Attn: Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery = Administration, Chief, Centralized Contracting Division, (402D3), 5101 = Russell Road, Quantico, Virginia 22134-3903

99 -- UPRIGHT MARBLE HEADSTONES AND FLAT MARBLE GRAVE MARKERS SOL 786-51-00 DUE 051200 POC Contracting Officer -- Joseph Kepple, Procurement Analyst, = (703) 441-3087 WEB: RFI 786-51-00, http://www.bos.oamm.va.gov/solicitation?number=3D786-51-00. NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN INVITATION FOR BIDS, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS = OR REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS. BIDS, PROPOSALS AND QUOTATIONS ARE NOT REQUIRED AT THIS TIME. The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) is conducting market research in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10, to gauge the capacity, capabilities and interest of the monument industry to contract with NCA to provide approximately 80,000 upright marble headstones and 10,000 flat marble grave markers under a firm fixed-price type contract. NCA furnishes headstones and grave markers under the Veterans Headstone and Grave Marker Program to mark and honor the final resting places of = America=92s veterans. Headstones and grave markers are provided for national cemeteries, State Veterans Cemeteries, military post cemeteries, and private cemeteries located throughout the Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside of the Continental United States (OCONUS).=20 Deliveries are F.O.B. Origin, Contractor=92s Manufacturing Facility. = The resulting contracts will cover the period October 1, 2000 (or date of contract award, whichever is later), through September 30, 2001, with two 1-year options to extend the term of the contracts through September 30, 2003. NCA will issue via the ordinary mails Request For Information (RFI) Number 786-51-00 on or about April 17, 2000, at no charge to those firms responding to this announcement and other firms identified by NCA as potential bidders through our solicitation mailing lists and other methods, including NCA=92s incumbent contractors for these items. The RFI will also be available for download from the Internet at the following URL address: http://www.bos.oamm.va.gov/solicitation?number=3D786-51-00.=20 All interested and responsible sources should respond to the questions in the RFI, as well as provide any written comments pertaining to the specifications used for these products. The issuing office should receive responses to the RFI no later than 4:00 p.m., EDST, Friday, May 12, 2000. Responses may be sent to the issuing office via the ordinary mails, or by facsimile to Mr. Joseph C. Kepple, Procurement Analyst, telephone 703-441-3087 (voice); 425-963-2911 (fax), or by electronic mail to: jkepple@cem.va.gov. Posted 04/17/00 (D-SN445576). (0108)

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