6835--Bulk Oxygen Contract

Combined Synopsis-Solicitation for Commercial Products and Commercial Services

PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT 0004

The purpose of this amendment to RFQ 36C24126Q0547 is as follows:

• Extend the response due date for receipt of quotes to September 16 , 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
• Change the method of procurement from a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-aside to a Total Small Business Set-Aside. This change is based on the Government's determination, following review of quotes received under the SDVOSB set-aside, that fair and reasonable pricing could not be obtained in accordance with FAR 19.1405(b)(2). 
• Clarify equipment disposition and transition terms for the existing bulk oxygen system, as set forth in the revised Statement of Work below, so that all small business offerors can price the requirement on comparable terms.

All other terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged.

Description

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products and commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, "Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Products and Commercial Services," 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.

This solicitation is issued as an RFQ. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2025-04.

This solicitation is set-aside 100% for Total Small Business.

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 325120, (Industrial Gas Manufacturing), with a size standard of 1,200 employees. 

The FSC/PSC is 6835.

The White River Junction VAMC is seeking a qualified small business vendor capable of providing Medical-Grade Bulk Liquid Oxygen Deliveries for the VA White River Junction Healthcare System per the Performance Work Statement below. All interested small business companies shall provide quotations for the following:

Supplies/Services

ITEM NUMBER

DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

QUANTITY

UNIT

UNIT PRICE

AMOUNT

0001

Bulk Oxygen Supply Services in accordance with the SOW Period: Base

12.00

MO

__________________

__________________

0002

Tank Rental Services in accordance with the SOW Period: Base

1.00

EA

__________________

__________________

1001

Bulk Oxygen Supply Services in accordance with the SOW Period: OY 1

12.00

MO

__________________

__________________

1002

Tank Rental Services in accordance with the SOW Period: OY 1

1.00

YR

__________________

__________________

2001

Bulk Oxygen Supply Services in accordance with the SOW Period: OY2

12.00

MO

__________________

__________________

2002

Tank Rental Services in accordance with the SOW Period: OY 2

1.00

YR

__________________

__________________

3001

Bulk Oxygen Supply Services in accordance with the SOW Period: OY 3

12.00

MO

__________________

__________________

3002

Tank Rental Services in accordance with the SOW Period: OY 3

1.00

YR

__________________

__________________

4001

Bulk Oxygen Supply Services in accordance with the SOW Period: OY 4

12.00

MO

__________________

__________________

4002

Tank Rental Services in accordance with the SOW Period: OY 4

1.00

YR

__________________

__________________

 

TOTAL

__________________

__________________

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) VA White River Junction Healthcare System MEDICAL-GRADE LIQUID BULK OXYGEN

1. General

• The purpose of this requirement is to establish a committed source of supply of medical-grade bulk liquid oxygen for the VA White River Junction Healthcare System located in White River Junction, VT. The contractor shall also provide the necessary maintenance and monitoring of the complete bulk liquid oxygen distribution system, including the primary and reserve bulk tanks and reserve bottle bank, local alarm panel, and telemetry monitoring system, in accordance with the Equipment Disposition and Transition provisions of Section 2 below.
• The facility's annual requirements are estimated at 6,055,000 Standard Cubic Feet (SCF). There is no express or implied guarantee that these quantities will be purchased. The base contract period for all contracts awarded under this solicitation will be from date of award through a one year period with four continuing option years to equal the term of five years. Equipment rental shall be fixed not to exceed for the entire term. Pricing for all preventative maintenance, on-call 24/7 service must be included with the equipment rental pricing.
• A Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) has been designated in the solicitation schedule for the 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 by the Contracting Officer. Within 15 days after notification of contract award, the contractor shall meet with the COR to ensure mutual understanding of facility requirements relating to the ordering method and specific details of any delivery instructions that are included in the solicitation schedule.
• Prior to first filling, contractor must perform in-service training to include the following facets for contractor owned and government owned systems: the refill procedure, an explanation and certification of all the liquid level low, volume alarm and high and low pressure set-points. The contractor will provide written procedures and training for VA staff for protocols to accomplish emergency shutdowns or other sudden, unplanned termination of the refilling process. Contractor will provide 24/7 emergency contact name(s) and telephone number(s).
• Prior to first filling, and annually thereafter, alarm set-point testing and written verification must be presented by the Contractor through the use of a qualified third party expert per NFPA 99, current Edition for contractor owned systems.
• Prior to first filling, and annually thereafter, the contractor must verify, in writing, the accuracy of all gauges and telemetry devices on contractor owned tanks.

2. Equipment Disposition and Transition

This section is added by Amendment 0004 to clarify equipment terms and allow all small business offerors, including non-incumbent offerors, to price this requirement on comparable terms.

• The primary bulk oxygen tank (3,000-gallon), reserve tank (500-gallon), and associated alarm, telemetry, and ancillary equipment currently installed at the facility are owned by the incumbent contractor.
• Offerors shall price their quotation using one of the following two approaches, and shall clearly identify which approach is reflected in their price schedule:
  • Option A — Use of Existing Equipment. The offeror proposes to negotiate use of the existing contractor-owned equipment (through purchase, lease, or subcontract arrangement with Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., the incumbent and equipment owner) and to continue operating the current bulk tank and reserve system in place, subject to the offeror's own inspection, verification, and assumption of liability for the equipment during the period of performance.
  • Option B — Replacement Equipment. The offeror proposes to furnish and install its own contractor-owned bulk tank, reserve tank, and associated equipment meeting the minimum 96-hour reserve capacity and other requirements of this SOW. Consistent with Section 2 (Contractor-Furnished Equipment) below, installation shall be completed within 90 days after receipt of notice of award, and the offeror shall furnish a self-contained temporary portable gas supply and distribution system to maintain uninterrupted medical oxygen service during the changeover, at no additional cost to the Government beyond what is included in the offeror's price schedule.
• The Government does not warrant or guarantee that use of the existing equipment (Option A) will be available to any given offeror, as this depends on the offeror's ability to negotiate terms directly with the incumbent contractor or current equipment owner. Offerors pursuing Option A do so at their own risk and are responsible for confirming the availability and terms of any such arrangement prior to quote submission. The Government takes no position on, and does not facilitate, negotiations between offerors and the incumbent regarding use of existing equipment.
• Offerors are encouraged, but not required, to submit pricing under both Option A and Option B as alternate quotes in accordance with FAR 52.212-1(e), Multiple Quotes, if they are able to do so, to provide the Government with the fullest possible picture of competitive pricing.
• Regardless of the option selected, the awardee shall be solely responsible for the integrity, suitability, safety, and regulatory compliance of the equipment used in performance of this contract for the full period of performance, consistent with Section 2 (Contractor-Furnished Equipment) below.

3. Contractor-Furnished Equipment

• The contractor shall maintain a bulk liquid oxygen tank and reserve tank with appropriate backup cylinders for reserve or equivalent to provide a minimum of 96 hours of reserve capacity, consistent with the Equipment Disposition and Transition option selected under Section 2 above. The contractor shall provide additional equipment accessory to the bulk tank to provide a complete bulk liquid oxygen distribution system including but not limited to; local pad alarm panel and telemetry monitoring system. Through the duration of the contract, the contractor shall be liable for the integrity, suitability, and safety of contractor owned tank(s)/cylinder(s) that will insure compliance with applicable regulations, standards and normal good practices. The tank capacity and reserve system are minimum capacities required by the using facilities. Manifold, auto-switching, liquid converter, alarm switch, regulator, valves, level indicator, and any other devices or connections required for proper tie-ins with the facility's gas system shall be furnished by the contractor, without cost to the Government. The manifold or liquid converter shall deliver gas at a pressure and rate of flow adequate to supply the system. Each liquid oxygen storage container shall have an outlet that allows access for testing the purity of the oxygen.
• All equipment and materials required to perform on the contract shall be provided by the contractor. Contractor owned equipment shall be installed, inspected and maintained by the contractor without additional cost to the Government. (i.e., all installation, inspection and maintenance costs shall be included in the contract's monthly equipment rental fee for the applicable facility.) Contractor owned equipment shall be kept in good operating condition and appearance, in accordance with applicable regulations, standards and normal good practices. The contractor shall be provided reasonable access to the bulk oxygen systems for this purpose. Annual service and report of condition of all contractor owned equipment shall be completed and documented to the Government by the contractor without additional cost to the Government.
  • Installation of Contractor-Owned Equipment

Unless otherwise directed by the using facility, contractor owned equipment shall be installed by the effective date of the contract and shall be connected to the medical gas system on that date; provided: that the contractor shall be allowed a maximum of ninety days after receipt of notice of award to complete installation. If the contractor's equipment replaces equipment already in use, the exchange of equipment shall be accomplished without interruption of gas supply to the using facility. Contractor shall supply a self-contained temporary portable gas supply and distribution system to the using facility during the exchange period. This temporary system shall meet the same requirements of the base contract system and include at a minimum a main supply tank, a reserve supply tank, full alarm package on board, and connect to the facility through the existing facility emergency oxygen supply connection. Contractor installed equipment shall remain the property of the contractor and shall be removed upon termination of the contract, when directed by the ordering facility and in full cooperation with the succeeding contractor so as to avoid interruption of gas supply.

To permit orderly transition from one contractor to another, the contractor shall continue to honor the contract's monthly equipment rental fee and bulk oxygen contract price for a maximum of ninety days beyond the scheduled expiration of the contract period, unless transition from one contractor to another is completed prior to the ninety day transition period. For any partial month, the contractor shall prorate the monthly equipment rental fee accordingly. The contractor shall continue to provide and maintain its equipment during this transition period.

No guarantee is given or implied that data included in the schedule regarding contractor owned equipment currently located at the facilities is complete and accurate as to the factors affecting the cost of furnishing and installing the required contractor owned tanks and appurtenances.

All contractor-owned equipment shall be installed in accordance with NFPA 50: Standard for Bulk Oxygen Systems at Consumer Sites, 2001, NFPA 99: Standard for Health Care Facilities, 2018 Edition, and FDA's Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) Regulations. The contractor shall comply with all OSHA standards and applicable safety requirements, including proper signage and use of personal protective equipment.

• • Delivery of Medical Liquid Bulk Oxygen

Bulk oxygen is ordered by and delivered to VA White River Junction, VT Healthcare System.

The contractor shall deliver medical-grade liquid oxygen on an as-needed basis. If for any reason the contractor is unable to deliver at the agreed upon day or time, the contractor shall provide 24-hour notice to the COR, so that the facility can initiate an alternate backup action. In accordance with VHA Patient Safety Alert dated April 5, 2004, all deliveries must be monitored by a qualified and trained technical representative that will be designated by the facility. Contractor will be provided with names and contact information of primary and back-up facility representatives. This applies to all deliveries regardless of time or day of execution.

Tanks(s) will be filled to maximum functional capacity at each refilling procedure unless otherwise specified in the facility requirements or as agreed upon in a written document signed and dated by the COR.

At the time of each delivery, contractor must provide a legible signed and dated written document that identifies the tank level prior to fill, the level after fill, and the quantity delivered. This document must be counter-signed by the facility representative supervising the delivery.

Emergency delivery will be provided within 24 hours after receipt of Government notification. Contractor must respond to the facility by either telephone or email within one hour to confirm receipt of emergency notification to ascertain the nature of the emergency. Emergency status is determined by the Government when conditions warrant, such as an actuated main bulk tank low level alarm, imminent alarm condition, or system leak. Failure of the contractor to remain current with agreed delivery schedule and requirements does not constitute an "emergency" for purposes of charging an emergency delivery fee.

• • Quality Assurance Specifications and Requirements

All medical gas manufacturers and fillers of medical gases must be registered with FDA as drug manufacturers. All oxygen shall be manufactured, processed, packed, transported, and stored according to FDA's Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) regulations, and all labeling shall comply with FDA's labeling regulations (21 CFR Part 201).

All liquid bulk oxygen delivered under the contract shall be medical-grade and shall meet or exceed the standards cited in the current edition of the United States Pharmacopoeia/National Formulary (U.S.P.).

A valid certificate of analysis shall be provided with each delivery of liquid oxygen. The certificate shall include, at a minimum:

• • • Supplier's name and complete address
    • Name of the Product (i.e. Oxygen U.S.P.)
    • An Air Liquefaction Statement where appropriate
    • Lot number or other unique identification number
    • Actual analytical results for full U.S.P. monograph testing. (A statement that only states that the product meets the minimum purity of 99.5%, etc. is not acceptable.)
    • Test method used to perform the analysis. (A statement such as "Meets U.S.P. specifications" is not acceptable; nor would "Tested via Servomex" be acceptable since the specific model number is not provided.)
    • Signature of authorized supplier representative and date.
    • Safety Data Sheets shall be provided to the facility COR upon request.
    • A copy of all inspection reports shall be provided to the facility COR upon the completion of any contractor owned or government owned bulk oxygen system inspections that are required by regulation.
    • All contractor-owned equipment shall be maintained or repaired in accordance with NFPA 50: Standard for Bulk Oxygen Systems at Consumer Sites, 2001 and FDA's Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) Regulations.
  • Applicable Regulations & Standards

6.1 The following is a list of some of the regulations and standards that are applicable to this contract. The list is not comprehensive, and the contractor is responsible for ensuring that all products, equipment and services provided under the contract are in compliance with applicable Federal, state, and local regulations. If applicable, the editions in effect as of the date of this solicitation are listed. Contractor is responsible for remaining compliant with any future revisions that are effective at the time of contract performance.

6.2 The provisions of all applicable NFPA, OSHA, EPA, and VA codes, Federal, State, and local regulations shall be followed throughout the course of this project. Applicable VA publications and design manuals are available to the successful bidder at https://www.cfm.va.gov/til/dGuide.asp.

• • • Specifications: 03 30 – Concrete
    • Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 210 & 211 - CGMP regulations for supplying medical grade oxygen.
    • 29 CFR 1910.104 Applies to the installation of bulk oxygen systems on industrial and institutional consumer premises
    • 49 CFR — Transportation
    • Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
    • NFPA 50: Standard for Bulk Oxygen Systems at Consumer Sites, 2001 Edition
    • NFPA 99: Standard for Health Care Facilities, 2018 Edition
    • U.S.P. 23

6.3 Density data and volume measurement equivalents published in Compressed Gas Association Pamphlet No. P-6, titled "Standard Density Data, Atmospheric Gases and Hydrogen," shall be used when necessary to convert measurement of gases from one form to another. For example, the following conversion factor shall apply for conversion from gallons to cubic feet.

Calculation based on data in CGA P-6

• • • 1 ft3 liquid O2 = 860.6 ft3 gas (Table 1)
    • 1 ft3 liquid O2 = 7.48052 gal (Table 2)

Therefore:

• • • 7.48052 gal (1 ft3) liquid O2 = 860.6 ft3 gas
    • 1 gal liquid O2 = 860.6 ft3 / 7.48052 gal
    • 1 gal liquid O2 = 115.05 ft3 gas

More commonly quoted as 1 gal liquid O2 = 115.1 ft3 gas maintenance and testing of contractor-owned cylinders

The VA utilizes VISTA to issue a purchase order and liquidate invoices. Failure to register in VISTA may result in exclusion from the issuance of a VA contract. This determination will be at the discretion of the Contracting Officer. Interested parties with no prior VA contracts can apply here: https://www.cep.fsc.va.gov/

The full text of FAR provisions or clauses may be accessed electronically at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

The following solicitation provisions apply to this acquisition:

• FAR 52.212-1, "Instructions to Offerors–Commercial Products and Commercial Services"

[Attention CO: www.sam.gov registration is required to be complete at time of submission of response.]

Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) website located at https://sam.gov/ in accordance with FAR 52.212-3, "Offerors Representations and Certifications–Commercial Products and Commercial Services." If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required.

• FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Products and Commercial Services [In accordance with FAR 12.301(c) when the use of evaluation factors is appropriate, the contracting officer may (1) Insert the provision at 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, in solicitations for commercial products or commercial services (see 12.602); or (2) Include a similar provision containing all evaluation factors required by 13.106, subpart 14.2 or subpart 15.3, as an addendum (see 12.302(d)).]

The following contract clauses apply to this acquisition:

• FAR 52.212-4, "Contract Terms and Conditions–Commercial Products and Commercial Services" (Nov 2023)
• 852.204-70 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel
• FAR 52.219-6, "Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside" (added by Amendment 0004)
• VAAR 852.219-76, "VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting — Certificate of Compliance for Supplies and Products"

The following clauses are applicable:

52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation & First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jun 2020) (Pub. L. 109-282) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note), 52.204-27, Prohibition on a ByteDance Covered Application (Jun 2023) (Section 102 of Division R of Pub. L. 117-328), 52.209-6, Protecting the Government's Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, Proposed for Debarment, or Voluntarily Excluded. (Jan 2025) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note), 52.219-28, 52.228-5, "Insurance — Work on a Government Installation., Convict Labor (JUN 2003), 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (SEP 2016), 52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (JUN 2020), 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (JUN 2020), 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (FEB 2021), 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards (AUG 2018), 

All quoters shall submit the following:

(1) A Firm Fixed Price Quote which shall be received on or before the date and time specified in Section (xv) of this solicitation.

(2) A proposal outlining technical capabilities in accordance with the Statement of Work, including identification of the Equipment Disposition option (Option A or Option B, per Section 2 of the SOW) reflected in the offeror's pricing.

(3) A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3, including small business size and socio-economic status representations.

(4) Quote Format: The submission should be clearly indexed and logically assembled in order of the evaluation criteria below. All pages of the quote shall be appropriately numbered and identified by the complete company name, date and solicitation number in the header and/or footer.

Questions:
Questions shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer in writing via e-mail. Oral questions are not acceptable due to the possibility of misunderstanding or misinterpretation. The cut-off date and time for receipt of questions is Friday, September 11, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST. Questions received after this date and time will not be answered. Questions shall be answered in a formal amendment to the solicitation so all interested parties can see the answers.

All questions shall be sent to Kenya.Mitchell1@va.gov and David.Valenzuela2@va.gov

Award will be based upon a comparative evaluation of quotes in accordance with the Simplified Acquisition Procedures of the FAR. Comparative evaluation is the side by side pairwise comparison of quotes based on factors resulting in a Contracting Officer decision for the quote most favorable to the Government.

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:"

Quoters shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s), if any.

Submission of your response shall be received not later than September 16, 2026 by 5:00 PM EST.

Late submissions shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f).

Any questions or concerns regarding this solicitation should be forwarded in writing via e-mail to the Point of Contact listed below.

Point of Contact

Kenya.Mitchell1@va.gov & David.Valenzuela2@va.gov

The following are the decision factors:

ADDENDUM to 52.212-2 EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

• Basis for Award. The Government will issue a purchase order to the responsible quoter whose quotation conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered.
• The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotations:
  • Technical
  • Past Performance
  • Price
  • Certifications
• Evaluation Approach. The Government will evaluate quotations using the comparative evaluation process outlined in FAR 13.106-2 (b) (3), where quotations will be compared to one another to determine which provides the best benefit to the Government. The Government reserves the right to consider a quotation other than the lowest price that provides additional benefit(s). Quotations may exceed minimum requirements of the solicitation. The Government reserves the right to select a quotation that provides benefit to the Government that exceeds the minimum requirements of the solicitation, but is not required to do so. Each response must meet the minimum requirements of the solicitation. The Government is not requesting or accepting alternate quotations, except as specifically permitted under Section 2 of the SOW with respect to Equipment Disposition and Transition options. The evaluation will consider the following:
  • Technical: The quotation will be evaluated to the extent to which it can meet and/or exceed the Government's requirements as outlined in the solicitation and based on the information requested in the instructions to quoters section of the solicitation.
  • Past Performance: The past performance evaluation will assess the relative risks associated with a quoter's likelihood of success in fulfilling the solicitation's requirements as indicated by the quoter's record of past performance. The past performance evaluation may be based on the contracting officer's knowledge of and previous experience with the supply or service being acquired; Customer surveys, and past performance questionnaire replies; Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) at http://www.cpars.gov/; or any other reasonable basis.
  • Price: The Government will evaluate the price by adding the total of all line-item prices
  • Certification: Certification will be evaluated on an acceptable/unacceptable basis to ensure compliance with applicable industry standards, including small business size and Nonmanufacturer Rule certifications.

(End of Provision)

ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (SEP 2023)

Provisions that are incorporated by reference (by Citation Number, Title, and Date), have the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The version of FAR 52.212-1 in the addendum is tailored for Simplified Acquisition Procedures and supersedes the current version of FAR 52.212-1 contained in the FAR.

The following provision is incorporated into 52.212-1 as an addendum to this solicitation:

52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (SEP 2023)

(a) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and small business size standard. The NAICS code(s) and small business size standard(s) for this acquisition appear elsewhere in the Request for Quote (RFQ). However, the small business size standard for a concern that submits a quote, other than on a construction or service acquisition, but proposes to furnish an end item that it did not itself manufacture, process, or produce is 500 employees, or 150 employees for information technology value-added resellers under NAICS code 541519, if the acquisition—

(1) Is set aside for small business and has a value above the simplified acquisition threshold;

(2) Uses the HUBZone price evaluation preference regardless of dollar value, unless the offeror waives the price evaluation preference; or

(3) Is an 8(a), HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned, economically disadvantaged women-owned, or women-owned small business set-aside or sole-source award regardless of dollar value.

(b) Submission of Quotes. Submit signed and dated quotes to the office specified in this Request for Quote (RFQ) at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation. Quotes may be submitted on letterhead stationery, or as otherwise specified in the solicitation. As a minimum, quotes must show—

(1) The solicitation number.

(2) The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of quotations;

(3) The name, address, and telephone number of the quoter;

(4) A technical description of the items being quoted in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary;

(5) Terms of any express warranty;

(6) Price and any discount terms;

(7) "Remit to" address, if different than mailing address;

(8) A completed copy of the representations and certifications at Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b) for those representations and certifications that the offeror shall complete electronically);

(9) Acknowledgment of Quotation Amendments;

(10) Past performance information will not be considered in simplified acquisition procurements.

(11) Quotes should include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Quotes that fail to furnish required representations, or information, or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

(c) Period for acceptance of Quotes. The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 30 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of quotes, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.

(d) Product samples. When required by the solicitation, product samples shall be submitted at or prior to the time specified for receipt of quotes. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, these samples shall be submitted at no expense to the Government, and returned at the sender's request and expense, unless they are destroyed during preaward testing.

(e) Multiple Quotes. Quoters are encouraged to submit multiple quotes presenting alternative terms and conditions, including alternative line items (provided that the alternative line items are consistent with FAR subpart 4.10), or alternative commercial products or commercial services for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation, including alternate pricing under Equipment Disposition Options A and B as described in Section 2 of the SOW. Each quote submitted will be evaluated separately.

(f) Late submissions, modifications, revisions, and withdrawals of quotes.

(1) Quoters are responsible for submitting quotes, and any modifications, revisions, or withdrawals, so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation, the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated Government office on the date that quotes or revisions are due.

(2) Any quote received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of quotes is "late" and may not be considered unless it is received before purchase order issuance and the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late quote would not unduly delay the acquisition.

(3) If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that quotes cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of quotes by the exact time specified in the Request for Quote, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation or other notice of an extension of the closing date, the time specified for receipt of quotes will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume.

(g) Issuance of Purchase Order. The Government may issue a purchase order to one or more quoters as identified in the Request for Quote (RFQ). Therefore, the quoter's initial quote should contain the best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government may reject any or all quotes if such action is in the public's best interest. In addition, the Contracting Officer (CO) may issue a purchase order to other than the quoter with the lowest quoted price.

(h) Multiple awards. The Government may accept issue a purchase order for any item or group of items of a quotation, unless the quoter qualifies the quotation by specific limitations. Unless otherwise provided in the quotation, offers may not be submitted for quantities less than those specified in the RFQ. The Government reserves the right to issue a purchase order for a quantity less than the quantity quoted, at the unit prices quoted, unless the quoter specifies otherwise in the quote.

(i) Availability of requirements documents cited in the solicitation.

(1)

(i) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101–29, and copies of Federal specifications, standards, and product descriptions can be downloaded from the ASSIST website at https://assist.dla.mil.

(ii) If the General Services Administration, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Veterans Affairs issued this solicitation, a copy of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained from the address in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this provision.

(2) Most unclassified Defense specifications and standards may be downloaded from the ASSIST website at https://assist.dla.mil.

(3) Defense documents not available from the ASSIST website may be requested from the Defense Standardization Program Office by—

(i) Using the ASSIST feedback module (https://assist.dla.mil/feedback); or

(ii) Contacting the Defense Standardization Program Office by telephone at 571–767–6688 or email at assisthelp@dla.mil.

(4) Nongovernment (voluntary) standards must be obtained from the organization responsible for their preparation, publication, or maintenance.

(j) Unique entity identifier. (Applies to all quotes that exceed the micro-purchase threshold, and quotes at or below the micro-purchase threshold if the Request for Quote (RFQ) requires the Contractor to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).) The quoter shall enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its offer, the annotation "Unique Entity Identifier" followed by the unique entity identifier that identifies the Quoter's name and address. The Quoter also shall enter its Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) indicator, if applicable. The EFT indicator is a four-character suffix to the unique entity identifier. The suffix is assigned at the discretion of the Quoter to establish additional SAM records for identifying alternative EFT accounts (see FAR subpart 32.11) for the same entity. If the Quoter does not have a unique entity identifier, it should contact the entity designated at www.sam.gov for unique entity identifier establishment directly to obtain one. The Quoter should indicate that it is planning to submit a quote for a Government Request for Quote (RFQ) when contacting the entity designated at www.sam.gov for establishing the unique entity identifier.

(k) [Reserved]

(l) Notification. The CO will not notify unsuccessful quoters that responded to this Request for Quotation (RFQ).

(End of provision)