IV Start Kits

65-Medical Supplies-Potential Sources Sought --------------- A. General Information The Tri-Service Mid-Atlantic Region, a military integrated delivery network, comprised of Army, Navy, and Air Force medical commands and medical treatment facilities (MTFs) in the states of Virginia and North Carolina announces a Request for Regional Incentive Agreement Quotation (REFRIAQ) for the standardization of IV Start Kits. Vendors are required to supply a product line that includes, but is not limited to, the functional equivalent of the products listed below: • Kit IV Start, (at a minimum this kit must contain a Tourniquet-Late Free, Prep Swab or pad, 2x2 Gauze Dressing, Transparent Dressing, Transpore Tape and Extension Set The primary objective of this standardization initiative is to standardize the quality of care across this Region based on a best value determination that represents the clinically preferred product or source(s) at the best possible price. It is also intended that standardized products be obtained through the DoD Prime Vendor Program. The government reserves the right to hold discussions during the process of product standardization. In addition, the government reserves the right to cancel this standardization action in its entirety if indicated. The major facilities in the Mid-Atlantic Region include: 1st Medical Group, Langley AFB, VA; 43rd Medical Group, Pope AFB, NC; 4th Medical Group, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC; Womack Army Medical Center, FT Bragg, NC; McDonald Army Community Hospital, FT Eustis, VA; Kenner Army Health Clinic, FT Lee, VA; Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, VA; Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, Camp Lejeune, NC; Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point, Cherry Point MCAS, NC. This standardization action is part of the Medical/Surgical Prime Vendor program executed by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Directorate of Medical Materiel. In order to participate, your company must have, or be in the process of obtaining, a Distribution and Pricing Agreement (DAPA) and a separate commercial agreement with the Prime Vendor for the Mid-Atlantic Region (Owens & Minor). This is pursuant to the DAPA clause by which DAPA holders agree to the Standardization process and to allow Prime Vendors to distribute their items. This is a supplement to the Prime Vendor Program and it is not a contract. For additional information regarding DSCP’s Prime vendor program please access our web site at https://dmmonline.dscp.dla.mil The Mid-Atlantic Tri-Service Regional Business Office (TRBO) will provide anticipated volume (quantity) based on historical usage. The agreement will be for a base period of two (2) years (24 months) from date of award with three (3) 12-month option periods. Anticipated award date is March 2010. The evaluation will be based on clinical, technical, and pricing factors. The Technical/Company and Clinical/Performance evaluation factors, when combined, are considered significantly more important than cost or price. As the technical and clinical evaluation results become more equal, price will become more important. The selection will be determined utilizing best value/ trade-off criteria. The selection of a single vendor is anticipated. Point of Contact Jim Quinn, 321-305-6326, [email protected] B. Products & Performance Required The Mid-Atlantic Region is seeking a complete product line of, IV Start Kits to include, but not limited to, the functional equivalent in all sizes of the products below: • Kit IV Start, (at a minimum this kit must contain a Tourniquet-Late Free, Prep Swab or pad, 2x2 Gauze Dressing, Transparent Dressing, Transpore Tape and Extension Set The vendors responding to this solicitation should be able to provide as a minimum, but not limited to, the functionally equivalent products for the high volume items that have been previously purchased and that are indicated in the chart below. Manufacturer Product Number CDMIA Sales Product Description Tri State Hospital Supply IV6470 $102,603.35 KIT IV START 2 GLOVE TOURNIQUET ALCOHOL SWAB GAUZE ADHESIVE BANDAGE TAPE TRANSPARENT DRESSING LATEX EXTENSION SET Becton Dickinson 386140 $26.22 KIT IV START TOURNIQUET ALCOHOL SWAB PVP SWAB GAUZE DRAPE TAPE TRANSPARENT DRESSING LABEL The approximate total annual purchase volume of all types of IV Start Kits for the Mid-Atlantic region is $102,629.57 based upon the historical usage of standardized IV Start Kits over a one year period. The overall evaluation will be based upon clinical, technical and pricing factors. The final award recommendation will be determined by utilizing the best value and trade off criteria. At the request of the Mid-Atlantic Region Military Treatment Facilities, vendors will provide on-site support and in-servicing, educational resources and tools for clinical use of these products, conversion information, prime vendor order numbers, MSDS information, and itemization of the brands, types, and packaging information of the products offered by the vendor. C. Instructions to Vendors DAPA holders interested in participating in this standardization initiative, email your response to [email protected] and provide: (1) Company name and address, (2) Point of contact information (Name and Phone Number, Fax Number, and E-mail address) (3) your company’s Distribution and Pricing Agreement (DAPA) number and (4) your company’s responses to the questions under Technical/Company Criteria below. Your email will include your agreement to provide for your products necessary technical criteria, no charge samples for clinical evaluation, and submission of electronic best price offers that represent a discount from your companies base uncommitted DAPA pricing. Only Email responses will be accepted and must be received no later than 4:00 P.M. (EST) on the specified closing date/time of this Sources Sought FBO Notice. Failure to respond within this timeframe will result in your company being excluded from participation in this standardization effort. If industry response is unsatisfactory, the TPRB reserves the right to proceed or cancel the project. This process will include vendor requirements to provide electronic responses to technical criteria, no charge samples for clinical evaluation, product literature, and submission of electronic best price quotes. Due to the potential for email to be lost in transmission, from network security, etc., vendors are strongly encouraged to confirm with the Region that its initial submission, quote and literature actually arrived at the Region via email. Each submitting vendor is advised to confirm receipt, allowing adequate time for resubmission before the due date/time, should a problem occur with the first submission. Vendors that do not meet the deadline of 4:00 PM EST on the date listed for closing (per the FBO RFQ), will be disqualified from further consideration in the standardization initiative. All email communications between vendors and the Region will be digitally signed by the issuer. Emails and correspondence may be sent to [email protected] (preferred) [email protected] (secondary). D. Evaluation Criteria The Tri-Service Product Review Board (TPRB) is the governing board of the standardization process. This board includes clinicians and logisticians from all of the Military Treatment Facilities within the Mid-Atlantic Region. They are the decision makers for this initiative. Vendors will be required to provide responses to the technical/company criteria. The Region intends to evaluate price quotes and select a vendor or vendor(s), without discussions. However, the government reserves the right to hold discussions if deemed necessary. When requested, vendor quotes should contain the vendor's best product matches for the products or product lines requested in the product and pricing request. Vendor quotes should contain the vendor's best responses to all technical and/or company questions listed in this announcement. Vendor quotes should contain the vendor's best tiered-pricing discounts off of the vendor's DAPA pricing (based on committed volume of 80% of the total requirements of the MTFs in the Region). If a down-selection is made during the evaluation process, the Region may limit the number of quotes to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among vendors. Phase I - Technical/Company Evaluation Process: 1. Vendors will provide an initial response to this FBO posting. The vendors’ initial responses will include information requested in the technical/company criteria listed below. 2. The Tri-Service Regional Business Office (TRBO) will compile and review the technical/company criteria responses and forward to the Clinical Product Team (CPT) for review. The technical/company criteria are weighted equally. 3. The TRBO and CPT will review the responses from the vendors and determine which vendors meet the technical/company criteria and determine acceptability. a. In general, “acceptability” for purposes of evaluation of technical/company criteria is defined as follows: Generally, responses to all questions in the technical/company criteria demonstrate that: (1) based on the vendor’s responses, the evaluators have reasonable confidence that the line of products and/or services submitted meet the medical standards of care of the community, applicable to such products or services; (2) the vendor’s information provided is factually correct. Any misrepresentation of information will disqualify the vendor from further consideration. b. NOTE: Specific technical/company criteria will require an additional, more-specific definition of “technical acceptability.” The specific standard for technical acceptability will be set forth with the individual statement of each criterion, as required. a. The vendors who meet the following technical/company criteria will be qualified/invited to participate in the clinical/performance evaluation process as well as the price analysis process and will be requested to submit their best product/price discount quotes via an email communication with each vendor. All communications of significant acquisition milestones (such as invitations to participate, or notices of disqualification) must be digitally signed. Vendors are required to provide responses to the technical/company criteria stated below. The responses will be reviewed under the purview of the Clinical Product Team (CPT) to determine the acceptability of each vendor. After review of the technical/company criteria, the Region will eliminate those vendors who fail to meet the criteria. Vendors who fail to meet the criteria will be notified in writing. Technical/Company Criteria: Vendors must provide an initial response to each Technical/Company criterion listed below: 1. Vendors must provide a complete line of IV Start Kits. A ‘complete line of product’ is defined as the MTFs’ requirements for ‘usage items’ in the product line. ‘Usage items’ are defined in the Medical/Surgical Prime Vendor contract statement of work, as DAPA items ordered at least once per month, and at least one unit per order. The ability for the vendor to provide these items is considered critical and failure by them to do so will result in the vendor not being included in this standardization effort. a. At a minimum, a complete product line includes, but is not limited to, the functional equivalent in all sizes of the products below: • Kit IV Start, (at a minimum this kit must contain a Tourniquet-Late Free, Prep Swab or pad, 2x2 Gauze Dressing, Transparent Dressing, Transpore Tape and Extension Set Vendors are to provide a complete list of items supplied (catalog, etc.) and product literature in response to this RFQ. 2. Vendors must have a DAPA or be in the process of applying for a DAPA number for the IV Start Kits product line. Provide the DAPA number or proof of the application process with the initial submittal. (Note that vendors that fail to have a DAPA or show a lack of progress in obtaining a DAPA will be disqualified.) 3. Vendors must have, or be obtaining, a separate agreement with the prime vendor (currently, Owens and Minor) for distribution in the Mid-Atlantic Region. (Note that vendors whose products are not available through the regional PV will be disqualified.) Provide documentation of agreement with Prime Vendor. 4. Vendors must agree to submit discounts off DAPA for all products included in this standardization initiative. (Note: vendors that fail to submit a discount from DAPA will be disqualified. Note: Where lower FSS prices are available, DAPA holders are required by previous agreement to provide the FSS price as the DAPA price. Vendors shall not quote FSS prices as the discounted price for purposes of this standardization initiative.) 5. Vendors must provide contact information, i.e. name, address, phone number, and e-mail address of local vendor representative for the Mid-Atlantic Region. 6. Vendors must provide any history of back orders and/or recalls that occurred during the most recent 12-month period for the IV Start Kits products, including dates, duration, cause, and resolution. Vendors will not have an opportunity to provide additional information on back orders and recalls during any subsequent stage in this evaluation. Vendors are encouraged to submit all information deemed relevant (i.e., positive resolutions, etc.) in response to this RFQ. The Government will not contact any points of contact provided in response to this question. Vendors should not provide point of contact information in response to this question. 7. Vendors must have a return goods policy, and should provide a copy of the policy with the initial submittal responding to this RFQ. 8. Vendors must provide a copy of their company’s customer service policy and program 9. Vendors are required to provide the brands your company manufactures and/or distributes. 10. Vendors must provide an option to obtain products that are latex-free or otherwise hypo-allergenic. 11. Vendors must agree that, when requested, they will provide electronic and hard copy proposed pricing and competitive product cross reference in electronic Microsoft Excel format Phase II - Clinical/Performance Evaluation and Pricing Analysis Process: Upon completion of the Phase I – Technical/Company Criteria Evaluation, vendors who have met the technical/company criteria will progress to the clinical/performance evaluations will be requested to provide product samples and literature concurrent with their best product and price discount quotes being requested. Clinical Evaluation Process For those companies that meet the requirements above, the Clinical Product Team (CPT) will request samples and product literature from the product group to be clinically evaluated at select Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs). Vendors are required to ship samples direct to the MTFs. Vendor samples must be received no later than 4:00 P.M. (EST), fourteen (14) calendar days after the request for samples is issued to the vendors. Vendors failing to comply by the deadline will be disqualified from further consideration in the standardization process. The samples to be provided will include as a minimum, but not limited to, the functional equivalent of the following products: Kit IV Start, (at a minimum this kit must contain a Tourniquet-Late Free, Prep Swab or pad, 2x2 Gauze Dressing, Transparent Dressing, Transpore Tape and Extension Set 1. To determine acceptability, a CPT comprised of medical professionals from the MTFs will evaluate the products based on the evaluation criteria stated below. It is intended that clinical evaluations shall be conducted in a non-clinical setting 2. The CPT will evaluate the products provided with the clinical/performance criteria identified in this announcement below. All clinical/performance criteria are weighted equally. The clinical/performance evaluation period will last for 30 calendar days. CPT teams will evaluate the product against the clinical/performance criteria. The evaluation responses will be in a Likert scale format with a 1-5 scoring range. The scale descriptors are: One (1) -- Not Acceptable; Two (2) -- Minimally Acceptable; Three (3) – Acceptable; Four (4) – Acceptable (High Side); and Five (5) -- Highly Acceptable. The CPT has established a target threshold of 3.00 for the Clinical Acceptability of products for standardization. The CPT will determine the actual Acceptability threshold for this standardization initiative -- at or near 3.00 -- depending on the location of any "break" in vendors’ average scores (i.e., a gap between vendors’ average scores). In addition, the CPT may consider how closely scores are clustered near the Acceptability target threshold of 3.00, in determining the actual Acceptability threshold. Vendors scoring below the actual Acceptability threshold will be determined to be clinically Unacceptable, and be disqualified from further consideration for this standardization initiative. Clinical/Performance Criteria: 1. The kit is easily opened and the contents readily assessable a. Reduces the amount of time needed for staff to establish a stable & sterile IV site. b. Evaluator will assess by opening and utilizing IV Start Kit contents c. This criterion will be evaluated by twice completing the process described in “b” 2. The kit provides for a stable and secure IV line a. Provides for reliable IV access for medication delivery, hydration, and blood draw. b. Evaluator will assess by opening and utilizing IV Start Kit contents c. This criterion will be evaluated by twice completing the process described in “b” 3. The contents are made of high quality material. a. Provides for long term reliable IV access thus necessitating fewer needle sticks b. Evaluator will assess by opening and utilizing IV Start Kit contents c. This criterion will be evaluated by twice completing the process described in “b” Pricing Analysis Process: 1. Vendors will be given 14 calendar days from the date of pricing requests, to submit RIA pricing quotes, in a prescribed electronic spreadsheet format, based upon the requirements of the Mid-Atlantic Region. Pricing must be received at the TRBO by 4:00 PM (EST), fourteen (14) calendar days after the issue date of the vendor notice to submit best product and price quotes. Failure to respond within this timeframe will result in your company being excluded from further participation/consideration The Region intends to evaluate quotes and select a vendor on initial submissions/quotes. However, the government reserves the right to hold discussions if deemed necessary. Vendor quotes should contain the vendor's best product matches for the products or product lines requested in this announcement. Vendor quotes should also contain the vendor's best responses to any other technical and/or company questions listed in this request. Vendor quotes should contain the vendor's best tiered-pricing discounts off of the vendor's DAPA pricing (based on committed volume of 80% of the total requirements of the MTFs in the Region). 2. Vendors will forward pricing to the TRBO, and the TRBO will prepare a pricing analysis to be reviewed by the TPRB. Pricing will be based on a committed volume for a two-year period with possible one-year option periods (not to exceed 5 years). 3. The Technical/Company and Clinical/Performance evaluation factors, when combined, are considered significantly more important than cost or price. As the evaluation results become more technically and clinically equal, price will become more important. 4. The following elements may be considered in the pricing analysis: a. Impact of RIA prices on the Region (Post-Standardization Costs); b. Potential Cost Avoidance, (representing the discount offered by the company from their DAPA and FSS pricing with cost avoidance being the difference between DAPA pricing and RIA pricing multiplied by the number of items purchased over time). c. Impact of Unmatched Lines; and d. Consideration of Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) by each vendor. The Region intends to reduce the number of SKUs that must be handled per period. Vendors that can supply the complete range of clinically-required product, without unnecessary numbers of SKUs for minimally-differentiated products, will be more likely to provide the best-value solution for the Government in this standardization initiative. The Impact of RIA prices on the Region is considered more important than the other pricing elements. The Region reserves the right to limit the number of quotes to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among vendors. The Region reserves the right to make a down-selection during the evaluation process based on considerations of efficient competition. It is anticipated that an award will be made on initial offers without discussions; however, the government reserves the right to open up discussions if necessary. Non-Selected Vendors will be notified in writing regarding selection/non-selection at the conclusion of the completed product evaluation process. THE CLOSING DATE IS 19 APRIL 2010 4PM EST.