/2027- 09/30/2028 2001 Switchboard Personnel (5) operators per day. HR $ 280 $ 2002 Information Desk Personnel HR $ 80 $ 2003 Management Services HR $ 168 $ 2004 Materials for Services JB $ 1 _ $ 2005 Overhead & Profit JB $ 1 _ $ Total $ OPTION 3: 10/1/2028- 09/30/2029 3001 Switchboard Personnel (5) operators per day. HR $ 280 $ 3002 Information Desk Personnel HR $ 80 $ 3003 Management Services HR $ 168 $ 3004 Materials for Services JB $ 1 _ $ 3005 Overhead & Profit JB $ 1 _ $ Total $ OPTION 4: 10/1/2029- 09/30/2030 4001 Switchboard Personnel (5) operators per day. HR $ 280 $ 4002 Information Desk Personnel HR $ 80 $ 4003 Management Services HR $ 168 $ 4004 Materials for Services JB $ 1 _ $ 4005 Overhead & Profit JB $ 1 _ $ TOTAL $ CONTRACT TOTAL $ OPTION 5: 10/1/2030- 03/31/2031 This 6 month extension will be used only if the service wants to exercise the option. 5001 Switchboard Personnel (5) operators per day. HR $ 140 5002 Information Desk Personnel HR 40 5003 Management Services HR 84 5004 Materials for Services JB 1 5005 Overhead & Profit JB 1 SIX MONTH TOTAL $ Please note that the price schedule for option year (5) is only for six (6) months 5001- 5005. Only option year (4) pricing can be utilized for the six-month extension. The six-month extension is to make sure the new long-term contract is prepared in a timely manner. (vi) The required work is as contained below in the Statement of Work. PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT Switchboard & Information Desk Operation Services Stratton VA Medical Center Albany A. BACKGROUND The Department of Veterans Affairs, Albany VA Medical Center, is currently seeking a Firm Fixed Price contract for Switchboard Operation & Information Desk Services for the Stratton VAMC Albany Campus. The Contractor shall provide all personnel, supervision and other services necessary for the effective operation of all switchboard & Information desk activities at Stratton VA Medical Center Albany. Contractor shall not be responsible for those items and services specifically identified as Government-furnished. These services ensure that all calls made to the Medical Center are answered timely and routed to the correct destination. And provide accurate informational services to veterans, visitors, employees and others entering or within the facility. B. SCOPE OF WORK TELEPHONE OPERATIONS: 1. Telephone operators shall use three (3) telephone attendant consoles to process incoming and outgoing telephone calls. This shall include internal directed calls back to the consoles, transferring of calls, placing calls off-station and paging Medical Center Staff as requested. The contractor shall handle all incoming calls to the main switchboard number. The calls shall be made over the FTS (Federal Telecommunications Network), local commercial networks (local calls), and international calls, including some credit card and toll calls. referring them to the appropriate extension and/or party. Contractor employees are required to assist in placing outgoing local and long-distance calls as necessary to conduct the daily activity at this Medical Center. All calls shall be completed in a timely and courteous manner. 2. The contractor shall provide back-up coverage for unexpected staff absence. There should be no time when this operation does not have adequate staffing coverage. The COR shall be promptly briefed on any problems related to adequate coverage. Incoming calls 3. The service shall include processing incoming and outgoing calls over the FTS (Federal Telecommunications Network), local commercial networks (local calls), and international calls, including some credit card and toll calls. 4. Operators shall use the Public Address, Radio Paging and Motorola two-way radio systems to relay messages, make announcements, and implement various procedures as dictated by the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). 5. The contractor shall maintain daily on-call rosters of physicians, nurses, technicians, chaplains, and other professional and administrative staff. Personnel shall ensure that current schedules are obtained and kept on file for reference. Access to computerized directories for staff and patients shall be provided by the Government. The contractor shall be required to sign confidentiality statements and adhere to rules and regulations in regard to obtaining access to these records. 6. The contractor s staff shall be trained to handle emergency calls, cardiac arrest notifications, fire procedures, and bomb threats. Contractor staff shall have knowledge of the security alarms, engineering emergencies, and disaster plan procedures. They shall be responsible for initiating disaster cascade calls and following procedures related to the individual disaster plans, copies of which are maintained in the Switchboard Unit Room. The contractor shall keep a log of all incidents on a daily basis, to include any tests of procedures or equipment performed. 7. The contractor shall report all troubles related to the switchboard and/or telephone trunks/lines that are associated with the service provided for telephone or paging communications to the VA Police. They shall also take equipment problem reports from Medical Center Staff for referral to the VA Police for action/repair. 8. Established services, functions, programs, staffing patterns, and hours and days of operation should not be altered without prior written approval of the Contracting Officer. INFORMATION DESK OPERATIONS: Operation of facility Information Desk activity at this medical center. The contractor shall perform to the standards expressed in the contract. 2. The contractor personnel will provide informational services to veterans, visitors, employees and others entering or within the facility. All requests for information/direction will be completed in a timely, courteous and efficient manner as necessary to conduct the daily activity at this Medical Center. 3. The contractor will provide coverage at the Information Desk M-F, 7a-7p and Sa-Su, 8a-6p. 4. The contractor shall be responsible for providing back-up coverage for unexpected staff absence. There should be no time when this operation does not have adequate staffing coverage. 5. The contractor shall report all troubles related to the switchboard and/or telephone trunks/lines that are associated with the service provided for telephone or paging communications to the VA Police. They shall also take equipment problem reports from Medical Center Staff for referral to the VA Police for action/repair. 6. Established services, functions, programs, staffing patterns, and hours and days of operation should not be altered without prior written approval of the Contracting Officer. C. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL 1. Project Manager a. The Contractor shall assign an off-site Project Manager (PM) for the purposes of supervising and training the contractor personnel and ensuring compliance with all provisions of this contract. The PM shall be available by telephone and contractor-provided digital pager to operators during regular working hours and after regular working hours for any problems that may occur including staffing problems. 2. Staff a. The selection, assignment, reassignment, transfer, supervision, management, and control of contractor employees in performance of this work statement shall be the responsibility and prerogative of the contractor. When the Government directs, the contractor shall remove from performance on the contract any person who is identified a potential threat to the health, safety, security, general wellbeing, or operational mission of the activity and its population. b. The contractor shall not employ any person who is an employee of the United States Government if the employment of that person would create a conflict of interest. c. Contractor s personnel shall wear VA Personal Identification and Verification (PIV) badges, which shall include the employee s name, picture, and position title throughout their tour of duty and when on Government property. These badges shall be required for entrance to the Medical Center on all tours of duty and emergency situations. d. Drinking and eating shall be permitted in designated areas as indicated by the COR Clark Wetzel. The contracted staff is prohibited from eating or drinking while operating the consoles. e. Personnel rosters: Current written rosters of all regular and alternate personnel shall be provided to the COR. This shall include the primary PM and his/her alternate(s). Personnel not listed shall not be allowed to work in the medical facility. 3. Training No contractor personnel shall be assigned to work under the contract until initial orientation and training as specified in Contractor s procedures manual, and special instructions from the COR are completed. Special instructions from COR include: a. The Government shall provide the following orientation to the contractor personnel: A one-hour orientation shall be provided to familiarize contractor personnel with the attendant s console. The Government shall provide a one-day general orientation to contractor personnel to familiarize them with the different services in the medical Center. VA personnel shall be available to answer questions of contractor personnel following general orientation. The COR shall meet with the PM as necessary to discuss problems encountered and offer assistance and recommendations for the solution of such problems. b. The Contractor must ensure that its employees are aware of the hazards (infectious disease, tuberculosis, blood borne pathogens, etc.) that are part of the nature of working in a medical center with the wide variety of patients treated. The contract shall ensure that its employees understand the importance of practicing good fire and safety working practices. The contractor shall maintain a roster of personnel who have completed training for these hazards. c. Guide dogs for visually impaired employees are generally permitted with the understanding that the owner is responsible and accountable for its guide dog s hygiene and behavior. If the VA determines that a guide animal is creating a hazardous, unhygienic, unhealthy, hostile, or disruptive work environment for others then the individual shall not be allowed to bring the animal on VA premises until such time as the problem has been corrected. D. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY AND SERVICES The Government shall provide without cost to the Contractor the facilities, equipment, materials and/or services listed below: 1. Property a. Facilities The government shall furnish approximately 165 square feet for Switchboard operations at the VA Medical Center, 113 Holland Ave, Albany, NY. This space in the basement of Building 1. Facilities have been inspected for compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and no hazards have been identified for which any special precautions must be taken. b. Equipment Accountability - (2) The Contractor shall be responsible for the costs of repairs or replacement of Government-owned equipment, fixtures, furnishings, architectural or building structures to their previous existing condition when the Contracting Officer has determined the Contractor to be liable for damage or loss of Government property. The Contractor and COR shall jointly conduct periodic inventory reviews. This review shall, at a minimum, be conducted annually before the start of each successive fiscal year s renewal cycle. 2. Materials: a. The Government shall provide the Contractor with logbooks to record equipment malfunctions, emergencies, drills, and other activities that have an impact on the daily operations of the unit. b. Forms for logging of daily rosters and the logging of toll calls shall be provided. The Contractor shall be responsible for requesting replacement supplies from the COR when they are low. 3. Services: The Government shall furnish the following a. Housekeeping service care of floors and trash removal b. Equipment Maintenance Maintenance of all Government-furnished equipment, except damage caused by misuse by Contractor s employees. c. Disposition of property Disposition, removal or replacement of equipment and furnishings as required. d. Utilities VA to provide all utilities, including electricity, gas, and water. Lights should be used in areas where and when work is actually being performed. Contractor shall not adjust mechanical equipment controls for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. e. Transportation & Parking Parking shall be provided for Contractor employees working on all shifts. f. The Contractor shall not make personal calls from Government lines. E. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS 1. The Contractor shall furnish headsets of a quality compatible with the Government-owned telephone equipment. 2. Contractor-owned equipment shall be marked to identify ownership and the Government shall assume no liability for loss of, or damage to, contractor-owned equipment held upon Government premises. 3. The Contractor shall be responsible for the orderliness and cleanliness of all areas not covered by custodial service. F. CONTRACTOR S PRE-AWARD RESPONSIBILITIES Contractor will grant first right of refusal to all incumbent Telephone Operations and Information Desk personal. The following information shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer in writing: Start-up and phase-in schedule (if 24-hour coverage option is selected); Resume for the Project Manager (PM); The role of the PM and the extent of his/her authority; Organizational/functional charts showing line of management responsibilities; Personnel rosters; Procedure s manual for this contract; Quality Control Plan. G. BUILDING SECURITY The Government shall provide the Contractor with PIV Cards to allow access to rooms required to be accessed in order to fulfill provisions of this contract. H. SAFETY 1. The Safety Officer for the Medical Center is for the enforcement of all safety regulations as they apply to the safety of VA and contractor employees, visitors, and patients. Any violations of safety regulations identified by the Safety Officer shall be submitted to the Contractor for immediate corrective action. These inspections do not relieve the Contractor from full compliance with the Contractor s responsibilities. 2. In the performance of this contract, the Contractor shall take such safety precautions as necessary to protect the lives and health of occupants of the medical center. I. TRAFFIC CONTROL STUDY 1. The contractor shall be required to complete a Traffic Control Study when requested by the COR. The Contractor shall be informed of the Study at least three (3) days, as specified by the COR prior to the study. 2. The content of the study shall include, as a minimum, the number and type of calls answered by the operators for a specific period broken down by each tour of duty. 3. Two (2) copies of the study shall be provided to the COR within five (5) business days of the completion of the study. J. DESIGNATION OF CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE 1. Contracting Officer Representative (COR) shall have the following scope and limitations of authority: a. Provide the Contractor's Coordinator with specific task requirements for performance of each function within the scope of the contract. Task requirements shall be limited to those required by the contract. b. Furnish technical guidance and advice and monitor acceptability of services performed under the contract. c. Report any deficiencies in performance, quality of service, safety practices and questions on contract performance or suspensions of work to the Contracting Officer. d. Certify contractor invoices for payment of services rendered in accordance with the contract terms. 2. Delegations of authority shall not include any authority to make changes in quantity, quality and delivery. All changes to the contract must be made by the Contracting Officer acting within the scope of his/her authority. K. PRIVACY, SECURITY, AND CUSTODIAL REQUIREMNTS The Government shall receive unlimited rights to data/intellectual property first produced and delivered in the performance of this contract or order (hereinafter contract ) unless expressly stated otherwise in this contract. This includes all rights to source code and all documentation created in support thereof. The primary clause used to define Government and Contractor data rights is FAR 52.227-14 Rights in Data General. The primary clause used to define computer software license (not data/intellectual property first produced under this contractor or order) is FAR 52.227-19, Commercial Computer Software License. The Contractor agrees to comply with the Privacy Act of1974 (the Act), and the agency rules and regulations issued under the Act in the design, development, or operation of any system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function. In the event of violations of the Act, a civil action may be brought against the agency involved when the violation concerns the design, development, or operation of a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function, and criminal penalties may be imposed upon the officers or employees of the agency when the violation concerns the operation of a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function. For purposes of the Act, when the contract is for the operation of a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function, the Contractor is considered to be an employee of the agency. A contractor/subcontractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees and subcontractors only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the solicitation or contract. This includes indirect entities, both affiliate of contractor/subcontractor and agent of contractor/subcontractor. Information made available to the contractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor in performance or administration of the contract will be protected and secured in accordance with VA Directive 6500 and Identity and Access Management (IAM) Security processes specified in the VA Information Security Knowledge Service. Information made available to the contractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract will be used only for the purposes specified in the service agreement, SOW, PWS, PD, and/or contract. The contractor shall not use VA information in any other manner without prior written approval from a VA Contracting Officer (CO). The primary clause used to define Government and Contractor data rights is FAR 52.227-14 Rights in Data General. 6. Except for uses and disclosures of VA information authorized by this contract for performance of the contract, the contractor/subcontractor may use and disclose VA information only in two other situations: (i) in response to a qualifying order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or (ii) with VA s prior written approval. The contractor/subcontractor must refer all requests for, demands for production of, or inquiries about, VA information and information systems to the VA contracting officer for response. The Albany VAMC Privacy Officer should be informed any time that the contractor discloses PHI outside of the VA and the contractor would keep an accounting of disclosure. The Albany VAMC Privacy Officer will give the necessary guidance. Notwithstanding the provision above, the contractor shall not release VA records protected by Title 38 U.S.C. 5705, Confidentiality of medical quality assurance records and/or Title 38 U.S.C. 7332, Confidentiality of certain medical records pertaining to drug addiction, sickle cell anemia, alcoholism or alcohol abuse or infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). If the contractor is in receipt of a court order or other requests for the abovementioned information, the contractor shall immediately refer such court order or other requests to the VA CO for response. Vendor will Afford Veterans all Individual Privacy Rights Described in VHA 1605.01. The contractor shall not take any action in response to a Veteran s request for Right of Access, Right to Request Amendment, Right to Request Restriction, Right to Request an Accounting of Disclosure, etc. without first contacting the Albany VAMC Privacy Officer. He or she will give necessary direction. VA information will not be co-mingled with any other data on the contractor s information systems or media storage systems. The contractor shall ensure compliance with Federal and VA requirements related to data protection, data encryption, physical data segregation, logical data segregation, classification requirements and media sanitization. VA reserves the right to conduct scheduled or unscheduled audits, assessments, or investigations of contractor Information Technology (IT) resources to ensure information security is compliant with Federal and VA requirements. The contractor shall provide all necessary access to records (including electronic and documentary materials related to the contracts and subcontracts) and support (including access to contractor and subcontractor staff associated with the contract) to VA, VA's Office Inspector General (OIG), and/or Government Accountability Office (GAO) staff during periodic control assessments, audits, or investigations. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a contractor shall be done in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management, VA Handbook 6300.1, Records Management Procedures, and applicable VA Records Control Schedules. The contractor shall provide its plan for destruction of all VA data in its possession according to VA Directive 6500 and NIST 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization prior to termination or completion of this contract. If directed by the COR/CO, the contractor shall return all Federal Records to VA for disposition. Any media, such as paper, magnetic tape, magnetic disks, solid state devices or optical discs that is used to store, process, or access VA information that cannot be destroyed shall be returned to VA. The contractor shall hold the appropriate material until otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) or CO. Items shall be returned securely via VA-approved methods. VA sensitive information must be transmitted utilizing VA-approved encryption tools which are validated under FIPS 140-2 (or its successor) and NIST 800-52. If mailed, the contractor shall send via a trackable method (USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.) and immediately provide the COR/CO with the tracking information. Self-certification by the contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met shall be sent to the COR/CO within 30 business days of termination of the contract. All electronic storage media (hard drives, optical disks, CDs, back-up tapes, etc.) used to store, process or access VA information will not be returned to the contractor at the end of lease, loan, or trade-in. Exceptions to this paragraph will only be granted with the written approval of the VA CO. The contractor shall store and transmit VA sensitive information in an encrypted form, using VA-approved encryption tools which are, at a minimum, Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2, Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules (or its successor) validated and in conformance with VA Information Security Knowledge Service requirements. The contractor shall transmit VA sensitive information using VA approved Transport Layer Security (TLS) configured with FIPS based cipher suites in conformance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-52, Guidelines for the Selection, Configuration and Use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) Implementations. All contractor employees and subcontractors participating under this contract are required to complete the VA's Privacy and Information security training requirement - VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior Training - TMS Code 10176 as well as VA Privacy and HIPAA Training - TMS Code 10203 . Contractors will set up a TMS account and choose the COR as their supervisor in their TMS account. Contractors must provide certifications of completion to the COR for both trainings during each year of the contract. Training expires 365 days after the training is taken. This requirement is in addition to any other training that may be required of the contractor and subcontractor(s). The COR for the contract is responsible for ensuring the contractor has access to TMS to take training and to follow up with the annual requirements. The contractor shall notify the COR/CO, Information Systems Security Officer and the Privacy Officer in writing immediately (no later than 24 hours) after personnel separation or occurrence of other causes. Causes may include the following: Contractor/subcontractor personnel no longer has a need for access to VA information or VA information systems. Contractor/subcontractor personnel are terminated, suspended, or otherwise has their work on a VA project discontinued for any reason. Contractor believes their own personnel or subcontractor personnel may pose a threat to their company s working environment or to any company owned property. This includes contractor-owned assets, buildings, confidential data, customers, employees, networks, systems, trade secrets and/or VA data. Any previously undisclosed changes to contractor/subcontractor background history are brought to light, including but not limited to changes to background investigation or employee record. Contractor/subcontractor personnel have their authorization to work in the United States revoked. Agreement by which contractor provides products and services to VA has either been fulfilled or terminated, such that VA can cut off electronic and/or physical access for contractor personnel. If a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) contract is terminated for default or cause with a business associate, the related local Business Associate Agreement (BAA) shall also be terminated and actions taken in accordance with VHA Directive 1605.05, Business Associate Agreements. If there is an executed national BAA associated with the contract, VA will determine what actions are appropriate and notify the contactor. L. APPLICABLE PUBLICATIONS Publications and forms applicable to this Performance Work Statement are listed below. The Government shall maintain all listed publications and provide copies to the contractor upon request. Supplements or amendments to listed publications from any organizational level may be issued during the life of the contract. The contractor shall immediately implement those changes in publications. The policies and procedures of mandatory directives shall be adhered to at all times. It is the Contractor s responsibility to ensure that all mandatory publications are posted and up to date. Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a Title 38 United States Code - Veterans Benefits Section 5701, Confidential Nature of - Claims Title 38 United States Code 7332 Title 38 United States Code 5705 Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations* OMB Circular A-130* Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information (HIPAA Privacy - - Rule 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164)* Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Public Law 104-191, included Administrative. The contractor shall maintain a roster of personnel who have completed training for these hazards. M. QUALITY CONTROL 1. The Contractor shall have a quality control program to assure the requirements of the contract are provided as specified. A copy of the plan is to be provided to the Contracting Officer. Any changes to this basic Quality Control Plan must be submitted to the Contracting Officer as changes occur. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following: a. An inspection system covering all services listed. It must specify the areas to be inspected on either a scheduled or unscheduled basis, how often inspections shall be accomplished, and the title of the individual(s) who shall perform the inspection. b. The methods of identifying and preventing deficiencies in the quality of services performed before the level of performance becomes acceptable. 2. The contractor shall maintain complete records of the inspections and corrective actions taken and shall provide this information to the Government on request. N. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Department of Veterans Affairs Stratton VA Medical Center Albany 113 Holland Avenue Albany, NY 12208 O. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE Switchboard coverage shall be provided for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including all holidays. Contract shall be effective from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, with provision of four option years. Holidays observed by the Federal Government are: - New Year s Day - Martin Luther King s Birthday - President s Day - Memorial Day - Juneteenth - Independence Day - Labor Day - Columbus Day - Veteran s Day - Thanksgiving Day - Christmas Day And any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday. CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS: VISN 2 Network Contracting Office James J. Peters VA Medical Center 130 West Kings Bridge Road Bronx, NY 10468 (vii) Awardee shall coordinate with the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) prior to performance. (viii) The following solicitation provisions apply to this acquisition: The full text of FAR provisions or clauses may be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items (Nov 2021) Solicitation number for this requirement as 36C24225Q0986; The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of offers; Name, address and telephone number of offeror; Technical description of services to be performed in accordance with the Statement of Work. This Technical description should address the requirement specifically. Capability statements that are merely an overview of what the contractor offers will be determined incomplete. Please address all the technical evaluation sub-factors. Failure to address all the sub-factors will result in your package being determined incomplete; Terms of any express warranty; Price should be for all services detailed in section v of this document. The pricing must be broken down in a manner that allows for price reasonableness to be determined. Failure to provide complete pricing will result in contractors package being determined to be incomplete; Remit to address, if different than mailing address; A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b) for those representations and certifications that the offeror shall complete electronically); Acknowledgement of any solicitation amendments; Past performance information; A statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Offers that fail to furnish required representation or information or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation will be excluded from consideration. The following solicitation provisions are included as addenda to FAR 52.212-1: 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) 52.204-7 System for Award Management (OCT 2018) 52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020) 52.204-20 Predecessor of Offeror (AUG 2020) 52.216-1 Type of Contract (APR 1984) The Government contemplates award of a Firm Fixed Price contract resulting from this solicitation. 52.217-4 Evaluation of Options Exercised at Time of Contract Award (JUNE 1988) 52.233-2 Service of Protest (SEPT 2006) 852.252-70 Solicitation Provisions or Clauses Incorporated by Reference (JAN 2008) (End of Addendum to 52.212-1) Addendum to FAR 52-212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS COMEMRCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021): This Request for Quote (RFQ) is issued in accordance with FAR Part 12 in conjunction with Simplified Acquisition Procedures at FAR 13.5. All instances of FAR 15 procedures in FAR 52.212-1 shall not apply to this RFQ and are hereby substituted with FAR 13 procedures. Eligibility: In order for a quote to be eligible for award, offerors submitting a quote must have the NAICS Code 561421 TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICES and current registration in both the System for Award Management (SAM): https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM, and current active registration as a small business under NAICS 561421 TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICES in Small Business Administration (SBA): https://www.sba.gov/. Submission Instructions: Technical packages shall be submitted to Clifford.Harrison@va.gov by 12:00 PM ET on 09/12/2025. The email shall identify Solicitation 36C24224Q0133. Offerors that do not adhere to these instructions may be determined to be incomplete and, therefore, risk being rejected without further consideration for award. Offer submissions must include: EVALUATION FACTOR SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: Technical capability - Technical capability is defined as a quoter s ability to satisfy the solicitation s requirements, providing the highest quality service to the specified facilities. The contractor shall provide a maximum 10-page capability statement demonstrating it has trained personnel, equipment and working experience and ability to meet all the requirements of the Performance Work Statement (PWS). TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY: Contractor shall submit a package that demonstrates its understanding of the requirement in accordance with the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and the extent to which potential risks are identified and mitigated. CONTRACTOR EXPERIENCE: The offeror shall provide 3-5 instances of past experience of similar scope within the past 5 years. The contractor shall be a firm regularly engaged in switchboard operation services, telephone answering services, and information desk services, hereinafter referred to as switchboard services. Their expertise and experience shall be of such extent as to provide them the knowledge of procedures switchboard operators for a hospital/healthcare setting. Generally, the principals of the company shall have had approximately three years successful experience in performing switchboard services. KEY PERSONNEL: Contractor shall provide the key personnel and their function on this requirement. Contractor shall indicate if subcontractors will be used. If so, who the pertinent POCs will be for each subcontractor and their placement in the Management Hierarchy. The contractor must provide performance plan to meet the requirement and who will be responsible for performing what tasks. (2) Past performance - Contractor must provide three references for contract of similar scope and magnitude to be evaluated. The contractors Past Performance shall also be reviewed in PPIRs; Individuals with no past performance shall receive a neutral rating for this evaluation factor. (3) Price - The government will evaluate offers for award purposes based on the pricing for the total requirement. Offers for partial requirement will not be evaluated and will be deemed non-responsive upon receipt. (b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). (c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. END OF ADDENDUM (ix) The provision at FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation Commercial Items (November 2021), applies to this acquisition. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the government, considering technical capability, past performance, and price. A Technical Evaluation Team comprised of representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs will evaluate the proposals. The identities of the Technical Evaluation Team are confidential, and any attempt by the offerors to contact these individuals is prohibited. The evaluation will be based on the content of the proposal and any subsequent discussions, if necessary, as well as information obtained from other sources, e.g. past performance information. Quoters are advised that the technical evaluation and rating of proposals will be conducted in strict confidence in that technical and past performance proposals are reviewed and rated without knowledge of the price offered. During deliberation, the number and identities of quoters are not revealed to anyone who is not involved in the evaluation and award process or to other quoters. Quotes will be evaluated based on the factors described herein, and award will be made to the responsive responsible quoter whose offer in conformance with this solicitation, results in the best value to the Government, price and other factors considered. The evaluation process essentially consists of two parts: Technical/Past Performance Evaluation and Price Evaluation. 1. Technical/Past Performance Evaluation: Proposals shall be evaluated against the Evaluation Factors and Criteria. 2. Price Evaluation: The CO will evaluate price proposals independent of the technical/past performance evaluation. The Technical Evaluation Team will not have access to price information until completion of the technical/quality evaluation. NOTE: Price/Technical Trade-off Analysis: Once above evaluations are complete, the Technical Evaluation Team will compare the relative advantages and disadvantages of technical proposals and weigh against the prices. Technical Approach and Past Performance are equal and when combined are significantly more important than Price. The Technical Evaluation Team will then consider all factors and recommend an awardee to the CO, the quote offering the best value to the Government. The CO s decision shall be based on a comparative assessment of proposals against all source selection criteria in the solicitation. The government shall evaluate information based on the following evaluation criteria. Evaluation Factors: Technical Capability: Technical capability is defined as a quoter s ability to satisfy the solicitation s requirements, providing the highest quality service to the specified facilities. The contractor shall provide a maximum 10-page capability statement demonstrating it has trained personnel, equipment and working experience and ability to meet all the requirements of the Performance Work Statement (PWS). A) Technical Proficiency: Quoter shall submit a proposal that verifies it is a firm that specializes in Switchboard Services. The proposal should be comprehensive and demonstrates its understanding of the requirements and not a copy and paste of the Statement of Work requirements. It shall outline the contractor s ability to perform the services adequately and satisfactorily in accordance with the Statement of Work (SOW) and the extent to which potential risks are identified and mitigated. B) Contractor Experience: The offeror shall provide 3-5 instances of past experience of similar scope within the past 5 years. The contractor shall be a firm regularly engaged in switchboard operation services, telephone answering services, and information desk services, hereinafter referred to as switchboard services. Their expertise and experience shall be of such extent as to provide them the knowledge of procedures for switchboard operators for a hospital/healthcare settings. Generally, the principals of the company shall have had approximately three years successful experience in performing switchboard services. Past performance: Quoter must provide three references for contract of similar scope and magnitude to be evaluated. Relevant past performance information shall include key personnel who have relevant experience, predecessor companies, and subcontractors who will perform major or critical elements of this solicitation. The quoters Past Performance shall also be reviewed in PPIRs; Quoter s with no past performance shall receive a neutral rating for this evaluation factor. Price: The government will evaluate quotes for award purposes based on the pricing for the total requirement. Quotes for partial requirement will not be evaluated and will be deemed non-responsive upon receipt. Options: The Government will evaluate quotes for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that a quote is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). A written notice of award or acceptance of a quote, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful quoter within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the quote s specified expiration in time, the Government may accept a quote (or part of a quote), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. Failure to provide the information requested in the evaluation criteria may result in being found non-responsive. (End of Provision) (x) The provisions at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (Nov 2021) applies to this acquisition. * All firms or individuals submitting a quote shall include a completed copy of this provision OR have current Representations and Certifications in the System for Award Management (SAM - https://www.sam.gov). Representations, Certifications, and SAM must be current at award. IF NOT CURRENT AND/OR YOU DO NOT SUBMIT A COMPLETED COPY OF THIS PROVISION, YOUR QUOTE WILL BE CONSIDERED NON-RESPONSIVE. (xi) FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items Nov 2021 applies to this acquisition. The following clauses are incorporated into Addendum to FAR 52.212-4, 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) 52.203-16 Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest (JUN 2020) 52.204-9 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel (JAN 2011) 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (OCT 2018) 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999) 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000) 52.228-5 Insurance Work on a Government Installation (Jan 1997) CL 120 Supplemental Insurance Requirements 52.229-3 Federal State and Local Taxes (FEB 2013) 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (DEC 2013) 52.237-2 Protection of Government Buildings, Equipment, and Vegetation (APR 1984) 52.237-3 Continuity of Services (JAN 1991) 852.201-70 Contracting Officer s Representative (DEC 2022) 852.204-70 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel (MAY 2020) 852.219-73 VA Notice to Total Set-Aside for Certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (JAN 2023) 852.219-75 VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction (JAN 2023) (xii) FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items (Jan 2022) The following subparagraphs of FAR 52.212-5 are applicable: 52.203-17 Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights (NOV 2023) 52.204-27 Prohibition on a ByteDance Covered Application (JUN 2023) 52.209-6 Protecting the Government s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, Proposed for Debarment, or Voluntarily Excluded (JAN 2025) 52.209-9 Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (OCT 2018) 52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2020) 52.219-28 Post Award Small Business Program Representation (JAN 2025) 52.222-35 Equal Opportunity for Veterans (JUN 2020) 52.222-36 Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (JUN 2020) 52.222-41 Service Contract Labor Standards (AUG 2018) 52.222-42 Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (MAY 2014) 01460 - Switchboard Operator/ Receptionist $19.05 52.222-50 Combatting Trafficking in Persons (OCT 2020) 52.222-55 Minimum Wages Under Executive Order 13658 (NOV 2020) 52.222-62 Paid Sick Leave Under Executive Order 13706 (JAN 2017) 52.223-18 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (JUN 2020) 52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUN 2008) 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer System for Award Management (OCT 2018) (xiii) The Service Contract Act of 1965 does apply to this procurement. See Attached: WAGE DETERMNATION QASP BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENT 852.219-73 VA NOTICE OF TOTAL SET-ASIDE FOR CERTIFIED SERVICE- DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES. VAAR 852.219-75 APPENDIX C PERSONAL LIST (xiv) All quoters shall submit the following: one copy of technical capability and pricing, and an additional redacted copy. All quotations shall be sent ONLY to Clifford Harrison at Clifford.Harrison@va.gov This is a Total Service Disable Veteran Owned Small-Business Set-Aside Open-Market solicitation for 5 Switchboard Services at Albany Stratton VA Medical Center as defined herein. The government intends to award a contract as a result of this combined synopsis/solicitation that will include the terms and conditions set forth herein. To facilitate the award process, all quotes must include a statement regarding the terms and conditions herein as follows: "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition." OR "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:" Quoter shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s). Any and all questions that need to be addressed or answered needs to be submitted to the NC02 Contracting Department by 09/05/2025. Submission shall be received not later than 12:00 PM ET on 09/12/2025 at Clifford.Harrison@va.gov. Late submissions shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f). Faxed or postal mailed quotes will NOT be accepted. All communication shall have RFQ number and requirement title in the subject line. Point of Contact Clifford S. Harrison, Contract Specialist Clifford.Harrison@va.gov This is a Combined / Solicitation Posting for Switchboard Services.
