Post Amendment One - Questions and Answers - response due date remains the same. No other questions will be received following the posting of this amendment one. Thank you.
Sources Sought: Snow Removal and De-Icing Services for the Rapid City Great Plains Area Office (West), Rapid City, South Dakota.
Sources Sought Notice Number: SS-26-IHS-1521896
This Sources Sought Notice is for informational and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation, an obligation or commitment by the Indian Health Service.
This notice is intended strictly for market research to determine the availability of Indian Small Businesses Economic Enterprises (ISBEE) and Indian Economic Enterprises.
Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. The anticipated applicable NAICS code for this acquisition is 561730 – Landscaping Services.
1.0 BACKGROUND
The Indian Health Service (IHS) an agency within the Department of Health & Human Services is responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. The Indian Health Service provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives who belong to 567 federally recognized tribes, in 35 states. The Indian Health Service Headquarters is located in Rockville, MD and then divided into twelve physical areas: Alaska, Albuquerque, Bemidji, Billings, California, Great Plains, Nashville, Navajo, Oklahoma, Phoenix, Portland and Tucson.
The Great Plains Area Office (GPAO) works in conjunction with its 19 Indian Health Service Units and Tribal Managed Service Units to provide health care to approximately 122,000 Native American located in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. The Area Office’s service units include seven hospitals, eight health centers, and several smaller health stations and satellite clinics.
The Great Plains Area Office West – Rapid City occupies a government-leased facility located at 3625 5th Street, Rapid City, SD. The property includes paved parking and access areas, sidewalks, and emergency exits that require snow and ice removal to maintain safe access for employees, visitors, and emergency personnel. Consistent snow and ice management are necessary to ensure safety, accessibility, and compliance with lease and occupational safety requirements. Services shall be available year-round to ensure readiness for early, late, or unexpected weather events, with primary operations anticipated during the winter months of November through March.
2.0 OBJECTIVE
The objective of this acquisition is to establish a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for on-call snow removal and de-icing services at the Area Office West – Rapid City. The BPA will allow the Government to issue task-specific call orders for:
- Parking lot and access road snow removal, and
- Sidewalk and emergency exit clearing and de-icing.
3.0 SCOPE
The Contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, equipment, materials, and transportation necessary to perform snow plowing, shoveling, and de-icing services at the leased premises of the Area Office West – Rapid City.
The total area of service includes approximately:
- 3,459 square meters (0.85 acres) of parking lot and access road; and
- 110 linear meters of sidewalks (2 meters wide) along the east and west sides of the building, including two main access corridors and two emergency exits.
All snow and ice removal activities shall be conducted safely and efficiently to avoid property damage and ensure continuous accessibility.
4.0 CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS AND TASKS
4.1 Task 1 – Parking Lot and Access Road Snow Removal
• Services shall commence when snow accumulation reaches 1 inch (2.5 cm) or as directed by the COR.
• The Contractor shall plow and clear all parking areas, drive lanes, and access roads.
• Snow piles shall not obstruct visibility, drainage, fire hydrants, or pedestrian pathways.
• If required, the Contractor shall haul snow to a vendor-approved location that complies with all City of Rapid City ordinances, environmental regulations, and disposal requirements.
• Contractor shall mobilize within one (1) hours of notification by the COR.
• When city streets are open and no local road closure, or facility closure order is in effect from the building manager, the Contractor shall complete all required snow and ice removal and de-icing services so that all designated areas — including parking lots, access roads, sidewalks, entrances, and emergency exits — are safe, accessible, and fully cleared and treated by 7:00 a.m. on business days following or during a snow or ice event.
• If a city “road closures,” or facility closure order is issued by the building manager, services shall resume as soon as the restriction is lifted and it is safe to travel.
4.2 Task 2 – Sidewalks and Emergency Exit Snow and Ice Removal
• Services shall commence when snow accumulation reaches ½ inch (1.25 cm) or when icy conditions are present.
• The Contractor shall clear and treat all sidewalks, main entrances, and emergency exit routes.
• Apply non-corrosive, concrete-safe de-icing materials after clearing.
• These services may be ordered independently or in conjunction with Task 1.
• Contractor shall mobilize within one (1) hour of notification by the COR.
• When city streets are open and no local road closure, or facility closure order is in effect from the building manager, the Contractor shall complete all snow and ice removal and de-icing activities so that all designated areas — including sidewalks, entrances, and emergency exits — are safe, accessible, and fully cleared and treated by 7:00 a.m. on business days following or during a snow or ice event.
• If a city “road closures,” or facility closure order is issued by the building manager, services shall resume as soon as the restriction is lifted and it is safe to travel.
4.3 Reporting Requirements
The Contractor shall submit a Service Report for each snow or ice event that includes:
- Date and time of service
- Type and depth of precipitation
- Areas serviced (Task 1 and/or Task 2)
- Materials used and quantities
- Start and completion times
Reports shall be submitted to the COR within 24 hours after completion of each service.
5.0 TYPE OF ORDER
The award for this service will be a Firm Fixed-Price, Commercial Item, Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to provide Snow Removal and De-Icing Services. Individual Call Orders will specify whether services are required for Task 1, Task2, or both.
6.0 ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
The period of performance shall consist of a base year and four (4) 12-month option periods, as follows:
- Base Year: December 1, 2026 – November 30, 2027
- Option Year One: December 1, 2027 – November 30, 2028
- Option Year Two: December 1, 2028 – November 30, 2029
- Option Year Three: December 1, 2030 – November 30, 2030
- Option Year Four: December 1, 2031 – November 30, 2031
7.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE
Area Office West – Rapid City (Leased Space)
3625 5th Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
All services shall be performed on-site during or immediately following snow and ice events, as directed by the COR.
8.0 REPORT(S)/DELIVERABLES AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE
Deliverable Description / Format Due Date
Service Report (per event) Summary of snow and ice services performed Within 24 hours of completion
Annual Equipment & Staffing Plan Submitted in Word or PDF format Within 30 days of BPA award
Incident/Accident Report (if applicable) Report any incidents or accidents Within 2 hours of occurrence
9.0 PAYMENT
Payments shall be made monthly in arrears, based on service reports and invoices that are mutually agreed upon by the contractor and the COR, or the designated representative through the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP.gov) with a copy to Tavis Allam (COR), or his designee.
10.0 Capability Statement/Information:
Interested parties are expected to review this notice and attached performance work statement to familiarize itself with the requirements of this project. Failure to do so will be at your firm’s own risk. The following information shall be included in the capability statement:
1. A general overview of the respondent’s opinions about the difficulty and/or feasibility of the potential requirement, and any information regarding innovative ideas or concepts.
2. Information in sufficient detail of the respondent’s (a) current capability and capacity to perform the work; (b) prior completed events of similar nature/size; (c) organizational experience and management capability; and (d) examples of prior completed Government contracts and other related information.
3. The respondents’ UEI number, organization name, address, point of contact, and size and type of business (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, etc.) Pursuant to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code: 325120 – Industrial Gas Manufacturing.
4. Any other information that may be helpful in developing or finalizing the requirements of the potential acquisition.
5. The capability statement shall not exceed 10 single-sided pages (including all attachments, resumes, etc.) presented in single-space and using a 12-point font size minimum, in either Microsoft Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), with 8-1/2 by 11-inch paper size, and 1 inch top, bottom, left and right margins.
6. All proprietary information should be marked as such. Statements should also include an indication of current certified small business status; this indication should be clearly marked on the first page of your capability statement (preferably placed under the eligible small business concern’s name and address). Responses will be reviewed only by IHS personnel and will be held in a confidential manner.
11.0 Closing Statement
Point of Contact: Wenda Wright, Contract Specialist, at wenda.wright@ihs.gov
Submission Instructions:
Interested parties shall submit capability via email to Wenda Wright, Contract Specialist, at wenda.wright@ihs.gov. Must include Sources Sought Number SS-26-IHS1521896 in the Subject line. The due date for receipt of statements is February 2, 2026, 12:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST).
All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered.
This notice is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of IHS.
IHS does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted. As a result of this notice, IHS may issue a Request for Quote (RFQ).
THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against IHS shall arise as a result of a response to this notice or IHS’s use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement.
Disclaimer and Important Notes. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.
Confidentiality. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response.
