R499--Document Shredding Services for the Minneapolis VA

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What is the volume of documents being shredded?
This differs by location but the main VA Medical Center in Minneapolis produces between 10-14 full 96 gallon containers of paper twice a week. The clinics obviously produce a lot less but they are also frequented much less as well.

Is it a mixed media combination such as loose paper, hard drives, binders, and books?
No books. Loose paper mainly but we do have smaller locked boxes for CD s and other media.

Does the contract call for on site shredding, off site shredding, or both?
In the SOW must be done on-site. Then every month we need verification it has all been properly destroyed.

Does the contract call for or allow locked drop bins? All the bins, whether the 96 gallon carts, the 32 gallon consoles, or the small bins for Medica Collection must all lock.

Is there HIPAA documentation or other confidential documentation that needs shredding? Should all be treated as confidential.

Please confirm that all documents can be shredded on site or offsite at the awarded company facility warehouse.

Will the VA be putting media in a separate container from the paper documents? Yes, we have smaller locked boxes for media collection

Will the VA be requesting that the current provider offer to sell all of the current bins to the awarded shredding company? If we are expected to we will.

If the current provider does not sell the containers to the awarded company, will the VA extend the solicitation to allow the awarded company extra time to purchase and deliver all (675) bins and consoles? Yes, this would only be after award though, this contract is planned to be awarded early enough to get these logistical things in order.

Confirm that (104) estimated treatments per year is requesting (104) shredding appointments per year. Yes, the main VA Medical Center in Mpls needs 104 pick ups per year.

Confirm that (104) estimated treatments per year is the same as (2) shredding s per week. Correct

Will the VA employees be collecting all of the paper from the (588) bins at One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417 and bring them to the 95 gallon carts. No. the vendor collects from the 588 containers based on a schedule. Busy areas will be picked up at least once a week. Slower areas may only be picked up twice a month.

Will there be a staging area to keep the 95 gallon carts for shredding. Yes

Will the awarded company be expected to walk each floor in order to collect paper from the (588) bins at One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417. Yes

With an estimated 400,000 pounds of paper required to be shredded per year, why is the VA requiring twice a week shredding service that has the capacity to shred over 6,500,000 pounds of paper.
(example)
588 (32) gallon containers X 100 pounds = 58,800 pounds per shredding
104 shredding appointments per year X 58,800 = over 6 million pounds of paper.
Not all 588 containers are serviced twice a week. They do not fill up that fast.

What will occur when the awarded company goes to a office area where the bin is behind a locked door and there are no VA employee s available to unlock the office door. Let the program office know prior to leaving for the day.
If the (588) bins located at One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417 are only filled with less than 5 pounds of paper, will it be authorized to skip those bins. Yes
FRAUD Waste and Abuse why are there so many bin pickups at One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417. This requirement is an excessive amount of capacity compared to previous years total shredding pounds of 400,000 pounds. Because we are a very large Medical Center.
Please confirm the capacity and size of Office-sized container, securable, stationary console. I would estimate a full office sized console is at least 50 lbs.
Will the VA allow the awarded company to collect the paper at One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417 and store the 95 gallon carts for shredding at the end of the week or at another time. No
What are the VA hours of operation at every location. The main Medical Center would be from 6 am 4 pm as that is the hours at the loading dock. Gate locks after 4 pm. All the clinics would be normal business hours Monday Friday. 8 am 4 pm.

Why are the following locations part of this solicitation: its way outside of the hospital area
720 Miners Drive East, Ely MN 55731
2115 E. Main St., Albert Lea, MN 56007
10369 State Hwy 27, Hayward, WI 54943
1400 Madison Ave #502, Mankato MN 56001
3551 Commercial Dr. SW #400, Rochester MN 55109
1103 13th Ave. S, St. James, MN 56081
475 Chippewa Mall Dr. #418, Chippewa Fall, WI 54729
320 South access rd #100, Rice Lake WI 54868
990 West 41st St. #5, Hibbing MN 55746
Twin Ports Clinic. 3520 Tower Ave. Superior WI 54880
These sites are part of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System as CBOC outpatient sites.

The current contract number is: 36C26320C0077, ending on 1/31/2024

Are any Bridge Contracts in place that extend the current contract? No

Is there a loading dock or area the truck needs to park to perform the
services at all locations? Yes

Will badging be required? If so, are you using USAccess, e-Quip, or another
system for badging? Yes full background investigation to obtain a badge.

If needed, badging can take from 14 to 30+ days to process. Will you allow
our employees to work during the processing period or provide an escort? Yes

What site or contract-specific training do you require and will you provide
the training platform? There is a few TMS courses that would need to be completed once the background check is done and passed.

Provide the evaluation criteria and the FAR on which this award will be
based. Please see LPTA clause 52.212-2

What is the frequency of Services? (12-monthly, Every 4 Weeks (13), 2Xs a Month 24, Bi-Weekly 26, or Weekly 52) Frequency of the pickups depends on how often the area fills the container, we are not making any changes to the proposed schedule either.

Mobile Purging/Unscheduled Service/Overflow or Extra Containers
Will any foreseen mobile purging events, such as Earth Day or any possible
unscheduled services, be required? If so, please create
CLIN 0002 for Additional Service with an NTE per year per bin (64 gallons,
96-gallon bin preferred) Additional Service with annual NTE request
Will not be requested.

Please provide the types of non-paper media as it states are not limited
to... How much is expected? The # of bins & frequency. CD s mainly but very infrequent.

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