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Contract Opportunity

7311-0040 Patient Chair Alarms Compatible with Rauland Nurse Call System

Missouri, Kansas, Parts of Illinois and Arkansas

Source Sought Notice and Special Notice (Includes Buy American Act Information Request)

This is a Sources Sought and Special Notice for planning purposes and to understand the industry options related patient chair alarms compatible with both the Rauland Responder Five (5) Nurse Call System where Vocera Brand is being utilized for the pager system. This shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, request for quotation, request for proposal, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. Your response to this Sources Sought will be treated as information only. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this announcement or the Government use of such information. This request does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter into negotiations to award a contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort.

The information provided may be used by the Department of Veterans Affairs in developing its acquisition approach, statement of work/statement of objectives and performance specifications. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. The Government does not intend to award a contract as a result of this Notice, or to otherwise pay for the information submitted in response to this Notice.

The purpose of this sources sought announcement is for market research to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge about the availability of patient chair alarms that would be compatible with the existing previously purchased infrastructure (Rauland and Vocera) that are both in the earlier years of their equipment life cycle. Beyond that, this is also to gauge the availability of qualified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB), 8(a), HubZone and other Small Businesses interested and capable of providing the supplies described below.

Specific to this Notice: Vendors should respond with any existing Indefinite Delivery Contract vehicles with the Contract number that they may already have established with the VA or other government agency contracts that allow multi-agency usage (i.e., SEWP, GSA Advantage, and DLA). If an existing contract vehicle exists that can be utilized to order these items, procurement strategy be subject to the Buy American rules associated with those vehicles in accordance with FAR Part 8 or 16 (whichever is applicable). Please note, this also acts a special notice that early market research suggests the manufacturing industry for these type items, at a competitive fair and reasonable price, may be limited to predominately foreign manufacturing. The responses to this notice may be used to support or negate those findings in determining if a Made in America BA Waiver is appropriate on a local level for the period of performance of one (1) year for purchases made in support of VISN 15 facilities.

The Network Contracting Office (NCO) 15 located at 3450 South 4th Street, Leavenworth, KS, 66048-5055 is seeking the industry knowledge and availability. Vendors should provide adequate information in order to evaluate the market and the ability to comply with the requirements associated with Gray Market Goods Language (VAAR Clause 852.212-71), the Buy American-Supplies requirements (FAR Part 25.1), and the socio-economic considerations associated with FAR Part 19 and 13 and other FAR Parts as applicable.

Below is a brief description of the general information and salient characteristics of the items:

General Information: A Veterans Affairs Hospital determined there should be a chair alarming system that should connect to the existing nurse call system to notify nurses of a patient attempting to get up without assistance that is a potential fall risk. This in turn would help patient safety concerns and help elevate patient fall risks in the facility. This system needs to have the option to purchase requisite sensors (such as one time use fall pads) that connect to the chair alarm. As good stewards of the tax payers’ money, these new units would need to work with the existing infrastructure that has already been installed in various hospitals.

Salient requirements:

• The chair alarm shall be compatible with the current nurse call system: Rauland Responder 5 and the Vocera pager system.


• Dual ports for easy patient transfer.


• The chair alarm to be rechargeable/battery operated.


• Have a hold button that silences the alarm for a period while the patient is being transferred.


• Adjustable volume


• Low battery indicator


• Cables to connect chair alarm


• One time use pads to detect falls

Industry should provide information that can exhibit minimum levels of technical capability and industry insight into the domestic manufacturing capability and then beyond that to Trade Agreement compliant items using the commercial supply standard.

1. Company name


2. Proof of compatibility


3. Socio-economic Status for NAICS Code 339113 Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing -750 employees. If proposing a different NAICS to be applicable, please provide that code and description.


4. System for Award Management (SAM) UIE number


5. Technical Statement with compatible equipment identified, certification on ability to meet Gray Market Goods requirements, explain if equipment identified is manufactured by a small business, and country of origin of the equipment.


6. Specific equipment manufacturer information to include 1) pamphlet 2) model numbers 3) compatibility level (i.e. any infrastructure investment) 4) country of origin as it relates to commercial items requirements in FAR Part 25 Part 25 - Foreign Acquisition | Acquisition.GOV and 5) estimated pricing per unit

The quality and quantity of interest to this notice should help the Veteran’s Administration in their consideration of Buy American requirements within federal procurement and Public Law 109, Section 8127 Veterans Benefit Act and VAAR 808.002 (Class Deviation), Priorities for use of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and FAR 13.104 Promoting Competition to the maximum extent.

Notice to potential offerors: All offerors who provide goods or services to the United States Federal Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM located on the web at www.sam.gov). Additionally, all Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses or Veteran Owned Businesses who respond must be registered with the Small Business Administration (SBA) in the Veterans Small Business Certification registry located at Veteran Small Business Certification (sba.gov) and speak to if they believe all the requirements can be met for a set-aside to SDVOSB. Specifically, those requirements are identified within 13 CFR 121.406 (b) for NAICS code 339113 Beyond SDVOSB and VOSB type businesses, the VA is interested in all socio-economic type businesses that can meet the Buy American requirements associated with commercial supply purchases under $50,000 (IAW FAR Part 25.1101 (a):

• Does not exceed 750 employees; Is primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of item being supplied;


• Takes ownership or possession of the item(s) in a manner consistent with industry practice; and


• Will supply the end item of a domestic small business.


• In the event of a waiver, the vendor can supply the end item of a large business. It is important to note that a waiver is not a waiver from the entire rule and it only applies to the fourth requirement. The first three elements still must be met.

Any response to this source sought & Special Notice from Interested parties must be received NLT March 6, 2024 @10AM CT via email using 7311-0040 in the subject line. Attention: Tresanna Tacia, Contracting Specialist. Email: tresanna.tacia@va.gov Phone: 913-946-1149.

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