(a) The contracting officer shall indicate the time and place of inspection in the solicitation.

(b) The contracting officer shall also provide in the solicitation that the contractor is responsible for all of the following:

(1) Arranging and paying for inspection services.

(2) Obtaining from the inspectors a certificate indicating that the product complies with specifications.

(3) Assuring that the certificate, or copy, accompanies the shipment.

(4) Furnishing samples for inspection at the contractor's expense.

(5) Indicating the address where inspection will occur.

(c) The contracting officer must furnish a copy of the purchase document to the inspecting activity.

The contracting officer may use a commercial organization for inspection and grading services when the contracting officer determines that all of the following exist:

(a) The results of a technical inspection or grading are dependent upon the application of scientific principles or specialized techniques.

(b) VA is unable to employ the personnel qualified to properly perform the services and is unable to locate another Federal agency capable of providing the service.

(c) The inspection or grading results issued by a private organization are essential to verify the acceptance or rejection of a special commodity.

(d) The services may be performed without direct Government supervision.

(a) All new food service equipment purchased for Dietetic Service through other than the Defense General Supply Center sources must meet requirements set forth by NSF International (NSF) at http://www.nsf.org.

(b) The contracting officer will ensure that the following language is placed in the solicitation to assert that the equipment meets NSF standards:

The Government will accept an affixed NSF label and/or documentation of the NSF Certification from the contractor as evidence that the subject equipment meets NSF Sanitation standards.