36C26124Q1004 NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE Laboratory Courier Services for VA Pacific Islands ON GSA SCHEDULE UNDER FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(B)

Special Notice Special Notice Page 3 of 3 Page 1 of 3 The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office (NCO) 21 hereby provides notice of its intent to award a Sole Source, Firm-Fixed-Price Task Order to Courier Corporation of Hawaii (CCH) under GSA Contract #GS-33F-018BA. The Task Order is to be awarded in accordance with FAR 8.405-6 Limiting Sources. NAICS code: 492100 Couriers and Express Delivery Services (SBA Size Standard 1,500 employees).

Description of Services: The Task Order is for the VA Pacific Islands Healthcare System (VAPIHCS) for laboratory courier services for all VAPIHCS medical centers and outpatient clinics located on all the Hawaiian Islands. This Task Order is to be awarded for a base period of one year, with two, one-year option periods. VAPIHCS has a centralized testing hub laboratory in Honolulu.

Outlying Hawaiian Island outpatient clinic labs on Kauai, Maui, Kona, Hilo, and Oahu are blood collection stations only and will process/package the samples for shipment to the main VA testing lab for analysis. Transportation of the cooler shipments of patient samples collected at the CBOCs require the services of a courier for door-to-door pick-up and delivery to ensure the most expedient and secure transport of these samples.

Use of other commercial shipping carriers such as FedEx, UPS or US Postal cannot meet the pick-up and delivery timeframes needed for sample testing viability. Current courier contract will pick up samples at neighbor island CBOC labs in the afternoon between 2:00p-3:00pm and transport them overnight for delivery receipt at the main VA lab by 7:30am the following business day.

Transportation of the cooler shipments of patient samples collected at the CBOCs require the services of a courier for door-to-door pick-up and delivery to ensure the most expedient and secure transport of these samples. Use of other commercial shipping carriers such as FedEx, UPS or US Postal cannot meet the pick-up and delivery timeframes needed for sample testing viability.

Courier contract will pick up samples at neighboring island CBOC labs in the afternoon between 2:00pm-3:00pm and transport them overnight for delivery receipt at the main VA laboratory by 7:30am the following business day. CCH is the only small business vendor able to provide these services while adhering to the VAPIHCS schedule. The latter is most important because the laboratory samples can be compromised if not processed within a specific time frame.

Market research and a Sources Sought Notice (36C26124Q0939) indicate that the only Small Business located in Hawaii and capable of providing these services on the GSA schedule is CCH. Additionally, CCH is the only Small Business on the GSA schedule that responded to the Sources Sought Notice. It is the Government's intention to solicit and negotiate with only this source. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES AND THERE IS NO SOLICITATION. Any response to this notice must show clear and convincing evidence that competition would be advantageous to the Government.

Responses to this requirement must be received no later than September 9, 2024, 3:00 p.m. PST and be submitted via email only to Anna Norcross (anna.norcross@va.gov) with Response to Intent to Sole Source 36C26124Q1004 in the subject line. The Department of Veterans Affairs, NCO 21 will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by interested parties in responding to this notice of intent. Only written responses will be considered and phone calls will not be returned.

All responses from responsible sources will be fully considered. All documents submitted will not be returned. The capability documentation should include general information and technical background describing in detail the prospective contractor's capabilities and experience that will demonstrate the ability to support this requirement as well as their GSA contract number. As a result of analyzing responses to this notice of intent, the Government shall determine if a solicitation will be issued.