6515--AHBPCE - CT Analysis (VA-24-00057064)

Active

Contract Opportunity

This is a Sources Sought Notice

(a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this Sources Sought or to otherwise pay for the information solicited.

(b) Although "proposal," "offeror," contractor, and "offeror" may be used in this sources sought notice, any response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. The Government is seeking information for market research purposes only.

(c) Any information received from a contractor in response to this Sources Sought may be used in creating a solicitation. Any information received which is marked with a statement, such as "proprietary" or "confidential," intended to restrict distribution will not be distributed outside of the Government, except as required by law.

(d) This Sources Sought is issued by VISN 2 Contracting Office in Canandaigua VA Medical center, 400 Fort Hill rd. Canandaigua, NY 14424 for the purpose of collecting information about VA-24-000057064 located at New Jersey VA Health Care Service. 385 Tremont Street, East Orange NJ 07018-1023
The VA is seeking to provide for this requirement as of 07/01/2024 to 02/28/2025 to procure services from Contractor that has extensive knowledge and expertise in quantitative analysis of high-resolution chest computed tomography (HRCT) scans for the VA New Jersey Health Care Service. The NAICS code identified for this requirement is . Provide your site location and supporting documentation. Given your location and proximity to the service site, how do you plan to accomplish self-performance of this work?
If your intention is to subcontract work, what tasks will be performed by you as the prime contractor? What tasks will require a subcontractor due to your inability to perform them within your company?
How many years experience does your company have in performing tasks of this nature, of this scope and this complexity? How many years of service do your proposed technicians have performing tasks of this nature, this scope, and this complexity? How many years does your proposed subcontractor have in performing tasks of this nature, this scope, and this complexity?
How many jobs of this of this nature, of this scope and this complexity have you performed in the past five years?
How many certified/licensed technicians does your company currently employ?
- Contractors shall also identify any Federal Supply Schedules that may carry the desired services.
- Contractors shall identify pertinent point of contact for company, contractor DUNS number for size standard and socioeconomic verification in SAM and VIP, as well as for any intended subcontractors.
- Contractor shall provide 2 to 3 instances of past experience which demonstrate that they are a firm regularly engaged in this type of work, to include subcontractors for those jobs.
- Contractor shall provide a listing of any teaming agreements they intend to employ in the performance of this requirement if awarded.
- Contractor shall supply proof of any applicable certification or training required to meet the regulatory requirements, if applicable.
- Contractors shall include any relevant comments about the Attachment(s) if applicable.
Below is the Limitation on Subcontracting Certificate of Compliance Clause. Please complete this as part of your response.
852.219-75Â VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction.
As prescribed in 819.7011(b), insert the following clause:
VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting - Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction (NOV 2022)
(a) Pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 8127(k)(2), the offeror certifies that -
(1) If awarded a contract (see FAR 2.101 definition), it will comply with the limitations on subcontracting requirement as provided in the solicitation and the resultant contract, as follows: [Contracting Officer check the appropriate box below based on the predominant NAICS code assigned to the instant acquisition as set forth in FAR 19.102.]
(i) Services. In the case of a contract for services (except construction), the contractor will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs as set forth in 852.219-73 or VOSBs as set forth in 852.219-74. Any work that a similarly situated VIP-listed subcontractor further subcontracts will count towards the 50% subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. Other direct costs may be excluded to the extent they are not the principal purpose of the acquisition and small business concerns do not provide the service as set forth in 13 CFR 125.6.
(ii) General construction. In the case of a contract for general construction, the contractor will not pay more than 85% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs as set forth in 852.219-73or VOSBs as set forth in 852.219-74. Any work that a similarly situated VIP-listed subcontractor further subcontracts will count towards the 85% subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. Cost of materials are excluded and not considered to be subcontracted.
(iii) Special trade construction contractors. In the case of a contract for special trade contractors, the contractor will not pay more than 75% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP-listed SDVOSBs as set forth in 852.219-73 or VOSBs as set forth in 852.219-74. Any work that a similarly situated subcontractor further subcontracts will count towards the 75% subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. Cost of materials are excluded and not considered to be subcontracted.
(2) The offeror acknowledges that this certification concerns a matter within the jurisdiction of an Agency of the United States. The offeror further acknowledges that this certification is subject to Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001, and, as such, a false, fictitious, or fraudulent certification may render the offeror subject to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties, including prosecution.
(3) If VA determines that an SDVOSB/VOSB awarded a contract pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 8127 did not act in good faith, such SDVOSB/VOSB shall be subject to any or all of the following:
(i) Referral to the VA Suspension and Debarment Committee;
(ii) A fine under section 16(g)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 645(g)(1)); and
(iii) Prosecution for violating section 1001 of title 18.
(b) The offeror represents and understands that by submission of its offer and award of a contract it may be required to provide copies of documents or records to VA that VA may review to determine whether the offeror complied with the limitations on subcontracting requirement specified in the contract. Contracting officers may, at their discretion, require the contractor to demonstrate its compliance with the limitations on subcontracting at any time during performance and upon completion of a contract if the information regarding such compliance is not already available to the contracting officer. Evidence of compliance includes, but is not limited to, invoices, copies of subcontracts, or a list of the value of tasks performed.
(c) The offeror further agrees to cooperate fully and make available any documents or records as may be required to enable VA to determine compliance with the limitations on subcontracting requirement. The offeror understands that failure to provide documents as requested by VA may result in remedial action as the Government deems appropriate.
(d) Offeror completed certification/fill-in required. The formal certification must be completed, signed and returned with the offeror's bid, quotation, or proposal. The Government will not consider offers for award from offerors that do not provide the certification, and all such responses will be deemed ineligible for evaluation and award.
Certification
I hereby certify that if awarded the contract, [insert name of offeror] will comply with the limitations on subcontracting specified in this clause and in the resultant contract. I further certify that I am authorized to execute this certification on behalf of [insert name of offeror].
Printed Name of Signee:_________________________
Printed Title of Signee: ____________________________
Signature: ____________________________________________
Date: _______________________
Company Name and Address:____________________________________________________
(End of clause)
Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence (AHBPCE)
Statement of Work

1. Title: Quantitative Chest Computed Tomography (qCT) Analysis Services

2. Purpose: The AHBPCE objective is to procure services from Contractor that has extensive knowledge and expertise in quantitative analysis of high-resolution chest computed tomography (HRCT) scans. The contractor should provide data management and quantitative analysis services of HRCTs. The AHBPCE has acquired paired inspiratory and expiratory HRCTs from Veterans referred for clinical evaluation and/or volunteers for research. We are interested in quantifying multiple endpoints from these scans using quantitative CT (qCT) analysis.

3. Background: The Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence (AHBPCE), located at the New Jersey War Related Illness and Injury Study Center under the program office Health Outcomes Military Exposure (12POP5) Patient Care Services (10P4), was officially recognized by Congress and the President in Public Law 115-929 as a VA Center of Excellence in 2019 (H.R. 5895). Formal designation as the Veterans Affairs AHBPCE by the Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Policy and Services (10P) was provided on April 23, 2019. In meeting VHA Directive 1215 ( Standards for VHA Centers of Excellence ) the AHBPCE has four primary responsibility areas that are frequently overlapping. These primary areas include:
Performing research related to Veterans concerns about exposure to Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pits;
Creating and disseminating high-quality education activities and materials for Veterans and Clinicians
Delivering specialized clinical care and consultation for Veterans
Monitoring enterprise clinical response through analysis of the VA s Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry data and related activities.

This contract addresses specifically our first primary responsibility area ( Performing research ) as well as directly informs our third primary responsibility area ( Delivering specialized clinical care ). It is known that airborne hazards exposure during deployment contributes to development of a variety of respiratory conditions such as asthma, COPD, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, and sarcoidosis - which are only a few of the respiratory indications that are now presumptive. Researchers are actively studying airborne hazards like burn pits and other military environmental exposures to better understand potential long-term health effects. To support ongoing research activities, the AHBPCE seeks to use commercial imaging technology for the analysis of HRCT scans by means of qCT analysis.

4. Selection Criteria:
The Contractor shall be able to perform a range of activities to support analysis of HRCTs including:
Database set-up and maintenance
Data transfer
Quality assurance
Quantitative CT imaging
Reporting

5. Deliverables or Deliver Schedule:

Estimated completion will occur in an agreed-upon schedule outlined in a data transfer agreement. All activities are expected to be completed no later than 6 months from start of award (if not sooner).
Database Set-up and File Transfer
Create a project specific database/portal that will receive all incoming data in accordance with the specific needs for this retrospective analysis study. Database must be accessible via VA network.
Contractor will provide the retrospective analysis data in compliance with the agreed-upon schedule (no later than 6 months after receipt of scans). The delivery timelines for the data are contingent upon factors such as the quantity of scans, the specific parameters to be quantified, and the inherent image quality of the CT scan. (Note: quality of the CT scan directly impacts the quantification processes). Contractor s technical operation department will have a more detailed discussion with the Sponsor at the project kick-off meeting.
Scan Quality Assurance
The Contractor will conduct a comprehensive quality control check on all CT scans submitted by AHBPCE to ensure scans meet minimum requirements essential for qCT analysis. Scans failing to meet Contractor s minimum standards will be identified and promptly flagged. Contractor will notify AHBPCE for each CT scan that has failed our quality control checks. (Note: Scans that have failed our QC check will not proceed to further processing stages.)
Quantitative CT Analysis:
Contractor s imaging processing team will quantify the lung structures derived from HRCT scans according to our standard operating procedures. The quantification is usually performed on paired inspiratory/expiratory HRCT scans.
Endpoints or outcomes of analysis should include the following for each scan that passes quality checks:
Blood vessel volume distribution (BV5, BV10, TBV)
Lung tissue density based on Hounsfield units
Lung feature/texture analysis
Lung and lobar volume assessment
Airway wall volume and thickness
Ventilation parameters, mapping
Ventilation/perfusion (V/Q), RV/LV cardiac parameters
Reporting
The Contractor and AHBPCE will provide raw data in csv format as well as pdf report summaries that are accessible via project specific database/portal.
The Contractor will provide up to 15 images suitable for publication/presentation, the specific details of which will be determined by the AHBCE at a later time point.

6. Place of Performance: The Contractor will perform analysis activities at their own location.

7. Information Security: The Contractor will not require access to VA Information and VA Information Systems. Therefore, all Contractors and Contractor personnel shall not be subject to the same Federal laws, regulations, standards and VA policies as VA, and VA personnel, regarding information and information system security.

8. Security: The Contractor will not require access to VA Information and VA Information Systems. Neither background investigations nor security trainings of personnel are required.

13. ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND NON-DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS

If the Contractor is currently providing support or anticipates providing support to the VHA that creates or represents an actual or potential organizational conflict of interest (OCI), the Contractor shall immediately disclose this actual or potential OCI in accordance with FAR Part 9.5. The contractor is also required to complete and sign an Organizational Conflict of Interest Statement in which the Contractor (and any sub-contractors, consultants or teaming partners) agree to disclose information concerning the actual or potential conflict with any proposal for any solicitation relating to any work in the TO. All actual or potential OCI situations shall be handled in accordance with FAR Subpart 9.5.

14. NON-DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS

All Contractor personnel (to include sub-contractors, teaming partners, and consultants) who shall be personally and substantially involved in the performance of the TO issued which requires the contractor to act on behalf of, or provide advice with respect to any phase of an agency procurement, as defined in FAR 3.104-4, shall execute and submit an Employee/Contractor Non-Disclosure Agreement Form. This is required prior to the commencement of any work on such TO and whenever replacement personnel are proposed under an ongoing TO. Any information obtained or provided in the performance of this TO is only to be used in the performance of the TO.

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