J046--Critical Water System Preventative Maint Srvc - STC VA

Page 2 of 2 No phone calls. Send any responses by e-mail only. As this is a Sources Sought Notice for market research purposes, the Government will not accept any technical questions at this time. This is a Sources Sought Notice to determine small business sources capable of providing critical water systems preventative and emergent maintenance and sanitation services for the Saint Cloud VA Health Care System (STC VA HCS) per this notice under NAICS 221310 (Water Treatment and Distribution Services). Small business size standard is $41 million. Product Service Code (PSC) is J046 (Maint/Repair/Rebuild of Equipment Water Purification and Sewage Treatment Equipment). BACKGROUND: THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE BEING RELEASED PURSUANT TO FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) PART 10: MARKET RESEARCH. This notice is issued solely for informational, market research, and planning purposes only. It does not constitute a solicitation or a promise to issue a solicitation in the future.  This notice does not commit the Federal Government to contract for any service at this time. Further, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office (NCO) 23/Services Branch is not at this time seeking offers, and will not accept unsolicited offers.  Respondents are advised that the Federal Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this notice. All costs associated with responding to this notice will be solely at the responding party s expense. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Federal Government to form a binding contract.  Although the term offeror is used in this notice, your respective organization s response will be treated as information only and shall not be used as an offer. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this notice is to conduct market research to determine if there are Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) or Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) sources capable of providing the needed services for the STC VA HCS. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED STATEMENT OF WORK: PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE SERVICES The contractor shall maintain critical water system by providing preventative maintenance, sanitation and services according to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) recommendations and the standards of AAMI ST108. Contractor is responsible for providing all supplies to include, but not limited to filters, bulbs, quartz sleeves and membranes. The Critical Water System for SPS at the St. Cloud VA was installed in spring of 2026 and includes the following primary components : NuStream CGD-34 RO System 5,400 GPD (3) 4 x 40 membranes NuStream Electro-Deionizer 2.5 - 4.5 GPM 220V, single phase Cone Bottom Tank 250 gal, 56 x 45 x 92 1.5 return loop header Grundfos CME 10-3 Distribution Pump Max 70 GPM @ 60 psi Integral VFD 480V, 3-phase Viqua Pro30 UV Treatment System Filter Vessel Assembly 5 cartridges, 0.2 mic pleat, 2.5 x 20 50 GPM Anti-Scalant Tank Assembly Single, 15 Gallon Chlorine Destruct Tank Assembly Single, 15 Gallon Hydrocheck Alarm System Model 414TDS Remote Display Quarterly: Replace Pre-sediment Filters Sanitize entire Critical Water Loop System Provide lab testing results of water system to show sanitization is successful Calibrate Controllers Semi-Annual: Replace Endotoxin Filters Service UV Light Replace UV Bulb Annual: Service UV Light Replace UV Bulb Replace UV Quartz Sleeve Replace RO membrane Replace Vent Filters A preventative maintenance schedule/checklist for all included equipment is required and shall be provided by the contractor. The contractor shall be responsible for obtaining all technical documentation and test equipment (service manuals) necessary to fulfill contractual obligations. The contractor shall perform all required services and provide the COR with test results and recommendations when applicable. It is the government s expectation that the contractor be a subject matter expert (SME) regarding Preventive Maintenance and Services that are required for each piece of equipment in accordance with manufacturer guidelines. As part of this plan, contractors must submit a Checklist detailing items that will be addressed and covered in the contract for each piece of RO/DI Equipment during each Site Visit / Preventive Maintenance Service. The Checklist must include all parts and labor that will be covered in the contract. A checklist shall be provided by the contractor at the beginning of the performance period before the required work begins. These Checklists should mirror the Preventive Maintenance Schedules in the Maintenance Manuals for each piece of RO/DI Equipment. These Checklists must be used during the Site Visits / Preventive Maintenance Service and signed by the Technician indicating that all applicable services were completed for each piece of equipment. Contractor shall perform Critical water loop disinfection on a Quarterly basis using Ozone Disinfection process as the primary means. Chemical disinfection will be the secondary means. These Loops provide critical water to SPS. Water samples shall be drawn within 24-48 hours of this service. FAILED LIMITS: Contractor shall perform additional critical water loop disinfections if water samples are not within the limits of ANSI/AAMI ST108. Water samples shall be drawn within 24-48 hours after this service. Results shall be provided within 7 calendar days. EMERGENCY SERVICES - Maintenance Support: Contractor will annotate an hourly rate all-inclusive of labor and travel for any repair and/or replacement of parts not deemed routine PM checks and servicing. Repairs, parts, and emergency services. This line item is not defined or awarded for a specific repair, part, or service. Emergency service calls will respond within four (4) hours and be present on-station at the St. Cloud VA Campus within twenty-four (24) hours of a request. The Contractor shall provide all testing, troubleshooting or replacement parts needed to keep the Critical Water System in operating condition as originally designed by the manufacturer. Contractor shall furnish the VA POC with a written itemized estimate and justification of the cost to make necessary repairs. Contractor shall receive written approval from the CO / COR before proceeding with repair/replacement. NO GRAY MARKET - Refurbished or used parts will not be approved. Once it has been determined and agreed upon both by the VA and the Contractor that the additional repairs and/or replacement/s part(s) are needed, monetary funds will need to be requested and approval to proceed. HOW TO RESPOND: All responses must be sent by email to: curt.larose@va.gov All emails must include the following in the subject line: 36C26326Q0649 Critical Water System Maintenance and Sanitation All responses must be received no later than 10:00 AM CT, Monday, May 11, 2026 INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS: 1. Response must include: a. Company Name. b. SAM UEI. c. Contact person. d. Contact s phone number. e. Contact s email address. 2. State your firm s Business Size under the above stated NAICS code. (All business sizes shall respond). 3. State if your firm is a socio-economic small business, ie., service-disabled-veteran-owned small business, veteran-owned small business, HUB zone 8(a), women-owned small business or a small-disadvantaged business. IMPORTANT IMFORMATION ABOUT ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE SOLICITATION: Information obtained as a result of this Sources Sought will help the VA determine if unrestricted procedures, small business set-aside procedures, or socio-economic small business set-aside procedures, will be used. Socio-economic Set-Aside. In the event of socio-economic set-aside, the VA clause - VAAR 852.219-75 VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction, will be included and strictly enforced. Attached separately. Subcontracting. In the event of possibility of subcontracting, any future solicitation will likely require the offeror to provide a list of what work/tasks the prime contractor will perform, and a list of what work/tasks the subcontractor will perform. Page 2 of 6 Ostensible Subcontractor. If it appears that an unduly amount of work is being performed by a subcontractor who is not similarly situated as the prime contractor, a review will be requested of the Small Business Administration for determination of the subcontractor being an ostensible subcontractor or not. See information below. Similarly Situated Entity. Definition of Similarly Situated Entity applies and is included below. Combined Synopsis. If a future solicitation results from our market research, it will be posed under RFO FAR Part 12 Simplified Acquisition procedures and will very likely be a combined synopsis solicitation. Definition of Similarly Situated Entity: Similarly situated entity means a subcontractor that has the same small business program status as the prime contractor. This means that: For a HUBZone contract, a subcontractor that is a certified HUBZone small business concern; for a small business set-aside, partial set-aside, or reserve, a subcontractor that is a small business concern; for a SDVOSB contract, a subcontractor that is a certified SDVOSB; for a VOSB contract, a subcontractor that is a certified VOSB; for an 8(a) contract, a subcontractor that is a certified 8(a) BD Program Participant; for a WOSB or EDWOSB contract, a subcontractor that is a certified WOSB or EDWOSB. In addition to sharing the same small business program status as the prime contractor, a similarly situated entity must also be small for the NAICS code that the prime contractor assigned to the subcontract the subcontractor will perform. Reference: 13 CFR 125.1 (Apr. 2, 2026). Also see FAR Clause 52.219-14(b) Definition. Ostensible Subcontractors Information on Ostensible Subcontractors can be found in 13 CFR 121.103(h)(3)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v) (Apr. 2, 2026). Excerpt from 13 CFR 121.103(h)(3): (i) An offeror is ineligible as a small business concern, an 8(a) small business concern, a certified HUBZone small business concern, a WOSB/EDWOSB concern, or a VOSB/ SDVOSB concern where SBA determines there to be an ostensible subcontractor. An ostensible subcontractor is a subcontractor that is not a similarly situated entity, as that term is defined in § 125.1 of this chapter, and performs primary and vital requirements of a contract, or of an order, or is a subcontractor upon which the prime contractor is unusually reliant. (ii) A prime contractor may use the experience and past performance of a subcontractor to enhance or strengthen its offer, including that of an incumbent contractor. It is only where that subcontractor will perform primary and vital requirements of a contract or order, or the prime contractor is unusually reliant on the subcontractor, that SBA will find the subcontractor to be an ostensible subcontractor. (iii) In the case of a contract or order set-aside or reserved for small business for services, specialty trade construction or supplies, SBA will find that a small business prime contractor is performing the primary and vital requirements of the contract or order, and is not unduly reliant on one or more subcontractors that are not small businesses, where the prime contractor can demonstrate that it, together with any subcontractors that qualify as small businesses, will meet the limitations on subcontracting provisions set forth in § 125.6 of this chapter. (iv) In a general construction contract, the primary and vital requirements of the contract are the management, supervision and oversight of the project, including coordinating the work of various subcontractors, not the actual construction work performed. (v) A joint venture offeror is ineligible as a small business concern, an 8(a) small business concern, a certified HUBZone small business concern, a WOSB/EDWOSB concern, or a VO/SDVO small business concern where SBA determines that the managing joint venture partner will not perform 40% of the work to be performed by the joint venture. In other words, if you are not doing 50% of the PRIMARY work you will be deemed a pass through and ineligible for award of the contract.