5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE 7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO. 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR

ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office. is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30 PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

(Type or print) (Type or print)

(Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code)

(If other than Item 6)

(Specify type of modification and authority)

(such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

1 61

A00001

VA-26-00012979

Department of Veterans Affairs

Technology Acquisition Center

23 Christopher Way

Eatontown NJ 07724

Technology Acquisition Center

23 Christopher Way

Eatontown NJ 07724

To all Offerors/Bidders

36C10B26R0006

03-20-2026

X

X X

Monday, April 6, 2026, 3:00 p.m. EST

See Continuation Page.

Meghan McCloskey

Contracting Officer

36C10B26R0006 A00001

CONTINUATION PAGE:

The purpose of Amendment A00001 is to effect the following changes:

1. Provide the Government’s response to questions proposed by Vendors.

2. Extend the solicitation due date until Monday, April 6, 2026, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

3. Section A.2(iv) hereby incorporates revisions as referenced below on page 3.

See revisions highlighted in yellow.

4. Section B.1(3)(c) is hereby revised to clarify that invoicing shall occur after Government acceptance of deliverables under individual Task Orders, as defined in the applicable Task order. See revisions in red strikethrough and highlighted in yellow.

5. Section B.3, Paragraph 5.1.6, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, of the Performance Work Statement (PWS) hereby incorporates revisions as referenced below on page 15.

See revisions in highlighted in yellow.

6. Except as described herein, all other terms and conditions remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

A.2 COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products or commercial services prepared in accordance with part 12. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Offers are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued.

i. Solicitation number 36C10B26R0006 is issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Ambient Scribe.

ii. This acquisition is not set-aside for small business concerns. This solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses by reference. The full text of provisions and clauses may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov.

iii. See Section B.2 below for the Price Schedule.

iv. The purpose of this Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract is to provide a Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS), cloud-based, ambient scribe solution to transcribe clinical encounters, generate notes, and other Artificial Intelligence (AI) advanced functionalities to improve the efficiency of medical care utilizing a Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery model with AI techniques and technologies. This solution shall integrate with VA’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems and workflows so providers can initiate encounter recordings. This mitigates the need for manual entry of patient identifying information and enables automatic insertion of draft notes into EHR. Consistent with this SaaS delivery model, standard license-based access controls, including expiration of access upon the end of a subscription term, are permitted and shall not be considered “disabling software code” under Section A.4(4), provided Government access to its data is not impaired.

v. This is an IDIQ Multiple Award Task Order (MATO) contract. Individual Task

Orders (TO) shall be issued on a Firm-Fixed-Price basis. The ordering period for the basic contract shall be 5-years following the date of award.

vi. See Section E for the incorporated provisions.

vii. See Section C for the incorporated clauses.

viii. Any questions/concerns shall be submitted by March 26, 2026 by 3:00 p.m.

EST with the subject line “Questions – 36C10B26R0006 – Ambient Scribe” to:

Brandon Caltabilota, Contract Specialist at Brandon.Caltabilota@va.gov and Meghan McCloskey, Contracting Officer at Meghan.McCloskey@va.gov.

http://www.acquisition.gov/ mailto:Brandon.Caltabilota@va.gov mailto:Meghan.McCloskey@va.gov

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

(continuation from Standard Form 1449, Block 18A.)

1. Contract Administration: All contract administration matters will be handled by the following individuals:

a. CONTRACTOR: TBD

b. GOVERNMENT: Contracting Officer 36C10B, Meghan McCloskey

Office of Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724

2. CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: All payments by the Government to the contractor will be made in accordance with:

[X] 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer – System for Award Management

[ ] 52.232-36, Payment by Third Party

3. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears:

a. Quarterly [ ]

b. Semi-Annually [ ]

c. Other [X] After Government acceptance of deliverables under individual Task Orders, in Section as defined in the applicable Task Order.

4. GOVERNMENT INVOICE ADDRESS: All Invoices from the contractor shall be submitted electronically in accordance with VAAR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests.

5. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS: The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the Solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

AMENDMENT NO DATE

B.3 PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT (PWS)

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Veterans Health Administration

Digital Health Office

Ambient Scribe

Date: February 27, 2026April 1, 2026

VA-26-00012979

PWS Version Number: 1.91.10

1.0 BACKGROUND

The mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is to provide superior healthcare services to Veterans of the United States. As the largest integrated healthcare system in the country, VA is uniquely positioned to develop and provide advanced healthcare capabilities to over 9 million Veterans. One significant challenge facing the VA and its ability to deliver high quality and reliable patient care to our Nation’s Veterans is the increase in demand for veteran patients to be seen within the VA healthcare system. In the short window of time allocated for each patient appointment, providers have a multitude of clinical and administrative tasks to be completed. This increases risk of important information being omitted due to rushed interviews and contributes to provider burn out. The myriad of tasks expected of providers beyond caring for patients puts significant cognitive burden and increased strain on them professionally. This strain has the potential to negatively impact patient care. It can also contribute to provider attrition, causing additional impact to Veterans and clinical staff.

One method to reduce the risk of missing vital clinical information that impacts patient care planning and reducing cognitive burden for our providers is the use of ambient scribe technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI) ambient scribes utilize a microphone on a secure device. The ambient AI scribe transcribes patient encounters. It then uses machine learning and natural-language processing to summarize the conversation's clinical content and produce a transcribed note documenting the visit. Such transcribed conversations between patients and providers automatically leverage AI technologies to create notes in the appropriate format (generate clinical documentation) and summarize a patient’s visit. Automating these tasks increases accuracy of information, saves the providers time, and reduces their mental strain. Visit notes that include a patient’s care plan is a critical component of treatment and care delivery. The software functions as a medical and clinical system, equipment, device, or software (MCSEDS) as defined in VA Directive 6008.

Ambient scribe technology also enables other labor-saving capabilities to include but not limited to: pre and post visit charting to summarize important information prior to visit by either completing the task with AI or integrating with provider pre-charted note, coding support, order capture, after-visit summaries, drafting care plans and other capabilities.

The ambient scribing solution required is unique to the operational environment and specific challenges faced by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). In January 2024, VHA undertook an AI Technical Sprint challenge to ensure that potential solutions were rigorously tested through a competitive and impartial evaluation process under H.R. 4521-Bioeconomy Research and Development Act Of 2021 [America COMPETES Act of 2022]. The goal of the competition was to identify the top AI solutions identified through the VHA AI Tech Sprint Track 1: Ambient Dictation of Clinical Encounters.

Throughout the Technical Sprint, many solutions demonstrated superior technical maturity and clinical performance. Their development was closely aligned with the urgent needs of the VHA, specifically targeting enhancements in provider burnout and clinical documentation efficiencies. IT professionals and healthcare providers assessed these solutions for their maturity and practical applicability in real-world clinical settings, ensuring that they met the highest standards for operational readiness.

Moreover, the effectiveness and safety of these solutions were evaluated through a series of blind scoring assessments. Physicians compared the AI-generated outputs against those produced by human clinicians, establishing their accuracy and reliability without bias. Additionally, their usability and potential for seamless integration into the VHA’s existing EHR systems were critically assessed to determine their capability to enhance operational continuity and data consistency within the VA health care system.

This approach ensured a thorough evaluation of potential Contractors in a manner that fostered broad competition and verified that the selected Contractors met legal, technical, and operational requirements. Evaluations concluded in May 2024.

2.0 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

In the performance of the tasks associated with this Performance Work Statement, the Contractor shall comply with the following:

1. “Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014”

2. Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Publication 140-3, “Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules”, March 22, 2019

3. FIPS Pub 199. “Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems,” February 2004

4. FIPS Pub 200, “Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information and

Information Systems,” March 2006

5. FIPS Pub 201-3, “Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and

Contractors,” January 2022

6. 10 U.S.C. § 2224, "Defense Information Assurance Program", as amended

7. 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended, “The Privacy Act of 1974”

8. Public Law 109-461 (P.L. 109-461), Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and

Information Technology Act of 2006, as amended, Title IX, Information Security Matters

9. 42 U.S.C. § 2000d “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”, as amended

10. VA Directive 0710, “Personnel Security and Suitability Program,” June 4, 2010, https://www.va.gov/vapubs/index.cfm

11. VA Handbook 0710, “Personnel Security and Suitability Program,” May 2, 2016, https://www.va.gov/vapubs/index.cfm

12. VA Directive 6102, “Internet/Intranet Services,” August 5, 2019

13. 36 C.F.R. Part 1194 “Information and Communication Technology Standards and Guidelines,” as amended

14. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, “Managing Federal

Information as a Strategic Resource,” July 28, 2016

15. 32 C.F.R. Part 199, “Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed

Services (CHAMPUS)”, as amended

16. NIST SP 800-66 Rev. 2, “Implementing the Health Insurance Portability and

Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule: A Cybersecurity Resource Guide,” February 2024

17. 45 C.F.R Parts 160 and 164, Subparts A and E, the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information (“Privacy Rule”); and 45 C.F.R.

https://www.va.gov/vapubs/index.cfm https://www.va.gov/vapubs/index.cfm http://www.va.gov/vapubs http://www.va.gov/vapubs

Parts 160 and 164, Subparts A and C, the Security Standard (“Security Rule”); as amended

18. Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d), as amended

19. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (12) (HSPD-12), August 27, 2004

20. VA Directive 6500, “VA Cybersecurity Program,” February 24, 2021 (see VA

NOTICE 24-18, dated September 27, 2024, “Update to VA Directive 6500 Cybersecurity Program”, and VA Notice 25-07, dated 3/18/25, “Amending VA Directive 6500 to incorporate M-24-15”)

21. VA Handbook 6500, “Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems VA Information Security Program,” February 24, 2021 (see VA Notice 25-01, dated October 15, 2024, “Update to VA Handbook 6500 Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems VA Information Security Program”, and VA Notice 25-06, dated 3/18/25, “Amending VA Directive 6500 to incorporate M-24-15”)

22. VA Handbook 6500.2, “Management of Breaches Involving Sensitive Personal Information (SPI),” June 30, 2023

23. VA Handbook 6500.6, “Contract Security,” March 12, 2010 (see VA Notice 24-12, dated April 22, 2024, “Update to VA Handbook 6500.6, Contract Security, Appendix C VA Information and Information System Security/Privacy Language For Inclusion Into Contracts, As Appropriate”)

24. VA Handbook 6500.8, “Information System Contingency Planning,” March 25, 2025

25. VA Handbook 6500.10, “Mobile Device Security Policy,” February 15, 2018

26. VA Handbook 6500.11, “VA Firewall Configuration,” August 22, 2017

27. OIT Process Asset Library (PAL), OIT Process Asset Library.

28. One-VA Technical Reference Model (TRM) (reference at https://www.va.gov/trm/TRMHomePage.aspx)

29. VA Directive 6508, “Implementation of Privacy Threshold Analysis and

Privacy Impact Assessment,” October 15, 2014

30. VA Directive 6510, “VA Identity, Credential and Access Management,”

September 3, 2024

31. VA Handbook 6510, “VA Identity, Credential and Access Management,”

September 27, 2024

32. VA Directive and Handbook 6513, “Secure External Connections,” October

12, 2017

33. VA Directive 6300, “Records and Information Management,” September 21,

34. VA Handbook, 6300.1, “Records Management Procedures,“ March 24, 2010

35. NIST SP 800-37 Rev 2, “Risk Management Framework for Information

Systems and Organizations: A System Life Cycle Approach for Security and Privacy,” December 2018

36. NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, “Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations,” September 23, 2020 (includes updates as of 12/10/2020)

37. VA Directive 0735, “Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) Program,” October 26, 2015

38. VA Handbook 0735, “Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-

12) Program,” March 24, 2014 https://digital.va.gov/process-asset-library/ https://www.va.gov/trm/TRMHomePage.aspx

39. OMB Memorandum 05-24, “Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 – Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors,” August 5, 2005

40. OMB Memorandum M-19-17, “Enabling Mission Delivery Through Improved Identity, Credential, and Access Management,” May 21, 2019

41. OMB Memorandum, “Guidance for Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 Implementation,” May 23, 2008

42. Federal Identity, Credential, and Access Management (FICAM) Architecture, June 30, 2023 (FICAM Architecture (idmanagement.gov))

43. NIST SP 800-116 Rev 1, “Guidelines for the Use of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credentials in Facility Access,“ June 2018

44. NIST SP 800-63-3, 800-63A, 800-63B, 800-63C, “Digital Identity Guidelines,” updated March 02, 2020

45. NIST SP 800-157, “Guidelines for Derived PIV Credentials,” December 2014

46. VA Memorandum, VAIQ #7100147, “Continued Implementation of Homeland

Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12),” April 29, 2011 (reference https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=514)

47. IAM Identity Management Business Requirements Guidance document, May 2013, (reference Enterprise Architecture Section, PIV/IAM (reference https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=514)

48. VA Memorandum “Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Logical Access Policy Clarification,” July 17, 2019, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4896

49. Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) 3.0 Core Guidance Documents, https://www.cisa.gov/publication/tic-30-core-guidance-documents

50. OMB Memorandum M-19-26, “Update to the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Initiative,” September 12, 2019

51. OMB Memorandum M-08-23, “Securing the Federal Government’s Domain Name System Infrastructure,” August 22, 2008

52. Sections 524 and 525 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, (P.L. 110–140), December 19, 2007

53. Section 104 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, (P.L. 109–58), August 8, 2005

54. Executive Order 13221, “Energy-Efficient Standby Power Devices,” August

2, 2001

55. VA Directive 0057, “VA Environmental Management Program,” October 25,

56. Office of Information Security (OIS) VAIQ #7424808 Memorandum, “Remote

Access,” January 15, 2014, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28

57. Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, 40 U.S.C. §11101 and §11103

58. “Veteran Focused Integration Process (VIP) Guide 4.0,” March 2021, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4371

59. VA Memorandum “Proper Use of Email and Other Messaging Services,”

January 2, 2018, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28

60. “Product Line Management Transformation Playbook” version 3.1, August 2023, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4946

61. NIST SP 500-267B Revision 1, “USGv6 Profile,” November 2020 https://www.idmanagement.gov/arch/#:~:text=FICAM%20is%20the%20federal%20government%E2%80%99s%20enterprise%20approach%20to,identity%20processes%2C%20practices%2C%20policies%2C%20and%20information%20security%20disciplines.

https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=514 https://www.voa.va.gov/documentlistpublic.aspx?NodeID=514 https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4896 https://www.cisa.gov/publication/tic-30-core-guidance-documents https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28 https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4371 https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentListPublic.aspx?NodeId=28 https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=4946

62. OMB Memorandum M-21-07, “Completing the Transition to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6),” November 19, 2020

63. Social Security Number (SSN) Fraud Prevention Act of 2017

64. Section 240 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2018, March 23,

65. C.F.R Title 15 Part 7, “Securing the Information and Communications

Technology and Services (ICTS) Supply Chain”, as amended

66. Executive Order 14028, “Executive Order on Improving the Nation's

Cybersecurity,” May 12, 2021, https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2025/01/16/executive-order-on-strengthening-and-promoting-innovation-in-the-nations-cybersecurity/

67. OMB Memorandum M-22-09, “Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero Trust Cybersecurity Principles”, January 26, 2022, https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/M-22-09.pdf.

68. NIST SP 800-52 Revision 2, “Guidelines for the Selection, Configuration, and Use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) Implementations

69. OMB M-22-18, “Enhancing the Security of the Software Supply Chain through Secure Software Development Practices,” September 14, 2022

70. OMB M-23-16, “Update to Memorandum M-22-18,” June 9, 2023

71. OMB M-21-31, “Improving the Federal Government’s Investigative and

Remediation Capabilities Related to Cybersecurity Incidents,” August 27,

72. NIST SP 800-88 Revision 1 “Guidelines for Media Sanitization,” December

73. CISA Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 19-02: “Vulnerability Remediation Requirements of Internet-Accessible Systems,” April 29, 2019, BOD 19-02:

Vulnerability Remediation Requirements for Internet-Accessible Systems |

CISA

74. CISA BOD 22-01: “Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities,” November 3, 2021, BOD 22-01: Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities | CISA

75. CISA BOD 23-01: Improving Asset Visibility and Vulnerability Detection on Federal Networks.” Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), BOD 23-01: Improving Asset Visibility and Vulnerability Detection on Federal Networks | CISA

76. VA Directive 6550, Pre-Procurement Assessment and Implementation of Medical Devices/Systems, June 03, 2019

77. VA Memorandum, “VA Security Controls,” January 17, 2025, https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=5010

78. General Records Schedule (GRS) 5.2, Transitory and Intermediary Records, June 2023, https://www.archives.gov/files/records-mgmt/grs/grs05-2.pdf

79. E.O. 13960, “Promoting the Use of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence in the Federal Government,” December 3, 2020

80. E.O. 14319, “Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government,” July 23, 2025

81. OMB Memorandum M-25-21, “Accelerating Federal Use of AI through

Innovation, Governance, and Public Trust,” April 3, 2025

82. OMB Memorandum M-25-22, “Driving Efficient Acquisition of Artificial

Intelligence in Government,” April 3, 2025 https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2025/01/16/executive-order-on-strengthening-and-promoting-innovation-in-the-nations-cybersecurity/ https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2025/01/16/executive-order-on-strengthening-and-promoting-innovation-in-the-nations-cybersecurity/ https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2025/01/16/executive-order-on-strengthening-and-promoting-innovation-in-the-nations-cybersecurity/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/M-22-09.pdf https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-19-02-vulnerability-remediation-requirements-internet-accessible-systems https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-19-02-vulnerability-remediation-requirements-internet-accessible-systems https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-19-02-vulnerability-remediation-requirements-internet-accessible-systems https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-22-01-reducing-significant-risk-known-exploited-vulnerabilities https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-22-01-reducing-significant-risk-known-exploited-vulnerabilities https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-23-01-improving-asset-visibility-and-vulnerability-detection-federal-networks https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-23-01-improving-asset-visibility-and-vulnerability-detection-federal-networks https://www.voa.va.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DocumentID=5010 https://www.archives.gov/files/records-mgmt/grs/grs05-2.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/M-25-21-Accelerating-Federal-Use-of-AI-through-Innovation-Governance-and-Public-Trust.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/M-25-22-Driving-Efficient-Acquisition-of-Artificial-Intelligence-in-Government.pdf

83. OMB Memorandum M-26-04, “Increasing Public Trust in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Through Unbiased AI Principles,” December 11, 2025

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK

The purpose of this Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract is to provide a Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS), cloud-based, ambient scribe solution to transcribe clinical encounters, generate notes, and other AI advanced functionalities to improve the efficiency of medical care utilizing a Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery model with AI techniques and technologies. This solution shall integrate with VA’s EHR systems and workflows so providers can initiate encounter recordings. This mitigates the need for manual entry of patient identifying information and enables automatic insertion of draft notes into EHR.

The Contractor shall not initiate contact with, or conduct demonstrations, interviews, or other engagements at any site actively participating in an implementation effort under this contract if the Contractor has not been awarded a Task Order for that site, or for any other site falling under the scope of this contract, unless expressly authorized in writing by the COR or VA PM. This restriction is intended to preserve the integrity of site activities and prevent unsolicited vendor influence, as well as to preserve the integrity of future task order competitions. Unauthorized engagement may be considered a breach of contract and/or result in future restrictions on competition.

4.0 PERFORMANCE DETAILS

4.1 CONTRACT TYPE

This is an IDIQ Multiple Award Task Order (MATO) contract. Individual Task Orders (TO) shall be issued on a Firm-Fixed-Price basis.

4.2 ORDERING PERIOD

The ordering period for the basic contract shall be 5-years following the date of award.

4.3 HOURS OF WORK

Any work at the Government site shall not take place on Federal holidays or weekends unless directed by the Contracting Officer (CO).

There are 11 Federal holidays set by law (USC Title 5 Section 6103) that VA follows:

Under current definitions, five are set by date:

New Year's Day January 1 Juneteenth June 19 Independence Day July 4 Veterans Day November 11 Christmas Day December 25

If any of the above falls on a Saturday, then Friday shall be observed as a holiday.

Similarly, if one falls on a Sunday, then Monday shall be observed as a holiday.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/M-26-04-Increasing-Public-Trust-in-Artificial-Intelligence-Through-Unbiased-AI-Principles-1.pdf?_bhlid=c0113a16495d987bc33f63e3dccf35c28d6bfd15

The other six are set by a day of the week and month:

Martin Luther King's Birthday Third Monday in January Washington's Birthday Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Thanksgiving Fourth Thursday in November

4.4 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

Products and services ordered under this contract shall be delivered to and installed at VA locations within the continental United States (CONUS) and/or outside the continental United States (OCONUS) as specified in individual Task Orders. Incidental services, such as training, shall be provided at these locations as requested by VA.

Work may be performed at Contractor facilities or remote locations other than Contractor facilities with prior concurrence from the Contracting Officer Representative

(COR).

4.5 TRAVEL

Travel shall be in accordance with individual TO requirements. Travel details must be provided to and approved in writing by the COR or the Government designee prior to the commencement of travel. All travel shall be in accordance with (IAW) the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR). OCONUS travel may require additional authorization and approvals as specified in the individual TO.

5.0 SPECIFIC TASKS AND DELIVERABLES

The Contractor shall provide and/or acquire the services and products required by individual TOs pursuant to the requirements specified below. The Contractor shall provide an Ambient Scribe solution and all associated licenses, applications and services necessary to meet the requirements defined in this PWS.

5.1 FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Individual Task Orders may encompass more than one functional requirement listed below.

5.1.1 AMBIENT SCRIBE

The advanced AI-enabled tools for ambient scribing focus on enhancing clinical documentation across primary care, mental health, and specialty care settings. The solution shall meet the following requirements:

• Transcription and Note Generation: Automatically extract transcripts and key details from ambient recordings of patient encounters, creating traceable, high-fidelity medical records to include capabilities to populate diversified note templates.

• Interoperability and Integration: Seamlessly integrate with existing VA health system information technologies, particularly the Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, to ensure smooth operational continuity and data consistency.

o Currently known additional integrations include, but are not limited to, pre-charting, medical coding, order processing, care plans, patient summaries, and medical record interrogation

• Security Compliance: Adhere to stringent VA privacy and security standards for the protection of patient data.

• Advanced Functionalities: Provide continuous improvements to include, but not limited to: record query, recommend diagnoses and referrals, inpatient discharge summaries, nursing patient management, pre-charting capabilities and maintain high performance even in challenging clinical settings.

• Patient Communications: Generate patient-facing summaries (After Visit Summaries and Discharge Summaries) that include, but not limited to:

educational materials, reminders, and follow-up recommendations which adhere to clinical documentation compliance standards.

5.1.2 PLATFORM FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

The ambient dictation system shall run passively on Government equipment or personal equipment managed under VA’s Bring Your Own Device program during clinical encounters and generate draft clinical documentation following the encounter in near real-time with a maximum limit of two minutes. The system shall work in a variety of clinical settings, including those with poor wireless signals, poor cellular data, and in a variety of room sizes and setups. Providers shall have the opportunity to edit any AI generated material prior to signing it in the EHR (Vista and CPRS).

5.1.2.1 FedRAMP

The Contractor shall provide a cloud-hosted, Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) ambient dictation SaaS solution, on a Contractor-provided infrastructure that is complaint with the Federal Risk Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). The solution will be authorized at the Moderate Impact Level in accordance with the Day 1 TO, and as mandated by Federal laws and policies, including making available any documentation, physical access, and logical access needed to support this requirement. For specific platform functional requirements, the Contractor shall visit the FedRAMP website at www.fedramp.gov. For questions about FedRAMP, the Contractor shall email info@fedramp.gov.

5.1.2.2 AUTHORITY TO OPERATE

The Contractor shall obtain an agency issued ATO for their provided solution from the VA. Joint Authorization Board (JAB) ATO is not acceptable as a substitute. An approved ATO shall be required for the entire PoP.

The Contractor shall submit for an agency ATO upon Task Order award. Specific requirements will be included in the Task Order. Failure to obtain an agency ATO shall be considered a breach of contract.

5.1.2.3 SaaS SOLUTION

The Contractor shall provide a SaaS solution that shall include a clinician facing web-based application and mobile application compatible with Microsoft (MS) Windows, Apple iOS, and Android operating system (OS). The Contractor provided mobile application shall only be available on the VA App Store.

5.1.3 AMBIENT DICTATION IMPLEMENTATION

The Contractor shall implement the ambient dictation capability throughout identified Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN). It is expected that EHR system integration will occur during the time the contractor is awaiting an ATO. The Contractor shall provide a secure URL to enable access, set up, and configuring of the platform at each site. The Contractor shall provide operational training, support and guidance to medical center personnel on the use of the software. The solutions shall maintain and make available any transcripts or recordings for 30 days to maintain compliance with federal record schedules for intermediary documents. All intermediary documents and recordings will be deleted immediately upon day 31. Individual records may be flagged for retention longer than 30 days should a legal requirement exist such as a FOIA.

Request for retention shall be made by the COR and be available until the COR requests deletion.

5.1.4 EHR INTEGRATION

The solution shall be integrated with the EHR and workflows such that providers can conduct pre-charting, initiate encounter recording without manual entry of patient identifying information, and draft notes can be automatically inserted into the EHR without copy and paste manual effort. The integration must comply with VA authorization and authentication standards, and integrate with APIs exposed by VA. The Contractor shall collaborate with VA technical teams to develop and test the integration workflows.

Finally, the Contractor shall support VA efforts to measure the solution’s impact and collaborate with VA to identify additional integrations needed for scalable use beyond the initial capabilities.

5.1.5 TRAINING

The Contractor shall:

1. Provide remote (virtual) training for VA clinicians who have been provided licenses. Training dates shall be coordinated with VA PM and individual site points of contact (POCs). Any in person or localized training shall be recorded for future reference. All training recordings captured during VA training sessions shall be provided to COR or their designee and considered VA property. The Training shall include an overview of the platform and detailed walkthrough of the capabilities.

2. Provide training materials to VA five (5) days prior to any training session. The Training Materials shall provide role-based training information and a user guide to address how to utilize the ambient dictation platform. Material shall include but not be limited to a detailed user manual and quick reference guide provided in digital formats.

5.1.6 TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Provide technical support (online and via phone) during normal duty hours: Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. local time in accordance with the implementing facility’s respective time zone. Technical support shall troubleshoot and resolve technical, functional, and access issues. The Contractor shall provide a centralized support capability to address issues across all VISNs. The Contractor shall propose call center KPIs and benchmarks in proposal but shall include at a minimum Average Speed to Answer of less than 1 minute, Abandonment Rate less than 5%, First Call Resolution Rate, and Customer Satisfaction or Net Promoter Score.

5.1.7 ASSESSMENT, AUTHORIZATION, AND CONTINUOUS MONITORING

The Contractor shall adhere to all applicable FIPS, NIST, FISMA and FedRAMP standards and requirements related to assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring.

The Contractor shall provide and maintain an ATO in accordance with the guidance provided in VA Directive and Handbook 6500.

5.1.8 SITE CONFIGURATIONS

The solution shall be configured to work within VA medical facilities, designated by their station numbers and associated clinical note templates, as identified in each individual

TO.

5.1.9 ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES

VA’s requirements are expected to evolve over the course of the IDIQ. To support evolving Government requirements while minimizing risk to both the Contractor and VA, the parties shall engage in ad hoc future-capability planning cycles discussing capabilities on the vendor’s roadmap relative to VA mission needs. Future requirements may include, but are not limited to, additional data connections, software, enhanced AI-enabled functionality, and tools.

The Contractor shall meet with VA once a year to provide visibility into the Contractor’s roadmap of future capabilities. The Contractor’s roadmap shall detail capabilities that the Contractor is anticipating to develop as part of its generally available (GA) product offerings over one-, two-, and three-year time periods.

The Contractor shall include VA in all user groups and other planning activities that other major clients participate in and that are used to inform the prioritization of the Contractors development backlog. VA may provide input regarding capability prioritization; however, inclusion in planning activities does not constitute a commitment by the Government to acquire any specific capability.

The Contractor shall provide VA the right to acquire additional modules or capabilities developed during the PoP of this contract, subject to availability, scope, and pricing established in accordance with the IDIQ.

The Contractor shall coordinate with VA staff to thoroughly test all additional capabilities prior to deployment in a production environment. Testing shall be conducted by VA staff in real time at the designated VA testing facility.

Upon completion of each additional capability test, VA will review the outputs and certify the additional capability. The Contractor shall not deploy any additional capabilities into production until VA provides the certification statement for the specific additional capability.

The additional capabilities shall comply with applicable VA security, privacy, policy, or other VA requirements which shall be identified at the time of deployment and specified in the applicable Task Order.

5.1.10 SPECIALTY SERVICE TEMPLATES

The Contractor shall support the expansion of the Ambient Scribe Solution into specialty care services. The Contractor shall provide the algorithm training for specialty care services in the format requested by the VA. VA will provide supplementary note templates and access to subject matter experts to ensure the ability to capture essential information for patient encounters. Specific tasks and deliverables will be specified in the TO.

5.1.11 INTEGRATION OF ADDITIONAL AI ENABLED CAPABILITIES

The Government reserves the right to incorporate additional AI-enabled capabilities that support clinical documentation, workflow optimization, and/or clinical decision support, provided such capabilities fall within the general scope of this contract.

As new capabilities are developed and used by the commercial industry or the Government, the VA and/or Contractor may identify these technologies, and propose necessary additions, modifications, upgrades, enhancements, and improvements.

The Contractor shall maintain, and provide upon request, current documentation of publicly available pricing for relevant capabilities. The Government reserves the right to validate proposed pricing through independent market research or third-party verification. This pricing structure ensures that any future expansion of capabilities remains within the scope of the original competition and is consistent with applicable acquisition regulations.

5.1.12 Licensing

The Contractor shall provide Ambient Scribe licenses as specified in each TO. The Contractor shall follow the activation and deactivation procedures in Section 5.1.12.1 and 5.1.12.2 of this PWS, unless otherwise specified in the TO.

5.1.12.1 Activation

The Contractor shall provide and activate licenses and associated accounts upon the COR’s, or other VA official as specified in the TO, request. The Contractor shall complete activation requests within three business days. The Contractor shall notify the

COR, or specified VA official, when the licenses and associated accounts are ready for user access. The Contractor’s notification shall include, at minimum, the number of licenses activated, activation date, and any necessary user access details.

5.1.12.2 Deactivation

The Ambient Scribe Solution shall have the capability to automatically identify and flag licenses that have registered no usage activity for a period of 30 consecutive days. The Solution shall generate an electronic notification listing these unused licenses and transmit it to the IDIQ COR and TO COR, or other VA official, as specified in the TO.

The electronic notification shall include the affected user accounts and the associated licenses.

The Contractor shall accommodate account deactivation requests from the COR, or other VA official, as specified in the TO. Upon receipt of request, the Contractor shall complete the deactivation activities within three business days, or on a later date specified by the COR, or other VA official, provided the request is received with three business days lead time.

5.2 TRANSITION AND ORIENTATION SUPPORT

The Contractor shall perform transition and orientation services (e.g. develop a Phase- In/Phase-Out Transition Plan) to ensure continuity of services as specified in the individual TO. Transition and orientation support may include transitioning support services to Government or Contractor personnel.

5.3 CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

The Contractor shall provide contract and TO level management. The Contractor shall work closely with the Government to manage contractual and programmatic issues that arise during performance of the contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for the execution of all contract tasks to include, but not be limited to: program reviews; kickoff meetings; status updates; various reporting requirements; and day-to-day concerns.

A national Government CO and COR will address enterprise-wide issues. Ordering VA facilities will designate a facility COR/POC that the Contractor shall work with to coordinate facility orders.

5.3.1 TASK ORDER KICKOFF MEETINGS

If required by the ordering facility, the Contractor shall participate in a TO level kickoff meeting and brief the Government on how it intends to meet the requirements of the TO. The kickoff meeting shall be held virtually. Specific requirements will be detailed in the individual Task Orders.

5.3.2 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Contractor shall not perform inherently Governmental functions including: decision-making, supervision of Government employees, supervision of other Contractors on other contracts, and activities that create the appearance of performing such functions.

Contractor shall deliver all written artifacts using straightforward language. Technical and mathematical terms shall only be used when accompanied by a glossary.

Deliverables shall be accepted based, in part, on satisfaction of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. VA reserves the right to test for Section 508 Compliance before delivery. The Contractor shall be able to demonstrate Section 508 Compliance upon delivery.

Contractor shall submit final written deliverables in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel format. Contractor shall provide files converted to Adobe PDF format upon request by the COR or Program Manager (PM).

The Government will review each deliverable and provide feedback/comments. After Government review, the Contractor shall have five (5) business days to incorporate feedback/comments and make appropriate revisions. The Contractor shall provide the revised version of each deliverable to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

The COR will review and determine final acceptance by the Government.

5.3.3 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

5.3.3.1 MONTHLY REPORTS

The Contractor shall furnish to VA, for the purposes of evaluation, oversight, and continuous improvement, access to data generated by or through the Ambient Scribe AI solution. The Contractor shall make the data available to VA either through reporting dashboards or delivered via secure file transfer as requested by the COR or their designee.

Data provided shall include, at a minimum, the following categories of data. The examples listed are illustrative and not intended to be exhaustive:

1. Monthly License Usage Reports – including number of activated and deactivated licenses throughout the VA.

2. Encounter Metadata – such as timestamps, user and license identifiers, site, specialty, device type, and software version.

3. Utilization Metrics – including per-license and per-encounter usage data.

4. Transcripts – textual transcripts with speaker attribution and timing information.

5. Draft and Final Notes – including draft content, delivery status, and edit trace from draft to final.

6. AI-Generated Recommendations and Clinical Decision Support – including suggested codes, clinical reminders, alerts, and other structured outputs intended to support documentation or care.

7. End User Feedback & Support Requests – including structured and unstructured feedback submitted by users.

The Contractor shall retain all data associated with the encounters in accordance with General Records Schedules 5.2, Transitory and Intermediary Records.

If a Contractor Project Management Plan (CPMP) is required in an individual TO, the Contractor shall monitor performance against the Task Order CPMP and report all deviations. It is expected that the Contractor shall keep in communication with the CO and COR so that issues that arise are transparent to both parties to prevent escalation of outstanding issues.

Deliverable:

A. Monthly Report

5.3.3.2 QUARTERLY SUMMARY REPORT

The Contractor shall provide, via email, the national COR and CO with Quarterly Summary Reports in Microsoft Office format. The Summary Reports shall cover all Task Orders issued and completed during the reporting period and Task Orders planned, to the extent known, for the subsequent reporting period. The report shall track the cumulative contract ceiling. The Summary Report shall identify current implementation status, any problems that have arisen, and a description of how the problems were resolved. If problems have not been completely resolved, the Contractor shall provide an explanation including its plan and timeframe for resolving the issue. It is expected that the Contractor will maintain timely communication with VA so that the issues that arise are transparent to both parties to prevent escalation of outstanding issues. The Quarterly Summary Reports shall include:

1. Contract/Order Number

2. Date of Award

3. Facility COR/POC Name, Telephone Number, Location

4. Integrated Funds Distribution Control Point Activity Accounting & Procurement

(IFCAP) Purchase Order Number

5. Total Dollars Obligated

6. Software Version Number, License Type, and Term

7. Technical Support Toll Free Telephone Number and Website

A. Quarterly Summary Report

5.3.4 PRE-AWARD TASK ORDER PROCEDURES

5.3.4.1 TASK EXECUTION PLAN (TEP)

Fair opportunity requirements shall be IAW applicable statutes, regulations, and case law. RTEP(s) will be issued to eligible IDIQ contract holders to compete Task Orders under this contract. The Government anticipates issuing RTEPs to select one Contractor per VISN; however, the Government reserves the right to structure competitions as appropriate to meet program requirements. The Government’s RTEP does NOT constitute an authorization to start work.

Within seven (7) work days of receipt of the RTEP, or unless otherwise specified in the RTEP, the Contractor shall submit one TEP IAW the format provided below unless otherwise specified by the CO. The following information shall be provided and submitted to the CO:

A. In addition to the information requested in the RTEP, the following shall be addressed in every TEP:

1. Proposal Summary Volume including:

a. Task number.

b. Date submitted.

c. Contractor’s name, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and Commercial and

Government Entity (CAGE) Code.

d. Contractor task leader contact information for questions.

e. Subcontractor(s) shall be identified by name, UEI and CAGE Code at all tiers

(as applicable).

f. Proposed start and finish dates.

g. Proposed total price.

h. Offerors are hereby advised that any Offeror-imposed terms and conditions which deviate from the Government’s material terms and conditions established by the RTEP, may render the Offeror’s proposal Unacceptable, and thus ineligible for award.

i. Duration for which proposal is valid (minimum 90 days)

j. VAAR 852.209-70 is in effect for all RTEPs issued and the contractor should provide a statement IAW VAAR 852.209-70(b), when applicable

k. Acknowledgement of Amendments.

B. The following shall be…