This blanket purchase agreement serves to provide vocational expert witnesses to the SSA for hearings before an administrative law judge (ALJ) appealing denial of certain benefits administered by SSA.…

Ability Advisors Inc., a woman-owned small business, was awarded a single-award Blanket Purchase Agreement by the Social Security Administration (SSA) effective April 1, 2025, with an ultimate completion date of March 31, 2030, and a ceiling value of $250,000. This IDV vehicle procures vocational expert witness services to support hearings before Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) in disability benefit appeals. The contract enables the SSA to obtain vocational assessments, expert testimony, and related consulting services necessary to evaluate claims for Social Security benefits and make determinations regarding claimant eligibility. No set-aside provisions were applied to this award. The SSA, a civilian federal agency within the executive branch, administers Social Security disability programs, including Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, both of which require vocational analysis during the appeals process to determine whether claimants can engage in substantial gainful activity.

Under this Blanket Purchase Agreement, Ability Advisors will deliver vocational expert services including VHR Express Reporting and ME-VE Express Reporting (Medical-Vocational Expert Express Reporting), which facilitate expedited documentation and presentation of vocational testimony at SSA hearing locations. The contractor has demonstrated prior performance in this capacity through previous firm-fixed-price task orders totaling over $100,000 in obligations issued against a regional BPA. These services provide critical support to the SSA's adjudication process by supplying qualified vocational expertise and comprehensive assessments that inform ALJ decisions on Social Security disability claims, thereby ensuring consistent application of vocational rehabilitation and work capacity standards across the appeals hearing process.

This blanket purchase agreement serves to provide vocational expert witnesses to the SSA for hearings before an administrative law judge (ALJ) appealing denial of certain benefits administered by SSA. These hearings involve claims for benefits author