SAM #36C26226Q0565

VA Market Research for Food Tracking System Software for Multiple Medical Centers

The Department of Veterans Affairs is conducting market research for a Food Tracking System Software to support food service and nutrition care management at eight VA Medical Centers in the Southwest region. - Government Buyer: - Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 22 (NCO 22) - Contracting Specialist: Jose A. Espinoza - OEMs and Vendors: - Computrition (referenced as the example OEM) - Equivalent solutions from other OEMs are also considered - Products/Services Requested: - Food Tracking System Software (Windows-based) - Integration with VA VISTA and Cerner systems - Features: recipe and inventory management, menu planning, ordering, reporting, nutrient and allergen management, patient nutritional tracking - Compliance with VA IT security requirements (single sign-on, secure unidirectional interfaces, HL7 compliance) - User-friendly interface - Customer Support & Services - Dedicated account management - Initial implementation and configuration - User and technical support during business hours - System maintenance and regular updates - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Only new equipment is acceptable - Vendors must be OEMs or authorized dealers/distributors/resellers (authorization letter required) - Robust IT security and integration with VA systems is mandatory - Comprehensive ongoing support and maintenance - Place of Performance: - Eight VA Medical Centers: Long Beach, Loma Linda, San Diego, West Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Northern Arizona, Phoenix, and Southern Arizona

Description

Request for Information (RFI) - Sources Sought Announcement THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) SOURCES SOUGHT IS ISSUED SOLELY FOR MARKET RESEARCH AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION. Responses to this Sources Sought must be in writing. The purpose of this Sources Sought Announcement is for market research only to make appropriate acquisition decisions and to gain knowledge of Small Businesses, including Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB/VOSB), who are interested in submitting proposals for this procurement and who are capable of performing the work required for this procurement. The suggested NAICS for this requirement is 513210 - Software Publishers. The Contractor shall deliver Food Tracking System Software that can meet the required Salient Characteristics (see attached) to the following VA Medical Centers: VA LONG BEACH HEALTHCARE SYSTEM VA LOMA LINDA HEALTHCARE SYSTEM VA SAN DIEGO HEALTHCARE SYSTEM VA WEST LOS ANGELES HEALTHCARE SYSTEM VA ALBUQUERQUE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM VA NORTHERN ARIZONA HEALTHCARE SYSTEM VA PHOENIX VA HEALTHCARE SYSTEM VA SOUTHERN ARIZONA HEALTHCARE SYSTEM Interested and capable Contractors are encouraged to respond to this notice not later than April 1st, 2025, at 08:00 AM Pacific Time (PT), by providing the following information via email only to Jose.Espinoza3@va.gov: Company name Address Point of contact Phone, fax, and email of primary point of contact Contractor's Unique Entity ID (SAM) number Type of small business, if applicable (e.g., Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), 8(a), HUB-Zone, Woman Owned Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, or Small Business) Statement indicating whether your company is considered small under the size standard for the NAICS code identified under this RFI. Responses are welcome to specify a different NAICS in which they could meet this requirement. Statement indicating the brand name, model, and product description of the Food Tracking System Software referenced above that you intend to provide for this procurement. Statement indicating the name of the company whose Food Tracking System Software service you intend to provide, the country of origin for the Food Tracking System Software you intend to provide, and whether the company that manufactures that product is a small business under the size standard for the NAICS code identified under this RFI, or a different NAICS. Please elaborate whether the Buy American Statute and/or Trade agreement apply to the product that you intend to provide for this procurement. Statement indicating whether you are an authorized distributor of the Food Tracking System Software that you intend to provide for this procurement or not. If you intend to provide a Food Tracking System Software manufactured by a company other than your own, please include an approval letter from the manufacturer accepting you as an authorized distributor and answer the following questions: Does your firm exceed $47 million to NAICS 513210? Is your firm primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of item you intend to provide? Does your firm take ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice? Will your firm supply the end item of a small business manufacturer, processor or producer made in the United States, or obtains a waiver of such requirement pursuant to 13 CFR 121.406(b)(5)? If you're a small business and you are an authorized distributor/reseller for the items identified above (or equivalent product/solution), do you alter; assemble; modify; the items requested in any way? If you do, state how and what is altered; assembled; modified? Notice: No gray market or remanufactured items will be acceptable. Gray market items are Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) goods sold through unauthorized channels in direct competition with authorized distributors. This procurement is for new equipment only. The vendor shall be an OEM, authorized dealer, authorized distributor, authorized reseller, verified by an authorization letter or other documents from the OEM. Statement indicating if you have a current contract to provide Food Tracking System Software that you intend to provide for this procurement under either the General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) or with the VA National Acquisition Center (NAC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP), or any other federal contract. If yes, provide the contract type and contract number, identify the federal agency with whom you hold that contract, and whether the product you intend to supply under this procurement is listed on your referenced schedule/contract. Statement indicating how many calendar days after receipt of order (ARO) you estimate it would take you to deliver the Food Tracking System Software that you intend to provide for this procurement to the requesting facility. General pricing for your Food Tracking System Software. This information will be used for VA internal market research purposes and pricing information received in response to this RFI will not be shared by the Contract Specialist. A capability statement that provides detailed information for one or more reference contracts that demonstrate your experience providing Food Tracking System Software that meets the requirements described in the attached Draft Salient Characteristics. GENERAL STATEMENTS OF CAPABILITY ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. Respondents must provide the following information for each reference contract: The legal name of entity with whom the respondent held the contract; The contract number; A description providing details of the specific tasks the respondent performed under that contract other than delivery of the requested product; The dates during which the respondent performed the contract; The name, phone number, and email address of a person at the entity with whom the respondent held the contract who can verify the information the respondent provides regarding this reference contract. NOTE: The information requested above is required for the Government to evaluate whether there are sufficient small business concerns of a particular type who are capable of performing the work required by this procurement to determine if this procurement should be set aside for a given type of small business concern. Failure to submit all of the information requested above to support a respondent's claimed experience may be viewed by the government as evidence that the respondent lacks the ability to provide the Food Tracking System Software required by this procurement. This, in turn, may affect the government’s determination about whether the requirements for a set-aside procurement have been met. All Offerors who provide goods or services to the United States Government must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database found at https://www.sam.gov. Registration must include Representations and Certifications. DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. DRAFT OF STATEMENT OF WORK (NOT FINAL VERSION) STATEMENT OF WORK OBJECTIVE & REQUIREMENTS VA Medical Centers require a food service software system to automate Food Service Operations and Nutrition Care Management across four locations. The software shall be Windows-based, user-friendly, and feature point-and-click functionality with rapid data processing capabilities. General Requirements Operating Environment: Windows-based platform with user-friendly interface System Architecture: Preconfigured standalone interface ready for network integration IT Compliance: Single Sign-On capabilities and compliance with all VA IT requirements Integration Capability: Interface with VA VISTA System and Cerner Data Security: Unidirectional interface ensuring secure information transfer without risk of data overwriting, security breaches, or VISTA system corruption FOOD SERVICE OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT The system shall provide comprehensive food service management functionality: 2.1 Recipe & Inventory Management Manage standardized ingredients and scalable recipes Support multiple menu types simultaneously (Day Care, CLC, Room Service, etc.) Perpetual inventory capability with tracking by day, week, month, year, vendor, storage location, or inventory group Ability to transfer items between inventory locations Real-time inventory updates with forecasted item requirements 2.2 Menu Planning & Production Real-time transfer of Admission, Discharge, Transfer, and diet order information from VISTA Production tally sheets with patient-specific substitutions and date-specific nourishments Define batch, pan, or distribution size for production needs Automated HACCP compliance tracking Support for product recalls with ability to globally locate and change items in recipes and menus for specific date ranges or permanently 2.3 Ordering & Purchasing Automate ordering and inventory processes Integrated electronic ordering and confirmation system Automated vendor price updates Generate backup purchase orders based on on-hand inventory, on-order goods, and committed products Ability to calculate year-to-date information by product category 2.4 Reporting & Analytics Comprehensive filtering and customizable reports Ability to view reports on-screen, print, or export to Excel, PDF, HTML, or graphics formats Save report settings for future use Pre-cost and post-cost capabilities for financial analysis Cost controls and production forecasting tools 2.5 Nutrient Database & Allergen Management Access to USDA nutrient database for generic foods Vendor-supplied database including manufacturer, distributor, and branded item information Ability to add new nutrient data for ingredients as information becomes available Link recipes to ingredients, nutritional content, and potential allergens Allergen blocking functionality to prevent accidental allergen selection during patient menu selection NUTRITION CARE MANAGEMENT The system shall track and manage patient nutritional needs from admission to discharge: 3.1 Patient Tracking & Monitoring Track patient diet orders and diet order changes Monitor weight changes and identify trends Identify patient allergies, likes, dislikes, and demographic data Track preferred meal patterns and diet order preferences Automatic meal pattern assignment based on nutritional needs 3.2 Nutritional Assessment & Calculations Automatic calculation of Basal Energy Expenditure (BEE) Automatic calculation of Body Mass Index (BMI) Automatic calculation of protein requirements Weight tracking and reporting capabilities Nutrition notes and comprehensive nutrient analysis Calorie counting reports with carbohydrate counting functionality 3.3 Menu & Tray Management Create patient-specific meal patterns Produce on-demand menus and tray tickets Ensure foods to which a patient is allergic never print on tray tickets, kitchen tickets, or nourishment labels Bedside data and menu entry via wireless services Comprehensive nutrient analysis and calorie counts per meal 3.4 Dietary Management Tube feeding management and associated diet orders Track likes, dislikes, and allergies Medical history documentation Patient-specific diet order modifications Automated safety controls preventing allergen selection errors VA VISTA & CERNER INTERFACE CAPABILITIES Real-time Data Transfer: Admission, discharge, transfer, and diet order information transfer in real-time from VISTA to the new system Unidirectional Interface: Secure transfer of information from VISTA to the new system without risk of data overwriting, security breaches, or data corruption HL7 Compliance: Multi-Site HL7 ADT/DO with Tube Feeding Interface for comprehensive clinical data integration Single Sign-On: Integrated Single Sign-On authentication aligned with VA IT security requirements Cerner Compatibility: Ready for integration with Cerner systems CUSTOMER SUPPORT & SERVICES 5.1 Account Management Dedicated account manager available for troubleshooting software issues Initial implementation and system configuration support 5.2 User Support Support line available during standard business hours Ability for end-users to submit enhancement requests for software improvements Technical assistance for system operation and optimization 5.3 System Maintenance Regular updates and maintenance for system compatibility Ongoing vendor support for system optimization POSSIBLE LOCATIONS & SCOPE This SOW applies to the following VA Medical Centers: San Diego VA Medical Center Long Beach VA Medical Center (Primary Site) Greater Los Angeles VA Medical Center Loma Linda VA Medical Center Albuquerque VA Medical Center Northern AZ VA Medical Center Phoenix VA Medical Center Southern AZ VA Medical Center The software shall serve all Nutrition and Food Service departments at these locations.

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