R426--Telephone Switchboard Operator Service

Amendment / Modification

This amendment extends the deadline for receipt of offers and provides answers to previously unaddressed questions.

• Offer Receipt Date Extended: The hour and date for receipt of offers has been extended to March 13, 2026, at 9:00 AM EDT.

• Question 5 Answered: This amendment addresses Question 5, which was not answered in Amendment 0001. The question pertained to historical performance metrics, and the government provided the following data:

  • Average calls per day: 936.37
  • Peak hourly call volume: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
  • Average abandonment rate: 1.09%

• Staffing Model Clarified: The government provided the current staffing model for the switchboard operator service:

  • Day shift: 1 supervisor, 3 full-time operators, 2 part-time operators
  • Mid shift: 2 full-time operators, 2 part-time operators
  • Night shift: 2 full-time operators, 2 part-time operators

• Incumbent Contractor Identified: Innovation at Work is the incumbent contractor, with a current performance period ending March 2026.

• On-site Services Required: Switchboard operators are required to perform services on-site at the Hampton VA Medical Center.

• Service Contract Labor Standards: Wage Determination #2015-4341 / REV 32 / 12-03-2025 is confirmed as applicable.

• The deadline for receipt of offers is modified.

• Question 5 from the original solicitation has been answered.

• Bidders now have until March 13, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT to submit their offers.

• The provided historical performance metrics, staffing model, and clarification on on-site requirements should be considered when preparing proposals.

Amendment / Modification

This amendment extends the deadline for the receipt of offers and provides answers to vendor questions.

• Offer Receipt Date Extended: The hour and date for the receipt of offers has been extended to March 13, 2026, at 9:00 AM EDT.

• Vendor Questions Answered: The amendment includes responses to vendor questions regarding the solicitation. Key clarifications include:

  • Hours of Operation: The contractor must provide 24-hour coverage, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for switchboard services at the Hampton VA Medical Center. There are no set "normal working hours" for the service itself.
  • Staffing: The requirement is for best practice switchboard operator service, not necessarily staffing all four NEC Electronic Telephone Attendant Consoles 24/7/365. The contractor determines shift structure.
  • Incumbent Contractor: Innovation at Work is the incumbent, with a performance period from October 2025 through March 2026.
  • Scope of Support: The contractor is responsible for providing the full switchboard operator function, as there are no existing VA switchboard staff.
  • Location of Services: Services are required to be performed on-site at the Hampton VA Medical Center.
  • Historical Staffing Model: The current staffing model includes 3 shifts with specific numbers of full-time and part-time operators and supervisors.
  • Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS): Wage Determination #2015-4341 / REV 32 / 12-03-2025 is applicable.

• The deadline for receipt of offers is modified.

• The solicitation now includes answers to vendor questions, impacting the understanding of performance requirements, staffing, and operational details.

• Bidders must submit their offers by the new deadline of March 13, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT.

• Bidders should review the provided answers to vendor questions to ensure their proposals accurately address all requirements, particularly regarding 24/7 on-site service, staffing, and performance metrics.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This Request for Quotation (RFQ) seeks offers for Telephone Switchboard Operator Services for the Hampton VA Medical Center. The service involves proactively receiving, transferring, assessing, tracking, monitoring, and handling the disposition of all inbound calls.

• Provide 24/7 switchboard operator services.

• Handle an estimated 40,000 calls per month.

• Maintain a daily abandonment rate of 5% or less.

• Ensure average speed to answer is less than 30 seconds.

• Average handle time for calls should not exceed 35 seconds.

• Operators must be customer-friendly, possess good interpersonal skills, and be familiar with the VA healthcare system.

• Services include general information, locating personnel, answering emergency calls, operating paging systems, and maintaining records.

• Operators must follow established protocols for emergencies, threats, and disasters.

• Warm transfers are required for all calls, excluding designated cold transfers.

• Contractor must be fully operational within two weeks of contract award.

• A Program Manager (PM) and Program Coordinator (PC) are required, with specific qualifications and availability.

• Background investigations (NACI) are required for all contractor employees.

• Period of Performance: One Base Year with four (4) Option Years, starting April 1, 2026.

• Estimated Value: Approximately $19 Million (This appears to be an estimate for the total contract value, not a specific year).

• Contract Type: Not explicitly stated, but implied to be a service contract.

• Quotes must be submitted via email to James.Risbon@va.gov by March 13, 2026, 9:00 AM EST.

• Quotes must include the signed SF 1449, a separate quote breakdown, and acknowledge amendments.

• Evaluation Factors: Technical Acceptability, Past Performance, and Price.

• Technical Capability will be assessed against the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

• Past Performance requires listing similar contracts completed or ongoing within the last three years.

• Technical questions must be submitted in writing via email by March 9, 2026, 9:00 AM EST.

• This acquisition is set aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB).

• All offerors must be verified SDVOSB vendors at the time of quote submittal and listed in the SBA DSBS database.

• Offerors must complete VAAR 852.219-75 (Limitations on Subcontracting).

• The solicitation incorporates FAR clauses by reference, including FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4, 52.212-3, and 52.212-5.

• The document references a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) which will be finalized post-award.

• Government Furnished Property includes facilities and telephone console equipment.

Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

This document outlines the systematic method for evaluating contractor performance on a stated contract. It details what will be monitored, how monitoring will occur, who will conduct it, and how results will be documented. This QASP is a "living document" and may be revised, with changes coordinated through contract modification.

• Contracting Officer (CO): Jerry Mann (Network Contracting Office 6) - Responsible for overall contract effectiveness, compliance, and final determination of performance adequacy.

• Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR): TBD (Hampton Veteran Affairs Medical Center) - Responsible for technical administration and Government surveillance of contractor performance. Maintains a quality assurance file.

• Primary: TBA

The QASP defines performance standards used to evaluate contractor performance. Surveillance methods include:

• Direct Observation: 100% surveillance, requiring daily reporting.
• Periodic Inspection: Scheduled quarterly inspections (or as needed), reviewing randomly selected patient files.
• Validated User/Customer Complaints: Weekly compilation and review of customer feedback.
• Random Sampling: Quarterly random selection of patient treatment files for review.
• Verification of Contractor Documentation: Review of required daily action reporting.

Specific performance objectives are tied to PWS requirements, with Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) ranging from 95% to 100%. Performance is rated using categories: Exceptional, Very Good, Satisfactory, Marginal, and Unsatisfactory. Failure to meet AQLs can result in Contract Discrepancy Reports (CDRs), which may impact Contractor Performance Assessment Reports (CPARS).

• Hours of Operation: Normal working hours are Monday through Friday, 08:00 am - 4:30 pm, excluding federal holidays.

• Performance is documented, and reports may be used for CPARs.

• Contract Discrepancy Reports (CDRs) are issued for unacceptable performance and require contractor response and corrective action plans.

• COR provides written performance reports to the CO quarterly.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a Wage Determination (WD) issued under the Service Contract Act, specifically Revision 32 of Wage Determination No. 2015-4341, dated December 3, 2025. It establishes the minimum wage rates and fringe benefits required for various occupations performing work on federal contracts in North Carolina and Virginia. The specified areas include North Carolina counties of Currituck and Gates, and Virginia counties of Chesapeake, Gloucester, Hampton, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, and York.

• Occupational Wage Rates: The document lists numerous occupations with their corresponding minimum hourly wage rates. These range from lower-skilled positions like "Cleaner, Vehicles" ($16.05/hour) and "Housekeeping Aide" ($15.14/hour) to more specialized roles such as "Registered Nurse IV" ($47.56/hour) and "Nuclear Medicine Technologist" ($46.27/hour).
• Fringe Benefits: All listed occupations receive specific fringe benefits, detailed as "Fringe Benefits Required Follow the Occupational Listing." The primary fringe benefit listed is "HEALTH & WELFARE: $5.55 per hour, up to 40 hours per week, or $222.00 per week or $962.00 per month." An additional note specifies that for contracts covered by Executive Order (EO) 13706, the Health & Welfare rate is $5.09 per hour, up to 40 hours per week, or $203.60 per week or $882.27 per month.
• Executive Orders: The document references Executive Order 13706 (Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors) and Executive Order 13658 (Establishing a Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors). It outlines requirements for paid sick leave and minimum hourly wages (at least $13.30 per hour for 2025, subject to annual adjustment) for covered contracts.
• Vacation and Holidays: Contractors must provide paid vacation (2 weeks after 1 year, 3 weeks after 8 years, 4 weeks after 15 years) and a minimum of eleven paid holidays per year.
• Conformance Process: The document outlines the process for contractors to request authorization for additional classifications and wage rates if a required occupation is not listed in the determination.

This wage determination is critical for any bidder responding to a Service Contract Act-covered opportunity within the specified geographic areas. It dictates the minimum labor costs that must be factored into proposals for all listed occupations. Bidders must ensure their proposed wages and benefits meet or exceed these requirements to be compliant.

Sources Sought Notice

This notice is for planning purposes only. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 6, is conducting market research to identify qualified vendors for On-Site Telephone Switchboard Operator Services and Administrative Support at the Hampton VA Medical Center. The government is assessing market capacity to determine an appropriate acquisition strategy for a potential future contract. No contract will be awarded based on this notice, and no costs incurred in preparing responses will be reimbursed.

The requirement is for On-Site Telephone Switchboard Operator Services and Administrative Support.

Not applicable at this stage; this is a market research notice.

Interested parties must submit responses via email to James.Risbon@va.gov by February 27, 2025, at 12:00 PM EST. Responses should be in Microsoft Office or PDF format. No telephone inquiries will be accepted, and no discussions or debriefings will be provided for responses.

Applicable NAICS code is 561421 - Telephone Answering Services, with a size standard of $19 Million. Vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at http://www.sam.gov under this NAICS code to be considered for any future award.

Respondents must provide:

• Company/individual name, address, and point of contact (phone number)
• Information describing interest in the requirement
• Indicate FSS/GSA contract number or Open Market status
• FSS Category qualification
• Tax ID number
• DUNS number
• Unique Entity ID (UEI) (SAM)
• Capabilities statement
• Company Socio-Economic SIZE (e.g., large, small, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB)

Information gathered may inform a subsequent solicitation. Vendors must be registered in SAM. The solicitation number is 36C24626Q0356.