Loren Data's SAM Daily™

SAMDAILY.US - ISSUE OF JUNE 19, 2024 SAM #8240
SOURCES SOUGHT

R -- ASL Interpreter Services The contractor shall provide American Sign Language (ASL) services

Notice Date

6/17/2024 7:43:48 AM
 

Notice Type

Sources Sought
 

NAICS

541930 — Translation and Interpretation Services
 

Contracting Office

VBA FIELD CONTRACTING (36C10E) WASHINGTON DC 20006 USA
 

ZIP Code

20006
 

Solicitation Number

36C10D24Q0197
 

Response Due

7/2/2024 8:00:00 AM
 

Archive Date

10/09/2024
 

Point of Contact

Craig Harris, Contracting Specialist, Phone: 603-624-4366
 

E-Mail Address

Craig.Harris@va.gov
(Craig.Harris@va.gov)
 

Awardee

null
 

Description

This is a Sources Sought notice only. This is not a request for quotes and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. The Government will not provide any reimbursement for responses submitted in response to this Source Sought notice. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interest parties must response to that solicitation announcement separately. Responses to this notice are not a request to be added to a prospective quoters list or to receive a copy of the solicitation. The purpose of this announcement is to perform market research to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS 541930, (Translation and Interpretation Services) with a size standard of 22.5 million. The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Winston-Salem Regional Office (WSRO), Winston-Salem, NC, is seeking to identify any vendor capable of providing American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation Services per the Statement of Work below. This Sources Sought notice provides an opportunity for respondents to submit their capability and availability to provide the requirement described below. Vendors are encouraged to submit information relative to their capabilities to fulfill this requirement, in the form of a statement that addresses the specific requirement identified in this Sources Sought. Information received from this Sources Sought shall be utilized to facilitate the Contracting Officer s review of the market base, for acquisition planning, size determination, and procurement strategy. Submission Instructions: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by 11:00am EST, on July 2nd, 2024. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to Craig.Harris@va.gov with RFQ # 36C10D24Q0197 in the subject line. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. Interested parties should complete the attached Sources Sought Worksheet. Parties may submit additional information related to their capabilities, provided it contains all the requirements contained in the Sources Sought Worksheet. Responses to this Sources Sought shall not exceed 8 pages. In addition, all submissions should be provided electronically in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. Attachment 1 Sources Sought Worksheet QUALIFICATION INFORMATION: Company / Institute Name: _______________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: ________________________________________________________________ Point of Contact: _______________________________________________________________ E-mail Address: ________________________________________________________________ Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) #: ___________________________________________________ CAGE Code: __________________________________________________________________ SAM Registered: (Y / N) Other available contract vehicles applicable to this sources sought (GSA/FSS/NASA SEWP/ETC): __________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS: VIP Verified SDVOSB: (Y / N) VIP Verified VOSB: (Y / N) 8(a): (Y / N) HUBZone: (Y / N) Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N) Women-Owned Small Business: (Y / N) Small Business: (Y / N) NOTE: Respondent claiming SDVOSB and VOSB status shall be registered and Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) verified in VetBiz Registry www.vetbiz.gov. BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SDVOSB, VOSB, SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. CAPABILITY STATEMENT: Provide a brief capability and interest in providing the (service) as listed in Attachment 2 STATEMENT OF WORK with enough information to determine if your company can meet the requirement. The capabilities statement for this Sources Sought is not a Request for Quotation, Request for Proposal, or Invitation for Bid, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach, but rather the Government is requesting a short statement regarding the company s ability to provide the services outlined in the (SOW). Any commercial brochures or currently existing marketing material may also be submitted with the capabilities statement. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government will not pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Attachment 2 STATEMENT OF WORK American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation Services BACKGROUND The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefit Administration, 251 N. Main Street, Winston-Salem Regional Office (WSRO), Winston-Salem, NC has a requirement for American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation Services for employees at the regional office and out based offices as listed. Interpreters shall perform under this agreement, as an independent contractor, and nothing contained herein shall in any way be construed to imply that the interpreter is an agent, employee, partner, or joint venture of the WSRO. Interpreters are responsible for reviewing and complying with all pertinent State and federal laws including, state and local taxation regulations, the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title II of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and all other applicable state and federal employment laws. Interpreters are responsible for reviewing and complying with all pertinent county and city ordinances. SCOPE Interpreter services shall include interpretation for employees who require ASL services now or for those that may be employed by the VA at any time during this contract. The interpretation services will be in the workplace as well as classroom training environments or designated workspace settings. Two (2) interpreters shall be provided if the total duration for a single event is over 4 hours in duration. The typical schedule for interpreting needs would be 7:30am to 4:00pm but is not limited to those scheduled hours. The total number of interpreting hours calculated is estimated to be 2,500. Activities may include, but are not limited to intercepts, voiceovers, and sign language. In addition, interpreters may be asked to work in a different setting, such as the need to accompany/meet an employee at outreach events and training facilities in the local area. Interpreters shall be able to interpret/transliterate fluently and understand the continuum of sign communication. Interpreters shall furnish sign language and other communication services between people who are deaf or hard of hearing and people who hear to interpret and translate in a work or training environment in an office setting or classroom training environment. Interpreters shall provide, at a minimum, interpreting services in American Sign Language (ASL). The interpreters shall provide interpreting services from English into English and be prepared to provide interpreting services in any or all the following modes: simultaneous interpretation, consecutive interpretation, and sight translation as needed. The main responsibility of interpreters under this contract shall be to translate the spoken word into sign language. Interpreter services may range from simple to complex and may be sensitive. The interpreters shall be able to work in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment and stay within the role of interpreter. In the performance of services under this contract, the contract interpreters shall adhere to the provisions of this contract. The contract interpreters shall be able to perform with general office equipment (i.e., computers and computer monitors, video screens and equipment, etc.) and provide interpreting services via computer microphone or telephone conversations. REQUIRED HOURS OF SERVICE AND SCHEDULING Interpreter services shall be required if requested at any WSRO office for any employee needing interpreting services up to 8.5 hours per day (includes 30-minute lunch break), excluding all Federal holidays, as shown below: Observed Federal Holidays: New Year s Day; Martin Luther King Day; Presidents Day; Memorial Day; Juneteenth; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day In the event an Executive Order is issued by the President of the United States declaring agencies of the Federal Government closed for a regularly scheduled workday, the Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) will determine and advise the contractor on whether services are required for that day. The contractor will be notified at least 48 hours in advance of the need for an interpreter. The contractor shall provide the required services if notified within the specified time. The Government may cancel services no less than 48 business hours in advance Monday through Friday, with no penalty or charges assessed. The contractor will be notified by email of cancellation of service with 48-hours notice. If the contractor is not notified of a cancellation 48 hours prior to the scheduled assignment, the contractor may invoice for the number of hours scheduled for the assignment. Contractor employee interpreters shall not be paid for any Federal Holiday. QUALIFIED PERSONNEL The interpreters shall have and maintain minimum federal and state interpreter requirements and other requirements as stated in this statement of work. SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER (KEY PERSONNEL) The contractor shall provide qualified personnel to perform the requirements specified. The ASL interpreters shall provide support and assistance in sign language interpretation services. The ASL interpreters shall possess all the demonstrated knowledge requirements delineated below. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR A SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER (EXPERIENCE) The minimum requirements are: Experience signing in meetings, small groups, large groups, and one-on-one. Experience signing in a work training environment that involves a variety of technical terms and acronyms specific to the VA. MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS The American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters shall possess: an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited college or university with a major study in a field related to either interpretation or American Sign Language (ASL) studies; or be able to provide sufficient assurances that the interpreter has the required knowledge and skills necessary to act as a competent interpreter. The interpreters shall have a demonstrated knowledge and understanding of American Sign Language and Deaf Culture. In lieu of a degree, the interpreter may hold current generalist (or higher) licensure by either the National Association of the Deaf or the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS The contractor shall provide sign language interpretation services for WSRO in accordance with the requirements listed herein. In addition to the experience and educational requirements described above, the interpreters shall clearly possess the following knowledge and skills: Ability to voice to sign. Ability to sign to voice. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE There are multiple office locations at which interpreter services may be required. Locations are as follows, but not limited to: Winston-Salem Regional Office (318) 251 North Main Street NC 27155 Bldg. 316 VRC G. Street Camp Lejeune, NC 28547 Winston-Salem Reginal Office Wells Fargo Ste: 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000 100 North main St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Bldg. 308 VR&E G. Street Camp Lejeune, NC 28547 Fayetteville Tech VR&E 2817 Fort Bragg Road General Classroom 202a Fayetteville, NC 28303 Fort Liberty Bldg. 4-2843 Fort Liberty, NC 28310 Salisbury VAMC VR&E 1601 Brenner Ave. Salisbury, NC 28144 Charlotte CBOC VR&E 8601 University East Drive Charlotte, NC 28213 Ashville VAMC VR&E 1100 Tunnel Road Ashville, NC 28805 Raleigh VR&E Terry Sanford Federal Bldg. 310 New Bern Avenue 27601 Cherry Point MCAS 4389 Beaufort Road Havelock, NC 28532 New River VSC B212 Bancroft Street New River. NC 28540 ENCES 1132 Henderson Drive Jacksonville, NC 28546 Blank PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The period of performance for ASL services is from September 01, 2024 August 31, 2025 with four (4) one-year option periods to be exercised at the discretion of the Federal Government. BILLING GENERAL INVOICE REQUIREMENTS Invoices shall be submitted monthly via Tungsten invoice submission portal. All invoices shall include: Invoice Number Contract number Purchase Order Number Date/Location of Service Service Start/Stop Time Interpreter s Name Total Weekly Hours of Service Rate per Hour Total Charge for each interpreter Any Mileage and parking charges must be included in hourly rate Per standard industry practice, a one-hour minimum period will be employed. The contractor shall bill in fifteen-minute increments. GENERAL VA SECURITY AND SYSTEM INFORMATION TRAINING All Contractor and subcontractor personnel requiring access to VA information and VA information systems shall complete the following before being granted access to VA information and networks: Sign and acknowledge understanding of and responsibilities for compliance with the National Rules of Behavior related to access to VA information and information systems, and Contractor Rules of Behavior (supplement), Successfully complete VA Cybersecurity Awareness training and annual refresher training as required, Successfully complete VA General Privacy training and annual refresher training as required, and Successfully complete any additional cybersecurity or privacy training as required for VA personnel with equivalent information system access. The Contractor shall provide to the COR a copy of the training certificates and signed Rules of Behavior for each applicable employee within one week of the initiation of the contract and annually thereafter, as required. These online courses will need to be taken through the VBA s online Talent Management System (TMS) at: https://www.tms.va.gov/learning/user/login.jsp. To self-enroll, click the Create New User button on the red bar and complete the assigned training. The COR will provide the contractor with the appropriate information to complete self- enrollment. Technical issues with TMS should be directed to the TMS help desk at vatmshelp@va.gov or 1-888-496-0463. Failure to complete this mandatory training within the timeframe required will be grounds for suspension or termination of all physical and/or electronic access privileges and removal from work on the contract until such time as the training is completed. The contractor will also complete 20-0344 Annual Certification of Veteran Status and Veteran-Relatives form upon starting, and annually thereafter for the duration of the contract. If the contractor or immediate relative is a veteran, the file will be housed in the Locked Files for the duration of the contract. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION The contract employee level of background investigation and clearance required for this effort is NACI. Work may not commence until the appropriate background investigation has commenced. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES The VA shall bear the expense of obtaining background investigations. Immediately after contract or task order award, the contractor shall complete and return to the VA all required VA Background Investigation Request forms for all contract employees working under the contract who have access to VA facilities, VA systems, or privacy data. The contractor and contractor point of contact (POC) will receive an email notification from the VA identifying the website link that includes detailed instructions regarding completion of the background clearance application process and what level of background was requested. Reminder notifications will be sent if the complete package is not submitted by the due date. The contractor shall prescreen all personnel who require access to VA site(s) and/or access to VA systems to ensure they maintain U.S. citizenship or immigration status authorizing them to work in the U.S. and are able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language. Contractors who have current favorable background investigations conducted by OPM or Defense Security Service (DSS) may be accepted through reciprocation. However, it does not preclude the contractor from submitting completed background investigation forms immediately after contract or task order award for all contract employees working under the contract. Each contract employee shall not begin work under the contract before confirmation from the VA s Security and Investigations Center that it received the investigative documents, they are complete, and the background investigation has begun. Once the contractor s background investigation has been initiated, contract performance may commence. The COR will notify the contractor when the investigation has been favorably completed and adjudicated. The contractor, if notified of an unfavorable adjudication by the Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration from working under the contract. Failure to comply with these contractor personnel security requirements may result in termination of the contract for default. If the security clearance investigation is not completed prior to the start date of the contract, the contract employee may work on the contract with an initiated status while the security clearance is being processed. However, the contractor will be responsible for the actions of those contract and subcontract employees they provide to perform work for VA. In the event damage arises from work performed by contractor and/or their subcontractor personnel the contractor will be responsible for resources necessary to remedy the incident. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NONDISCLOSURE It is agreed that: The preliminary and final deliverables and all associated working papers, application source code, and other material deemed relevant by the VA which have been generated by the contractor in the performance of this contract are the exclusive property of the U.S. Government, and shall be submitted to the COR at the conclusion of the contract. The CO will be the sole authorized official to release verbally or in writing, any data, the draft deliverables, the final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this contract. No information shall be released by the contractor. Any request for information relating to this contract presented to the contractor shall be submitted to the CO for response. Press releases, marketing material or any other printed or electronic documentation related to this project, shall not be publicized without the written approval of the CO.
 

Web Link

SAM.gov Permalink
(https://sam.gov/opp/85c183b64a454a8dbe14e605ed3a92c5/view)
 

Place of Performance

Address: Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Acquisition Division 1800 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA

Zip Code: 20006

Country: USA
 

Record

SN07100091-F 20240619/240617230121 (samdaily.us)
 

Source

SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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