2 This Sources Sought Notice is for informational and planning purposes and shall NOT be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation or commitment by the Government at this time. This notice is intended strictly for market research. The purpose of this Sources Sought notice is to determine interest and capability of potential qualifications of all firms relative to the North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) 561990. The Department of Veteran s Affairs is seeking All small business firms, small manufacturer, or distributors of small business manufacturers, and large businesses of functionally equivalent equipment to all the following: SECURE DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION SERVICES. DES MOINES, IA VBA REGIONAL OFFICE. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION AND DOES NOT OBLIGATE THE GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE A SOLICITATION. Please be advised that the Government will NOT pay for any information submitted under this announcement. The applicable North American Classification System (NAICS) Code for this requirement is 561990 (All other Support Services). Responses due are to be submitted by e-mail to Michael.Gamby@va.gov by 07/16/2025 @ 17:00. Include Name of firm, Socio-Economic category of the firm (all businesses), complete address, and phone & fax numbers of contacts. Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA): Statement of Work (SOW) for Secure Document Destruction, VA Regional Office Des Moines, Iowa (VARO) PART I: GENERAL INFORMATION Introduction The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration has a requirement for on- site document destruction services at the Des Moines Regional Office, 210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50903. Period of performance: 10/1/2025-9/30/2026 plus 4 option years. Background This is a Firm Fixed Price Services contract to shred and dispose of documents with Personally Identifiable Information (PII), HIPAA, and other VA Sensitive Information related materials from the Veterans Benefits Administration. To include but not limited to papers, folders, media storage (floppy discs, compact discs, tape cassettes, and other recording tapes.) Scope of Work The Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO) Des Moines intends to use the services of a contractor to shred confidential information records, documents, and other non- paper materials. Papers must be cross-cut or double-cut, and all shredding must be done on- site. The service shall include placement of locked containers per VA s designated locations, at regularly scheduled destruction and pickup times. Contractor shall provide and service containers on a regular basis. Paper shall be destroyed on site. Applicable Documents The object is to provide Veteran and employee privacy by destroying confidential information documents in accordance with: VBA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management VA Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedures VA Directive 6371, Destruction of Temporary Paper Records VA Directive 6500, Information Security Program VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program Privacy Act of 1974, 5 USC 552a Federal Records Act, 44 USC Chapter 31 36 CFR 1220.14 Subpart A, General Provisions, General Definitions 36 CFR 1226.24, Destruction of Temporary Records (formerly 1228.58) 44 USC 3302 § 1228.58 Destruction of Temporary Records PART II: WORK REQUIREMENTS Technical Requirements The contractor shall provide all labor and equipment and shall be responsible for disposing of all shredded materials. All paper documents picked up shall be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act and destroyed on site at time of pickup. This may be an interim destruction of records or final destruction of records. Interim destruction shall be followed with final destruction procedures. Both interim and final destruction shall be carried out by a National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) certified, bonded and insured contractor. The trucks shall be secured, sealed and locked after pick up. The Records Management Officer (RMO) or Alternate RMO must witness and certify each shredding event. Any change in the company s certification and accreditation will be disclosed to VARO-Des Moines immediately. The contractor shall maintain and be responsible for all maintenance and serviceability of all bins placed in the VARO. Bins shall be locked and the material unable to be retrieved once it is placed in the container unless it is unlocked. The contractor shall also ensure all destroyed items are recycled. Contractor is responsible for maintaining liability insurance for the duration of the contract and for following all pertinent federal and state regulations with regard to transportation and destruction of classified medical and personal identifying documents. While on VARO premises, contractor employees will wear a company uniform and a visible identification badge, which contains a photograph of the employee. All contractor vehicles and collection bins will be clearly identified with the company s name. The contractor will provide free of charge and maintain in an effective, usable status four, 95-gallon locked wheeled collection bins for the VA Regional Office. Containers shall have a slotted lid or front panel allowing for the discarding of documents and utilize a keyed lock to limit access. All like size containers will utilize the same key lock and key code. The containers shall be located as stated herein this SOW. They shall be provided by the contractor at no cost to the VARO. The contractor will supply the RMO keys to all containers. The contractor will supply the RMO with extra keys upon request. The contractor will be responsible to ensure that contractor employees coming to the work site will receive the information required above. The contractor will be responsible to ensure contractor employees providing work on this contract are fully trained and completely competent to perform the required work. The contractor shall sign Contractor Rules of behavior (Appendix E) for safeguarding VA sensitive information and submit it to the contracting officer prior to commencement of contract. The contractor is responsible for completing background investigations on all personnel who will be on site. The results of the background investigations must be furnished upon request and available to the information Security Officer; and maintained by the RMO. Additional Requirements: Deliverables The contractor will provide the RMO/Alternate RMO/RMT on the same day that shredding service is provided, and prior to leaving VA premises, a written Certificate of Destruction indicating either interim or final destruction has been completed. The Certificate of Destruction will, at a minimum, contain the following: 1. Pickup/delivery location 2. Pickup/delivery dates 3. Name of the RMO or designated representative at pickup location 4. Name of contractor employee who destroyed the material 5. Destruction Certificate Document number 6. Date of Destruction 7. Amount of shredded material (number of containers picked up and/or pounds shredded) 8. Degree of destruction, interim or final, as defined by VA Directive 6371, Destruction of Temporary Paper Records 9. Any other information as determined necessary by the CO or RMO/Alternate RMO. If the above certification documents Interim Destruction, the Certificate of Destruction must clearly state the provided shredding service constitutes Interim Destruction.  If Final Destruction is not completed on VA grounds at the time of shredding service, the contractor will provide the RMO/Alternate RMO, within 30 days of Final Destruction, a written Certificate of Final Destruction. The Certificate of Final Destruction will, at a minimum, contain the following: 1. Pickup/delivery location 2. Pickup/delivery dates 3. Method of transportation 4. Site of final destruction, i.e., name of subcontractor/third-party 5. Date of final destruction 6. Amount destroyed, i.e., 15 bales of shredded material 7. Name of contractor or subcontractor employee who witnessed and/or can attest to final destruction 8. Method of final destruction (bleached, pulped, macerated, shredded, burned, etc.) 9. Certification by the contractor and/or subcontractor/third-party that the material has been destroyed to a degree that definitively ensures the material in its final state is not readable or reconstructable to any degree {VA Directive 6371} 10. Any other information as determined necessary by the CO or RMO/Alternate RMO. Equipment The contractor shall provide mobile equipment to do all shredding onsite. Contractor equipment will provide locking containers to collect shredding material. Contractor shredding equipment must comply with industry standards for cross-cut or double-cut shredding. The final product, if not recycled, will be disposed of by pulping, macerating, shredding, burning, or otherwise definitively destroying the information contained in the material. Interim Destruction The contractor shall ensure the shredded paper is secure when transporting paper to its final destruction. Interim destruction of temporary paper records refers to macerating, chopping, pulverizing, or shredding of these records to a degree that does ensure that they are not readable or reconstruct able to any degree, but does ensure that they are not readable or reconstruct able without extraordinary effort. This destruction of temporary records is a preliminary step that will allow for secure transport of records until such time as their final destruction. Final Destruction The contractor shall definitely ensure that the process of the temporary paper records is pulped, macerated, or shredded to a degree that they are not readable or reconstruct able to any degree. Additionally, contractor must use a National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) certified, bonded and insured recycler or paper mill and any intermediary processes must protect the records until final destruction is completed. Deliverable Contractor will normally shred materials every four weeks. Any additional service requests shall be provided within 48 hours after the contractor is notified by the VARO. Quantities The VARO reserves the right to increase or decrease the quantity of material. VA Handbook 6300.1 Records Management Procedure shall be applicable to all materials including but not limited to paper, CDs, tapes, and records/microfiche destruction. The procedure reads: The authorized destruction of records that are classified or otherwise restricted from disclosure by statute, such as Privacy Act of 1974 or Title 38 USC, must be witnessed by a Federal Employee or a contractor employee. If a contract is used to dispose restricted VA or VAMC records, the facility Records Officer must authorize the use of a contractor or subcontractor employee to witness the destruction. The contractor must provide documentation that the contractor employee is authorized to witness destruction of the record. Resale of VA or VAMC records for use as records or documents is prohibited. Confidentiality of Material Destruction Contractor personnel shall maintain the confidentiality of the material to be destroyed. Any contractor personnel found to be reading, photographing, or otherwise retaining any of the VARO materials shall be promptly removed from the government premises. The person/s involved shall not be allowed to return to the VARO for any future service requests. PART III: SUPPORTING INFORMATION RECORDS MANAGEMENT OBLIGATIONS A. Applicability This clause applies to all Contractors whose employees create, work with, or otherwise handle Federal records, as defined in Section B, regardless of the medium in which the record exists. B. Definitions Federal record as defined in 44 U.S.C. § 3301, includes all recorded information, regardless of form or characteristics, made or received by a Federal agency under Federal law or in connection with the transaction of public business and preserved or appropriate for preservation by that agency or its legitimate successor as evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the United States Government or because of the informational value of data in them. The term Federal record: 1. includes [Agency] records. 2. does not include personal materials. 3. applies to records created, received, or maintained by Contractors pursuant to their [Agency] contract. 4. may include deliverables and documentation associated with deliverables. C. Requirements 1. Contractor shall comply with all applicable records management laws and regulations, as well as National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records policies, including but not limited to the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. chs. 21, 29, 31, 33), NARA regulations at 36 CFR Chapter XII Subchapter B, and those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a). These policies include the preservation of all records, regardless of form or characteristics, mode of transmission, or state of completion. 2. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for Government use and delivered to, or falling under the legal control of, the Government are Federal records subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statute or regulation. 3. [Agency] and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of [Agency] or destroyed except for in accordance with the provisions of the agency records schedules and with the written concurrence of the Head of the Contracting Activity. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. In the event of any unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records, Contractor must report to [Agency]. The agency must report promptly to NARA in accordance with 36 CFR 1230. 4. The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate Contracting Officer upon discovery of any inadvertent or unauthorized disclosures of information, data, documentary materials, records or equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorized personnel with a need-to-know as described in the [contract vehicle]. The Contractor shall ensure that the appropriate personnel, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is properly protected. The Contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems, or facilities or systems operated or maintained on the Government s behalf, without the express written permission of the Head of the Contracting Activity. When information, data, documentary material, records and/or equipment is no longer required, it shall be returned to [Agency] control or the Contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items returned to the Government shall be hand carried, mailed, emailed, or securely electronically transmitted to the Contracting Officer or address prescribed in the [contract vehicle]. Destruction of records is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4). 5. The Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under, or relating to, contracts. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and [Agency] guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary information, classified, and controlled unclassified information. 6. The Contractor shall not create or maintain any records containing any non-public [Agency] information that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract. 7. The Contractor shall not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected from public disclosure by an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act. 8. The [Agency] owns the rights to all data and records produced as part of this contract. All deliverables under the contract are the property of the U.S. Government for which [Agency] shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Any Contractor rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20. D. Flowdown of requirements to subcontractors 1. The Contractor shall incorporate the substance of this clause, its terms and requirements including this paragraph, in all subcontracts under this [contract vehicle], and require written subcontractor acknowledgment of same. 2. Violation by a subcontractor of any provision set forth in this clause will be attributed to the Contractor. There s also information missing regarding the Certificate of Destruction as required by VA Directive 6371 Destruction of Temporary Paper Records April 2014, specifically: Certificate of Destruction The contractor will provide the RMO/Alternate RMO/RMT on the same day that shredding service is provided, and prior to leaving VA premises, a written Certificate of Destruction indicating either interim or final destruction has been completed. The Certificate of Destruction will, at a minimum, contain the following: 1. Pickup/delivery location 2. Pickup/delivery dates 3. Name of the RMO or designated representative at pickup location 4. Name of contractor employee who destroyed the material 5. Destruction Certificate Document number 6. Date of Destruction 7. Amount of shredded material (number of containers picked up and/or pounds shredded) 8. Degree of destruction, interim or final, as defined by VA Directive 6371, Destruction of Temporary Paper Records 9. Any other information as determined necessary by the CO or RMO/Alternate RMO. If the above certification documents Interim Destruction, the Certificate of Destruction must clearly state the provided shredding service constitutes Interim Destruction.  If Final Destruction is not completed on VA grounds at the time of shredding service, the contractor will provide the RMO/Alternate RMO, within 30 days of Final Destruction, a written Certificate of Final Destruction. The Certificate of Final Destruction will, at a minimum, contain the following: 1. Pickup/delivery location 2. Pickup/delivery dates 3. Method of transportation 4. Site of final destruction, i.e., name of subcontractor/third-party 5. Date of final destruction 6. Amount destroyed, i.e., 15 bales of shredded material 7. Name of contractor or subcontractor employee who witnessed and/or can attest to final destruction 8. Method of final destruction (bleached, pulped, macerated, shredded, burned, etc.) 9. Certification by the contractor and/or subcontractor/third-party that the material has been destroyed to a degree that definitively ensures the material in its final state is not readable or reconstructable to any degree {VA Directive 6371} 10. Any other information as determined necessary by the CO or RMO/Alternate RMO. TECHNICAL REFERENCES VA Directive 0710, Personnel Suitability, and Security Program VA Handbook 0710, Personal Security and Suitability Program VA Directive 6500, Information Security Program VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security VA Handbook 6500.6, Appendix A, Checklist VA Directive 6371, Destruction of Temporary Paper Records VA Directive 6371, Appendix A, VA Handbook 6300.1, Records Management Procedures VBA Letter 20-21-04, Records, and Information Management 5 U.S.C. §552a, Privacy Act 44 U.S.C. 3301, Definition of Records Security All Contractors and Contractor personnel shall be subject to the same Federal security and privacy laws, regulations, standards and VA policies as VA, including the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C.§552a, and VA personnel, regarding information and information system security. Contractors must follow policies and procedures outlined in VA Directive 6500, Information Security Program; and VA Handbook 6500.6. See attached VA 6500.6 Appendix C, which is incorporated in the resulting purchase order to ensure appropriate security controls are in place. Contractor Personnel Security a. Any individual who requires access to the VA site(s), personally identifiable information (PII) and/or access to VA local area network (LAN) systems shall be the subject of a favorable fingerprint check (SAC) adjudicated by VBA Personnel Security Office (PERSEC). Individuals are required a background investigation and must receive a favorable adjudication from the VA Personnel Security and Adjudication Center (PSAC). These requirements are applicable to all sub-contractor personnel requiring any Background Investigation (BI) conducted by Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency (DCSA). b. The level of BI will be in accordance with VA Directive 0710 dated June 4, 2010 and is available at http://www.va.gov/vapubs/viewPublication.asp?Pub_ID=487&FTyp. Background Investigation: The Contractor employee level of BI required for this effort is: Low Risk (T1) Security Employees Moderate Risk (T2) Managers and Directors Note: The position sensitivity should reflect the results from the completion of the PDAT versus the title of the individual. Investigation Documents: Immediately after contract award, the COR will provide the Contractor with the following background investigation documents to be completed by the Contractor and returned thru the COR to VBA PERSEC to begin the background investigations process for all contract employees working on the contract who will have access to VA/VBA facilities, VA systems, or privacy data: Background Investigation Request Worksheet Optional Form 306 Declaration of Federal Employment VBA Contractor Fingerprint Request Form VA Form 0710 Authorization for Release of Information Fair Credit Report (if T2 or higher) (SC) Self-Certification Form (if applicable) VA Form 0711 Request for Personal Identity Verification Card SIC Contractor Background Request Form (unsigned) Submitting Completed Package: Upon receipt of documents listed above from the COR, the COR will submit the background investigation package to VBA s Personnel Security Specialist. Upon notification of favorable fingerprint results, the COR should request the official VA email account and will be notified of all background investigation requirements preventing the Contractor from an immediate onboard. Thereafter, the Contractor shall receive an email notification from DCSA including detailed instructions regarding completion of the background clearance application process in the Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) system. e-QIP is an online, internet accessible system, where the Contractor employee shall complete the security questionnaire required for OPM to process background investigation. Once the e-QIP is released by VBA PERSEC, scheduled by OPM, the Contractor may begin work while the background investigation is ongoing. Reciprocation: Contractors who have current favorable background investigation previously conducted by OPM or DCSA may be accepted through reciprocation. When a previous personnel security clearance is currently held, it does not preclude the Contractor form submitting a complete Background Investigation Package as stated above to the COR immediately after contract award for all Contractor employees who will be working on the contract. Pre-Screen: The Contractor shall prescreen all personnel who require access to VA site(s) and/or access to VA LAN systems to ensure they maintain a U.S. citizenship or Alien Registration that authorizes them to work in the U.S., and are able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language. Contractor Performance: Contract performance shall not commence before The VBA has confirmed favorable fingerprint results, or PSAC confirms that it has received the Contractor s investigative documents, The documents are complete, and that the background investigation information has been released to OPM for scheduling of the background investigation, or VBA or the PSAC has confirmed that the verified investigation will be reciprocated. Copy of Certificate of Investigation (COI): The COR will notify and forward the Contractor a copy of the Certificate of Investigation when the background investigation has been favorably completed or a Certificate of Eligibility (Form 4236) if the investigation has been reciprocated. The Contractor, if notified, of an unfavorable adjudication by the Government, shall withdraw the employee from consideration from working under the contract. Failure to comply, the Contractor personnel security requirements may result in termination of the contract for default. Responsibility: The Contractor shall be responsible for the actions of those contract and subcontract employees it provides to perform work for the VBA. In the event damage arises from work performed by Contractor employees the Contractor will be responsible for resources necessary to remedy the incident. Vendor Selection: Should the Contractor use a vendor other than OPM or DCSA to conduct background investigations, the investigative company must be certified by OPM/DCSA to conduct Contractor background investigations. The Vendor Cage Code number must be provided to the VA PSAC, which will verify the information and conclude whether access to the Government s site(s) and/or VA LAN systems can be granted. Investigative History: The investigative history for Contractor personnel working under this contract must be maintained in the databases of either OPM or DCSA. Government Responsibilities: After the VBA PERSEC has quality controlled the BI package from the Contractor, the VBA PERSEC will send a courtesy e-mail notification to the Contractor and the COR identifying the e-QIP email from DCSA including detailed instructions regarding completion of the BI application process and the level of background that was requested. Upon receipt of required background investigative documents, VBA PERSEC will review the background investigative documents for completion and initiate the background investigation by forwarding the background investigative documents to OPM to conduct the BI. If the background documents are not complete, VBA PERSEC will notify the Contractor and COR of deficiencies and include corrective instructions. VBA PERSEC will pay for background investigations and reciprocals processed through the VA PSAC and conducted by OPM in advance. The COR will notify and forward the Contractor a copy of the Certificate of Investigation when the BI has been favorably adjudicated or a Certificate of Eligibility (Form 4236) if the investigation has been reciprocated. The COR will also notify the Contractor of an unfavorable adjudication by the Government. Travel None Place of Performance The service shall take place at the VARO-Des Moines, 210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309 Period of Performance October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, with four one-year option periods. Government Furnished Property None Qualifications of Key Personnel Contractor employees shall be direct hires of a NAID contractor. Confidentiality and non-disclosure Contractor employees shall be bound by the Business Associate Agreement. Schedule of Supplies/Services and Prices/Cost Contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, uniforms, confidential information consoles, tools, material and equipment for document destruction services for the VA Regional Office Des Moines, Iowa per the statement of work, for the period of one (1) year base period and four (4) one-year option periods, which shall be exercised at the Government s discretion. Base Year: October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026 VARO Des Moines Regional Office Item # Price per 95 Gal. container Quantity Frequency Price per four weeks Total 0001. 4 Every four weeks Site Visit: Offerors are urged to inspect the site where services are to be performed and to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of contract performance, to the extent that the information is reasonably obtainable. Option Year 1: October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027 VARO Des Moines Regional Office Item # Price per 95 Gal. container Quantity Frequency Price per four weeks Total 1001. 4 Every four weeks Option Year 2: October 1, 2027, through September 30, 2028 VARO Des Moines Regional Office Item # Price per 95 Gal. container Quantity Frequency Price per four weeks Total 2001. 4 Every four weeks Option Year 3: October 1, 2028, through September 30, 2029 VARO Des Moines Regional Office Item # Price per 95 Gal. container Quantity Frequency Price per four weeks Total 3001. 4 Every four weeks Option Year 4: October 1, 2029, through September 30, 2030 VARO Des Moines Regional Office Item # Price per 95 Gal. container Quantity Frequency Price per four weeks Total 4001. 4 Every four weeks Grand Total Base and All Option Years Base Period Total Option Year 1 Total Option Year 2 Total Option Year 3 Total Option Year 4 Total Grand Total
