VANIHCS Ft Wayne Lawn Care/Snow Removal Services

Amendment / Modification

• This amendment adds the clause "FAR 52.222-90 Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors (APR 2026)" to the solicitation.

• The new clause FAR 52.222-90 is added.

• All other terms and conditions of the original solicitation remain unchanged.

• The amendment does not appear to alter proposal deadlines or submission requirements, but bidders should review the added clause for any potential impact on their proposals.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for grounds maintenance services at the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System (VANIHCS) in Fort Wayne, IN. Services include snow and ice removal, and lawn care. The contract may be awarded to a single contractor for all services or to separate contractors for snow/ice removal and lawn care.

• Snow and Ice Removal: Comprehensive removal from all designated sites, including parking lots, drives, walkways, sidewalks, crosswalks, and ramps. Services are required from approximately November 1st to March 31st, on an as-needed basis, with availability before and after these dates if conditions warrant. Removal must be completed within five hours for each event, with continuous service during sustained snowfall. Priority areas include walks, main entrance, circle drive, emergency circle drive, other drives/entrances, patient parking lots, employee/volunteer parking lots, loading dock, and east parking lot.

• Lawn Care: Includes mowing, edging, trimming, mulching, weeding, overseeding, fertilizing, herbicide and pesticide control, and debris removal. Services are required from April 1st to October 31st, with availability before and after these dates if the growing season dictates. Lawn mowing is to occur weekly, maintaining grass height between 2.5 and 4 inches. Other services include annual spring mulching, monthly bed cleaning/weeding, semi-annual tree/shrub trimming, and monthly edging.

• Applicable Documents: Compliance with EPA (FIFRA, 40 CFR 170) and OSHA (29 CFR 1910.1200, 1910 Subpart I) regulations is required.

• Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price.

• Period of Performance: November 1, 2026, through October 31, 2027, with four (4) one-year option periods.

• Estimated Value: Not explicitly stated, but the NAICS code is 561730 (Landscaping Services) with a small business size standard of $9.5 Million.

• Submission Deadline: June 3, 2026, at 1630 EST.

• Submission Method: Email quotes to samuel.galbreath@va.gov. No physical quotes will be accepted.

• Required Documents: Signed SF 1449 Offer page, acknowledgment of amendments, completed bid schedule, and VAAR 852.219-75 Limitations of Subcontracting Certification.

• Site Visit: An organized site visit is scheduled for May 1st at 9:00 AM at the engineering building.

• Requests for Information (RFI): Submit RFIs via email to samuel.galbreath@va.gov by May 13, 2026, at 4:30 PM EST.

• Evaluation: Offers will be evaluated without discussions; initial offers should contain best terms. The government reserves the right to conduct discussions if necessary.

• This acquisition is set aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB).

• NAICS Code: 561730

• Small Business Size Standard: $9.5 Million

• Background investigations are required for contractor employees.

• Contractor employees must wear visible identification and company uniforms.

• Storage space is not provided for contractor equipment.

• The contract includes clauses related to security, personnel vetting, and protection of government property.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a site map for the Fort Wayne Veterans Administration facility. It provides a visual layout of the campus, including building designations, parking lots, and general site features.

• Labeled parking lots (Lot A, Lot B, Lot C, Lot D, Lot E, Lot F, Lot G, Lot J, Lot K, Lot L).
• Designated buildings and areas (e.g., B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, B-6, B-7, B-8, B-9, B-16, B-17, D-1A, S-1, T-1, T-2, T-3, T-4, T-5, T-6).
• Roads and access points (Randallia Drive, Lake Avenue).
• Shaded areas indicating specific zones or structures.

This site map is crucial for bidders to understand the physical layout of the Veterans Administration facility. It will aid in site visits, logistical planning for any proposed work, and understanding the spatial relationships between different areas of the campus. Bidders should use this map to orient themselves with the location of buildings and access routes relevant to the opportunity.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Register of Wage Determinations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, under the Service Contract Act. It provides the minimum wage rates and fringe benefits required for various occupations in a specific geographic area (Indiana Counties of Allen, Wells, Whitley).

• Lists occupational codes and titles.
• Specifies the minimum hourly wage rate for each occupation.
• Details required fringe benefits, including Health & Welfare rates.
• Includes notes on Executive Orders 13706 (Paid Sick Leave) and 13658 (minimum wage).
• Outlines the process for requesting authorization of additional classifications and wage rates (Conformance Process).

This document is crucial for bidders to understand the labor costs associated with performing services under a government contract in the specified area. It dictates the minimum wages and benefits that must be paid to employees, directly impacting proposal pricing and overall contract cost. Bidders must ensure their proposals comply with these wage and benefit requirements.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is VAAR 852.219-75, a "Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting - Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction." It requires offerors to certify their compliance with subcontracting limitations as specified in the solicitation and resultant contract.

• Services Contracts: Offerors must certify they will not pay more than 50% of the contract amount to firms that are not certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) or Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB).
• General Construction Contracts: Offerors must certify they will not pay more than 85% of the contract amount to firms that are not certified SDVOSBs or VOSBs.
• Special Trade Construction Contracts: Offerors must certify they will not pay more than 75% of the contract amount to firms that are not certified SDVOSBs or VOSBs.
• Certification Acknowledgment: Offerors acknowledge that this certification is subject to penalties for false statements.
• Compliance Demonstration: Offerors agree to provide documentation (e.g., invoices, subcontracts) to demonstrate compliance upon request.
• Required Action: The certification must be completed, signed, and returned with the offeror's bid, quotation, or proposal. Failure to do so will result in the offer being deemed ineligible for award.

This is a mandatory certification for all offerors. Bidders must carefully review the subcontracting limitations applicable to the specific contract type (services, general construction, or special trade construction) and ensure they can comply. Failure to complete and submit this form correctly will disqualify the offer from award.

Request for Information (RFI)

This document is a Request for Information (RFI) for Grounds/Snow Removal Services at the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System - Fort Wayne Campus.

• Project Number: N/A

• Project Title: VANIHCS Fort Wayne Grounds/Snow Removal Services

• Project Location: VA Northern Indiana Health Care System - Fort Wayne Campus at 2121 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46805

• To: Samuel Galbreath, Contract Specialist, Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office (NCO) 10, 260 East University Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219-2637, samuel.galbreath@va.gov

• RFIs will be answered via amendment(s).

• Specific fields for RFI Number, Date, Reply Needed By, Information Needed, Reply From, Date, Attachments, and Copy To are provided for structured responses.

This RFI serves to gather information regarding potential solutions for grounds and snow removal services. Vendors interested in this opportunity should review the RFI and prepare to submit relevant information as requested, noting that responses will be incorporated via amendment.

Presolicitation Notice

This notice announces the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) intent to solicit for grounds maintenance services at the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System (VANIHCS) in Fort Wayne, IN. The services include snow and ice removal, and lawn care.

• Grounds Maintenance: Full service lawn care including mowing, edging, trimming, mulching, weeding, overseeding, fertilizing, herbicide and pesticide control, and debris removal. This service is estimated from April 1 through October 31, with availability required before April 1 and after October 31 if the growing season dictates.

• Snow and Ice Removal: Comprehensive snow and ice removal from all designated sites, deicing, and clearing of parking lots, drives, walkways, sidewalks, and ramps. This service is estimated from November 1 through March 31, with availability required before November 1 and after March 31 if snow/ice occurs outside these periods.

• The contractor will provide all supervision, labor, tools, equipment, vehicles, transportation, and chemicals.

• Period of Performance: Base contract is one year, with one-year option periods. The estimated base period is 11/1/2026 - 10/31/2027.

• Estimated/Target Completion Period: Base contract period is one year; each additional option year is also one year.

• This is a presolicitation notice and not a Request for Proposal (RFP). No additional solicitation package or technical information will be issued beyond what is contained in this notice.

• The solicitation is intended to be issued on or around April 17, 2026.

• Set-Aside: 100% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOSB).

• NAICS Code: 561730 - Landscaping Services.

• Small Business Standard: $9.5 Million.

• Work Location: VA Medical Center, 2121 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46805.

• Point of Contact: Samuel Galbreath, Contract Specialist, samuel.galbreath@va.gov.