SOURCES SOUGHT
68 -- MEDICAL GAS CYLINDERS - 2022 - SOURCES SOUGHT
- Notice Date
- 1/19/2022 12:15:15 PM
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 325120
— Industrial Gas Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- 244-NETWORK CONTRACT OFFICE 4 (36C244) PITTSBURGH PA 15215 USA
- ZIP Code
- 15215
- Solicitation Number
- 36C24422Q0308
- Response Due
- 2/2/2022 8:00:00 AM
- Archive Date
- 03/04/2022
- Point of Contact
- Contracting Officer, Andrea Aultman-Smith, Phone: 610-384-7711 x3228
- E-Mail Address
-
andrea.aultman-smith@va.gov
(andrea.aultman-smith@va.gov)
- Awardee
- null
- Description
- This is Not a Solicitation Announcement. This is a Request for Information Only. This Request for Information (RFI) is intended for information and planning purposes only at this time; and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Since this is Request for Information announcement, no evaluation letters and or results will be issued to respondents. No solicitation exits. Therefore, do no request a copy of the solicitation. The Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 4, Network Contracting Office 4 (NCO 4), is seeking information and potential qualified/verified Small Businesses capable of meeting requirement and salient characteristics below to establish a VISN Contract for medical gas cylinders utilized at VA Medical Centers located in VISN 4. 1. SCOPE OF CONTRACT 1.1 The purpose of this solicitation is to establish a VISN Contract for medical gas cylinders utilized at VA Medical Centers located in VISN 4 which includes Philadelphia, PA; Wilmington, DE; Altoona, PA; Coatesville, PA; Lebanon, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; and Wilkes-Barre, PA. The gases to be purchased include, but are not limited to compressed Medical Air (United States Pharmacopeia) USP, Oxygen USP, Carbon Dioxide USP, Nitrogen (National Formulary) NF, Nitrous Oxide USP, Helium USP, and specialty medical gas mixtures. 1.2 The contract items will be ordered by and delivered to the individual facilities listed in the schedule. The quantities shown in the schedule are estimates of each facilities annual requirements. There is no express or implied guarantee that these quantities will be purchased. The schedule also indicates whether the contractor will fill government owned (G) cylinders, will provide contractor owned (C) cylinders, or will be servicing the facility with a combination of both (C/G). 1.3 The contract awarded under this solicitation will be in effect for one year from the date of award. There will also be four (4) one-year option periods that may be exercised, at the sole discretion of the government. 1.4 A Contracting Officer Representative (COR) has been designated in the solicitation schedule for each ordering facility. The COR is responsible for local contract administration issues such as ordering and providing specific delivery instructions. A letter of delegation that outlines the COR s specific responsibilities will be provided to the contractor and COR at the time of contract award. Within 60 days after contract award, the contractor shall contact the COR to finalize the ordering method and clarify the specific details of any delivery instructions that are included in the solicitation schedule. If agreement cannot be reached between the contractor and COR regarding any issue, the matter shall be referred to the Contracting Officer for resolution. 2. PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS 2.1 All medical gases shall conform to specifications prescribed in the United States Pharmacopeia and the National Formulary. All medical gas manufacturers and fillers of medical gases shall be registered with the FDA; and all medical gases shall be manufactured, processed, packed, transported, and stored according to the FDA s Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations and Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 210, 211 and 201 for labeling. 2.2 In addition, the following specifications are incorporated into the solicitation and resulting contracts. These additional specifications can be found at www.cganet.com/ . Compressed Gas Associations (CGA) is the commercial industry standard for these specifications. a. Federal Specification BB-A-1034B, Air, Compressed, for Breathing Purposes, dated 11-Apr-2019 b. Federal Specification BB-C-101C, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Technical and USP, dated 21-Jan-2004 c. Compressed Gas Association (CGA) Publications G-7 Compressed Air for Human Respiration, dated 9/9/19, and ANSI/CGA G-7.1 Commodity Specification for Air, dated 1-2018 2.3 All products, equipment, and services provided under the contracts awarded under this solicitation shall be in compliance with all applicable Federal, state, and local regulations. 3.Delivery. 3.1 The delivery time is specified in the schedule for each facility. The number of days specified (5 days) shall be the number of calendar days after receipt of order. The schedule lists delivery instructions that are unique to each facility. FOB point is destination. All transportation charges for cylinders shall be included in the price of the gas. Any and all additional charges, including but not limited to delivery fees, hazardous materials fees, fuel surcharges, etc. shall NOT be billed to or collected from the facilities for orders received under this contract. 3.2 Material Safety Data Sheets shall be provided to the facility COR upon request at no additional charge. 4. NON-REPAIRABLE GOVERNMENT PROPERTY 4.1 Prior to disposing of non-repairable government-owned cylinders, parts, fittings, and appurtenances, the contractor shall contact the ordering (owning) activity. Contractor shall make disposition in accordance with the ordering activity s instructions. 4.2 Contractors shall be paid for all services performed and authorized by the ordering activity, up to the determination that a cylinder is non-repairable. 4.3 If the activity requests, and the contractor agrees to dispose of any non-repairable government-owned property, the fee shall be negotiated and agreed upon between the two parties prior to the disposal of the property. 5. CYLINDERS AND OTHER CONTAINERS 5.1 Laws and Regulations Cylinders and other containers for gaseous and liquid forms of gases shall comply with the Department of Transportation specifications and shall be maintained, filled, marked, labeled, and shipped to comply with current Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations (Title 49-Transportation, Code of Federal Regulations.) Filling, packaging, labeling, etc., for medical gases shall also comply with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. 5.2 Marking In addition to marking required by the aforementioned laws and regulations, marking shall comply with CGA Publication C-7 Guide to Preparation of Precautionary Labeling and Marking of Compressed Gas Containers, dated 1/1/2020 5.3 Color Coding: Cylinders shall be color coded in accordance with CGA Publication C-9 -- Standard Color Marking Of Compressed Gas Containers Intended For Medical Use, dated 1/1/2019. 5.4 Valves Valves shall comply with CGA Safety Bulletin SB-26 and CGA Publication V-1 -- Compressed Gas Association Standard for Compressed Gas Cylinder Valve Outlet and Inlet Connections, dated 01/01/2021. Valve protection caps for cylinders designed to receive such caps shall be securely attached to the cylinders in a manner to protect the valves from injury during transit and delivery to the purchaser's receiving area. For liquid containers, all fittings must be permanently brazed to prevent their removal. In addition, each container must contain a 360 degree cryoband applied at the top of the container with the drug product name repeated around the entire container. 5.5 Integral Regulators (this is specific to the Pittsburgh locations only) An E-Cylinder will be available with an integral regulator. The specifications for the integral regulators are as follows: A wrap-around durable raised handle will surround the components of the regulator such that dropping the tank on its side will not subject the regulator to contact with the ground or other surfaces. The raised handle will allow the tank to be lifted and carried as the primary means for carrying the tank during use. The regulator will be of the click-stop variety with stops on the 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,15 and 25 liter per minute setting. The outflow for oxygen will be a standard oxygen nipple. There will be a separate and recessed valve closure which will open and close the oxygen supply to the regulator. The regulator will be affixed by the vendor and of such design that it cannot be removed readily by others. 5.6 Hydrostatic Testing: 5.6.1 Retest Date: If applicable DOT regulations would require retesting of cylinder within three (3) months after scheduled date of shipment to Continental U.S. destination, or within six (6) months after scheduled date of shipment to overseas destination, cylinder shall be retested. Vendor will be required to retest any Government-Owned cylinder when requested by ordering activity, regardless of scheduled retest data. 5.6.2 Method: Government-owned cylinders which are eligible for extended hydrostatic retest period, testing by modified hydrostatic method, or visual inspection in lieu of hydrostatic testing, shall be serviced by the most economical means which will comply with Department of Transportation regulations (49 CFR 173.34) unless otherwise specified by the ordering activity. When modified or reduced DOT test requirements are contingent upon past usage of the cylinders, a written statement from the ordering activity indicating that the cylinders have been used exclusively for a specific gas may be considered acceptable evidence of the cylinders' eligibility for modified testing or inspection. 5.6.3 Hydrostatic testing shall be performed in accordance with CGA s Publication -- C-1, Methods For Hydrostatic Testing of Compressed Gas Cylinders, dated 01/01/16. 5.6.4 Visual inspection shall be performed in accordance with the applicable CGA Publications C-6 --Standards for Visual Inspection of Steel Compressed Gas Cylinders, dated 8/19/2019 or C-6.1 -- Standards for Visual Inspection of High Pressure Aluminum Compressed Gas Cylinders, dated 01/01/2019 5.6.5 The vendor shall be responsible for all testing of contractor-owned cylinders at no additional cost to the Government. 5.7 Cylinder Sizes: Cylinder sizes shown in the item description indicate product capacity of the cylinder currently being used. All capacities are approximate, and the Government shall be billed only for the actual amount of gas delivered. In accordance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the actual contents of the container must appear on the label. 5.8 Individual Agency Ownership of Cylinders: Government-owned cylinders shall remain the property of the individual ordering (owning) agency and shall not be exchanged for other cylinders, either government-owned or contractor-owned, without authorization of the ordering agency. 5.9 Lost or Damaged Contractor-Owned Cylinders For each contractor-owned cylinder lost or damaged beyond repair while in the Government s possession, the Government shall pay to the Contractor the replacement value, less the allocable rental paid for that cylinder. These cylinders shall become Government property. If any lost cylinder is located within 30 calendar days, it may be returned to the contractor by the government for a full refund. 5.10 Method of Shipment: Empty Government-owned cylinders that are picked up from an ordering facility for re-fill or servicing shall be transported according to the Department of Transportation Regulations, using normal commercial practice to prevent damage to cylinders. 5.11 Transportation of Cylinders: All transportation charges for empty government-owned and contractor-owned cylinders from the ordering facility to the contractor s facility shall be at the expense of the contractor. 6. PRICE OF SERVICES FOR GOVERNMENT-OWNED AND CONTRACTOR-OWNED CYLINDERS 6.1 Services Included in the Price of Gas (Both Govt. and Contractor-Owned Cylinders): The offeror s price for the gas shall include the furnishing, at no additional cost, of all services which are required at each and every filling of a cylinder to comply with applicable regulations, specifications, and normal good practices. Such services shall include, but not be limited to: tags indicating cylinder is ""Full,"" In Use,"" or ""Empty""; inspection, testing, evaluation, and cleaning services required at each and every filling; pin-indexing, when required, and attachment of Government-furnished warning tags, when required. Attaching of oxygen cylinders to manifold systems, when required, shall also be performed by the contractor at no additional cost. In addition to services listed in this paragraph, the contractor is responsible for all maintenance and testing of contractor-owned cylinders. 6.2. When required, the contractor shall perform additional services as necessary. The price of these services shall not exceed a rate that is higher than their standard commercial rate. All materials and components shall be furnished by the contractor. 6.2.1 Unlisted Services: Unlisted services (including palletizing, when needed) are not covered by this contract and should be obtained by the ordering office according to applicable procurement regulations 7. MEASUREMENT AND CONVERSION COMPUTATION, ATMOSPHERIC GASES AND HYDROGEN: Density data and volume measurement equivalents printed in CGA Publication P-6 -- Standard Density Data, Atmospheric Gases and Hydrogen, dated 3/8/00 shall be used when necessary to convert measurement of these gases from one form to another; for example, from cubic feet to gallons. 8. BADGES: All Contractor personnel are required to wear I.D. badges during the entire time he/she is on Government property. I.D. badges must have an identification picture and shall state the name of the individual and the company he/she represents. 9. SERVICE CALLS: Contractor shall provide in the space below the name, location, and telephone number of the office where service calls are to be placed: Name: ________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________ Telephone: ________________________________________ Point of Contact: ________________________________________ 10. GOVERNMENT HOLIDAYS: Services shall not be performed on the following National holidays: New Year's Day January 1st Martin Luther King's Birthday Third Monday in January President's Day Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Juneteenth National Independence Day June 19th Independence Day July 4th Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Veterans Day November 11th Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25th When a holiday 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 U.S. Government agencies. Also included, would be any other day specifically declared by the President of the United States of America to be a National Holiday. 11. INVOICE AND PAYMENT: Payment to be made monthly, in arrears, upon receipt of a properly prepared invoice.* A copy of the invoice MUST be sent to the COR designated in Attachment B. The Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Service Center (FSC) is the designated agency office for invoice receipt in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act (5 CFR Part 1315). FSC or its designated representative may contact the vendor to provide specific instructions for electronic submission of invoices. The vendor shall be responsible for any associated expenses. FSC may utilize third-party contractors to facilitate invoice processing. Prior to contact by FSC or its designated representative for electronic invoicing submissions, the vendor shall continue to submit all invoices to FSC at the mailing address below: Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center P.O. Box 149971 Austin, TX 78714-8971 * The invoice MUST be itemized to include the following information. Any information listed below not provided on an invoice will render that invoice incomplete and the invoice will be returned for immediate correction. (a) Time period being invoiced; (b) Description of services; (c) Unit Cost billed; (d) Extended amount due; (e) Invoice number, date, and (f)Contract Number. The information identified above is intended to be descriptive, not restrictive and to indicate the quality of the supplies/services that will be satisfactory. It is the responsibility of the intended source to demonstrate to the government that the interested parties can provide the supplies/services that fulfill the required specifications mentioned above. Responses to this RFI should include company name, address, point of contact, phone number, and point of contact e-mail, DUNS Number, Cage Code, size of business pursuant to North American Industry Classification code (NAICS) 325120\, Industrial Gas Manufacturing. The Small Business Size Standard for this NAICS code is 1,000 employees. Please answer the following questions: (1) Please indicate the size status and representations of your business in accordance with the NAICS code _______, such as but not limited to: Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Hubzone, Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Large Business, etc.) (2) Is the required equipment available on a Federal Supply Schedule or Government Wide Acquisition Contract? If so, please include the schedule number. (3) Are you the manufacturer, distributor, or an equivalent solution to the items being referenced above? If not, provide additional information shown below. This is to confirm compliance with the non-manufacturer rule IAW 13 CFR 121.406(b) Nonmanufacturers. Does your company exceed 500 employees Primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of item being supplied; Take ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice; Provide the items of a small business (4) If your company is a large business, do you have any authorized small business distributors? If so, please provide their company name, telephone, point of Contact and size status (if available). (5) If your company is a small business and you are an authorized distributor/reseller for the items identified above or an equivalent solution, do you alter; assemble; modify; the items requested in any way? If you do, state how and what is altered; assembled; modified? (6) If you intend to subcontract any work on this contract, what portion of the total cost will be self-performed/will be performed by your organization? Please provide estimated detailed percentage breakdowns related to sub contracted work and completion of job. (7) General pricing of your products/solution is encouraged. Pricing will be used for the purpose of market research only. It will not be used to evaluate for any type of award. (8) Please submit your capabilities in regard to the salient characteristics detailed above and any information pertaining to equal to items to establish capabilities for planning purposes? (9) Please review salient characteristics/statement of work (if applicable) and provide feedback or suggestions. If none, please reply as N/A. (10) Please provide your DUNS number. *** Submissions addressing number (10) should show clear, compelling and convincing*** evidence that all equal to items"" meet all the salient characteristics. This RFI will be conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13. Telephone responses will not be accepted. Responses must be received via email to Contracting Officer at andrea.aultman-smith@va.gov no later than 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time on February 2, 2022. This notice will help the VA in determining available potential sources only. Do not contact VA Medical Center staff regarding this requirement, as they are not authorized to discuss this matter related to this procurement action. All questions will be addressed by the Contractor Officer, Andrea Aultman-Smith. All firms responding to this Request for Information are advised that their response is not a request for proposal, therefore will not be considered for a contract award. If a solicitation is issued, information will be posted on the Contracting Opportunities web site for all qualified interested parties at a later date and interested parties must respond to the solicitation to be considered for award. This notice does not commit the government to contract for any supplies or services. The government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this Request for Information. Information will only be accepted in writing by e-mail to Contracting Officer Andrea Aultman-Smith, Contract Officer at andrea.aultman-smith@va.gov DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. 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 responding to this RFI.
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
(https://sam.gov/opp/e154e33b930a40968e2d32a4f63ba32e/view)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Department of Veterans Affairs Multiple Medical Center Locations CO Administration Office Coatesville VA Medical Center, 1400 Black Horse Hill Road 19320, USA
- Zip Code: 19320
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 19320
- Record
- SN06220695-F 20220121/220119230110 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's SAM Daily Index Page |