Q999--RFI/Sources Sought for Remote Thermal Monitoring Mats

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a Request for Quote (RFQ)/Invitation for Bid (IFB)/Request for Proposal (RFP). This notice does not commit the U.S. Government to contract for any supply or service. Furthermore, the U.S. Government is not seeking quotes, bids or proposals at this time and will not accept unsolicited proposals in response to this Request for Information. 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, and Submittals will not be returned to the responder.

Please submit your company's capabilities statement and completed vendor responses electronically to Ms. Star Yeo at star.yeo@va.gov AND Mr. Chris Binkley at christopher.binkley@va.gov no later than April 29, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). Please include your company name in the subject of the email response as: "Attention: Remote Thermal Monitoring Mats "RFI VENDOR NAME HERE".

Sources Sought Notice/Request for Information for Remote Thermal Monitoring Mats and associated Items in support of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Commodities & Services Acquisition Service (CSAS) is seeking information from vendors regarding the availability and business practices regarding the procurement of Podimetric SmartMats or Remote Thermal Monitoring Mats of a similar nature.

A central tenet of acquisition reform is to improve market research quality significantly. One of the main benefits of solid market research is to materially improve the Government's understanding of the current state of the marketplace, including commercial/government best practices, industry capabilities, innovative delivery approaches, commercial market service levels, and performance strategies and measures. For this upcoming requirement, a special emphasis of the market research is being placed on performance metrics and measurements, innovative delivery methods for the required services, and incentive programs that your firm may have found particularly effective. We are also interested in identifying performance criteria that differentiate between and among high-quality firms in this field. We believe this information will dramatically improve the quality of the forthcoming acquisition, including the solicitation and resulting contract.

Veterans' Health Administration Innovation Ecosystem, in coordination with Initiative to End Diabetic Limb Loss at VA (TIEDLLV), aims to establish a new standard of care in diabetes treatment which includes the use of remote technology to diagnose and help treat diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and the prevention of related complications such as major amputations. The objective is also to increase access to care for diabetic Veterans, who make up about a quarter of the Veteran population, and ensure that treatment is efficient and effective. Remote temperature monitoring (RTM) is an early detection mechanism that monitors at-risk Veterans in their personal environment using a thermal imaging mat called SmartMat to perform daily temperature measurements of their feet, which is the only proven practice for DFU prevention.

Please provide the requested information below. Additionally, address the vendor interested's business size classification (SDVOB, 8(a), SDB, Hub, WOSB, EWOSB, Small, or Other).

The qualifying NAICS code for this effort is 621999 "All Other Miscellaneous Ambulatory Health Care Services" and employee size standard is 1250 employees.

Note: Vendors may recommend an alternate NAICS code in response to this RFI.

Please address the following:

• Does the product you offer have a generic market name?


• What is the difference between this item and the Temp Stat?


• How long has your product been commercially available? Is it under a patent?


• Are there other items we should include with this mat?


• How do you handle technical refreshes and or updates to software or materials?


• Are mats repairable? Can the mats be returned if not used?


• Is there special hazmat consideration with mats regarding disposal? Recycling?


• Is there an ISO for this medical device that you utilize?


• What are your commercial warranty practices?


• What is your return process for damaged items?


• Where is your product manufactured?


• Do you sell directly or through distributors? Can you provide an authorized distributor list?


• Are they recognized as a socio-economic set aside under Small Business Utilization?


• What supply chain or material sourcing issues should we be aware of currently?


• What are your market challenges currently?


• Can you provide some background on the product and a capabilities statement?


• What should the VA know about this specific product and market?


• How is the monitoring conducted, and how is the data transmitted from patient to provider? Is this done by web app, mobile app, satellite or other? Who owns the data? Where is the data stored? What protections have you instituted regarding privacy, security, and access to data?


• Are there any clinical standard operating procedures to use this device?


• How is the data interpreted, and who interprets it?


• What does the future of Remote Thermal Monitoring Podimetric Mats look like?

Please provide any additional considerations in the Remote Thermal Monitoring Mats category and any other information you would like the VA to consider when developing the specifications for this proposed requirement.

The Government will use responses of this notice to make appropriate acquisition decisions upon review of documentation. A request for proposals may be issued to the Government-Wide Point of Entry Contract Opportunities (www.sam.gov). Responses to this Sources Sought Notice are not considered adequate responses to any corresponding solicitation announcement. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future RFQ or IFB or RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Government-wide Point of Entry. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the Government-wide Point of Entry for additional information pertaining to this requirement