Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
Snow Removal Services Wilmington VAMC
Department of Veterans Affairs
AI summaryOnly certified service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) can quote on this Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) request for quotes (RFQ). The VA wants snow removal and deicing at the Wilmington VA Medical Center in Wilmington, DE. A 5-year indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract is planned, meaning the VA orders work as needed. The response due date is October 28, 2026, 10:00 AM Eastern. More in the summary
This opportunity has closed (responses were due Oct 28, 2026)
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AI summary Beta
Only certified service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) can quote on this Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) request for quotes (RFQ). The VA wants snow removal and deicing at the Wilmington VA Medical Center in Wilmington, DE. A 5-year indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract is planned, meaning the VA orders work as needed. The response due date is October 28, 2026, 10:00 AM Eastern.
Who can bid
- Certified SDVOSB listed in the SBA certification database at the time of offer and at award. Offers from firms not listed are not considered.
- Small business under the $9.5 million size standard for North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 561730 (Landscaping Services).
- Active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) to receive an award.
How to submit: Email to Gary Hitt at gary.hitt@va.gov. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (12)
From the version posted Oct 15, 2026.
- Serious: Set aside for certified SDVOSBs only. Only service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses listed as certified in the Small Business Administration (SBA) database can bid; a business that is not certified at the time of offer will not be considered.
- Worth checking: Period of performance dates disagree. The notice text gives November 1, 2026 through October 31, 2031, but the price schedule gives December 1, 2026 through November 30, 2031. The notice says the period will adjust if award happens on a different date. Ask the contracting officer which applies.
- Worth checking: 1-hour mobilization, 24 hours a day. You must start work within 1 hour of a call from the VA's technical point of contact (TPOC) at any hour, and return emergency calls within 15 minutes.
Show all 12Show fewer
- Worth checking: Equipment must be dedicated and nearby. Plows, spreaders, loaders and skid steers must be used only for this contract and kept within 25 miles of the campus, so you need enough equipment close to Wilmington.
- Worth checking: Missing the subcontracting certificate means rejection. The Certificate of Compliance (VAAR 852.219-75) must be completed and signed with every fill-in. The quote also needs a technical write-up of up to 20 pages addressing each performance work statement (PWS) element, plus three past performance examples.
- Worth checking: 50% limit on subcontracting. For a services contract, you may not pay more than 50% of what the VA pays you to firms that are not certified SDVOSBs. This is measured by the end of the base term and each option period.
- Worth checking: You pay for damage. The contractor is responsible for damage to curbs, sidewalks, landscaping, signs, striping, garage coatings and other property, and must reimburse the VA for repairs.
- Minor: Garage chemical and equipment limits. Rock salt is banned in the parking garage, only garage-friendly chemicals may be used there, and metal plow blades and tire chains are prohibited.
- Minor: Payment depends on storm size from one weather station. Each job is a whole storm event, and the only accepted snowfall measure is the National Weather Service (NWS) data for Mount Holly, NJ, which must be attached to each invoice. Your revenue depends on the weather.
- Minor: Small guaranteed minimum. The guaranteed minimum is $5000.00 against an estimated maximum of $500,000.00 over 5 years, and quantities in the schedule are estimates only.
- Minor: Wage rules apply. The SF 1449 (Standard Form 1449, the form the VA uses for commercial orders) says the New Castle County wage determination applies. You must use the correct wage titles when pricing.
- Minor: Two veteran set-aside clauses listed. The clause list includes both the SDVOSB notice (852.219-73) and the veteran-owned small business notice (852.219-74), and 852.219-75 appears twice. SAM.gov lists SDVOSB; ask the contracting officer which governs if unsure.
Read from the notice and 2 attachments. Show which files.
- 36C24427Q0012.pdf (read)
- QASP Wilmington Snow Removal.pdf (read)
Full summary
What they want
- Clear snow, ice and slush and spread salt or deicer on roads, parking lots, sidewalks, ramps, stairs and the multi-level parking garage across the whole campus, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at the TPOC's direction.
- Have all areas cleared no later than 6:00 AM EST after overnight snowfall, with patient care, emergency, accessible routes and fire hydrants cleared first.
- Mobilize within 1 hour of TPOC notice, return emergency calls within 15 minutes and non-emergency calls within 2 hours, and keep a supervisor on site for every operation.
- Use only approved garage-safe chemicals in the garage (no rock salt), urethane or heavy-rubber plow blades there, and no studded tires or chains; get safety data sheets (MSDS) for every deicing product approved by the TPOC before use.
- Keep plows, spreaders, loaders and skid steers dedicated to this contract and within 25 miles of the campus.
- Price three contract line item numbers (CLINs, the priced lines of the order): CLIN 0001, QTY 60.00 JB, snow/ice/slush removal and salting for 0-12 inches of accumulation per storm; CLIN 0002, QTY 20.00 JB, 12.1+ inches; CLIN 0003, QTY 20.00 JB, salt only.
- Pay for any damage to government property, and invoice monthly with a TPOC-validated Snow Control Sheet and a National Weather Service snow report for Mount Holly, NJ.
- Follow the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP), which checks response time, clearing by 6:00 AM, critical areas, garage rules and paperwork accuracy.
- Contract type
- Firm-fixed-price (FFP: one set price per unit of work) quotes under a planned 5-year IDIQ contract, with funds obligated by individual task orders
- Period of performance
- 5 years. The notice text says anticipated November 1, 2026 through October 31, 2031. The price schedule says base period December 1, 2026 through November 30, 2031.
- Place of performance
- Wilmington VA Medical Center campus, Wilmington, DE
- Estimated value
- Estimated contract maximum $500,000.00, with a minimum contract guarantee of $5000.00 (both from the price schedule)
- How they'll choose
- Comparative evaluation under Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) 12.203(c)(2): acceptable quotes are compared side by side to pick the best overall benefit, with no scores or ratings. The Government may pick a quote other than the lowest price.
- Offers due
- October 28, 2026, 10:00 AM Eastern
- How to submit
- Email to Gary Hitt at gary.hitt@va.gov
- Page limits
- Technical content: 20 pages in a single document, 12-point font. The signed RFQ, acknowledgements and completed price schedule do not count.
What they'll judge offers on
- Technical Capability: how well the quote meets or exceeds the PWS requirements; each technical element in the PWS must be addressed clearly and completely or the quote may be unacceptable
- Past Performance: three examples of similarly scoped work, plus the contracting officer's own knowledge, customer surveys, past performance contacts and Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) records
- Price: total evaluated price built from the line items; the Government may check it for realism and can reject quotes that are unrealistically high or low
What to include when you submit
- State that the quote is based on all terms and conditions of the RFQ, sign it by an official authorized to bind the company, and keep it firm for at least 90 days from the closing date.
- Include the solicitation number, your name, address and phone, your Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and a statement of how far you agree with the solicitation terms.
- Enter your price for each line item (CLIN) as shown in the schedule, and attach a separate .pdf with the technical specifications of the offered item.
- Send technical content as one document of no more than 20 pages, in 12-point font, with branding and images kept to a minimum. Tables and graphs count toward the limit.
- Give three examples of past performance of similarly scoped work. Government examples need contract numbers, government point of contact, agency, overview of services and approximate value.
- Non-government past performance examples need an overview of services, approximate value, period of performance and point of contact.
- Complete, sign and return the Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction (VAAR 852.219-75) with every fill-in completed.
- Send questions by email only to gary.hitt@va.gov by 10:00 PM EST on October 21, 2026. Answers will be posted in an amendment.
After award, you must have
- During the contract, pay no more than 50% of the amount the Government pays you to firms that are not certified SDVOSBs (limitations on subcontracting). From 36C24427Q0012.pdf:
…will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to it to firms that are not VIP…
- Staff are cleared through VA background checks, and all positions are designated low risk (Tier 1). From 36C24427Q0012.pdf:
All postions low risk/tier1…
Not in the notice text
- The ordering clauses say orders may be issued from TBD through TBD, and order limits are shown as TBD, so the ordering period and order limits are not set.
- Whether the quantities of 60.00, 20.00 and 20.00 JB are for the whole 5-year period or per year is not stated.
- The instructions say to see Section D for how quotes are evaluated, but Section D is empty; the evaluation approach is in provision 52.212-2 (Section E).
- The equipment staging area is to be approved by the TPOC; its location is not given.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 15, 2026
- Notice type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- Office
- 244-Network Contract Office 4 (36C244), Pittsburgh, PA
- Product/service code
- S218 · Housekeeping – Snow Removal/Salt
- Business type
- Facilities, janitorial & grounds (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 561730)
- Related notices
Other notices that name this solicitation, or that this one names.
- Snow Removal Services Wilmington VAMC · 36C24427Q0O12Posted later Oct 27, 2026 · Due Nov 2, 2026
- Attachments
Full notice text from SAM.gov
This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in RFO Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation is issued as an RFQ, number 36C24427Q0012 for snow removal services at the Wilmington VAMC. The solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses by reference. The full text of provisions and clauses may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov. This Solicitation is set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business concerns. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 561730 Landscaping Services, with a small business size standard of $9.5 million. The FSC/PSC is S218 Snow Removal/Salt. Complete instructions for submitting a response to this solicitation and applicable provisions and clauses are found in 36C24427Q0012. All offerors are advised to pay careful attention to the quote submission instructions as there are very specific instructions as what is required to be provided. The contract period of performance (POP) is anticipated to be 11/01/2026 through 10/31/2031. Should issuance of the award occur on a different date, the performance period will be adjusted accordingly. Offerors are requested to quote Firm Fixed Price for all of the line items on the Schedule of Supplies and Services attached to this solicitation. Any award resulting from this solicitation will be issued on the Standard Form 1449. NOTE: To receive an award resulting from this solicitation, offerors MUST be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database. Registration may be done online at: www.acquisition.gov or www.sam.gov. Contractor shall comply with all applicable wage & hour laws and is responsible for the correct wage titles. They can also be obtained online at: https://www.wdol.gov/. Wage determinations will be incorporated for the physical location where the work is being conducted. Quoters are responsible for complying with the applicable wage determination where the place of performance is identified.