36C10D27Q0001.docx

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice

Project Number: None; and Station Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO), Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Division

GENERAL INFORMATION

CONTRACTING OFFICE’S ZIP CODE*

20006

Eastern Time, New York, USA

Office of Procurement Operations Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) 1800 G Street NW Washington, D.C. 20006

POINT OF CONTACT*

Dirk Kelley Dirk.Kelley@va.gov

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

ADDRESS

Rapid City, SD

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

The Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO), Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Division, in accordance with the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), has a requirement for a Firm-Fixed-Price Purchase Order, to provide certain supplies that will satisfy the following project objectives under an approved Veteran Self-Employment Rehabilitation Plan:

• Provide nine (9) artificially intelligent-based vending machines with distinct dimensions and specifications that are enclosed below;

• Establish that the nine (9) artificially intelligent-based vending machines are equipped with real-time inventory tracking, remote monitoring, touchscreen interfaces, and cashless payment systems for daily automatic deposits; and

• Ensure that the nine (9) artificially intelligent-based vending machines are capable to stock a variety of consumer goods, such as snacks, bottled beverages, coffees, energy drinks, ready-to-eat food items, personal care items, personal electronics, over-the-counter medications, other health-need items, and/or home convenience products.

The proposed North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 333310 [Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing] and the small business size standard is 1,000 employees. Any interested business is strongly encouraged to indicate interest for this project, in writing, no later than October 5, 2026 by 12:00 pm EST.

Interested businesses should submit six (6) responses for the questions below on or before October 5, 2026, by 3:00 pm EST to the Contracting Officer at Dirk.Kelley@va.gov. No further information is needed other than the six (6) responses below.

(1) What is the business name and the System for Award Management Unique Entity Identifier (SAM UEI) Number?

(2) Would the business submit a quotation if this requirement was posted on System for Award Management (SAM) Contract Opportunities?

(3) Provide the proposed products that the business would offer to fulfill this requirement.

(4) Does the business qualify as a manufacturer, producer, or non-manufacturer?

(5) If a non-manufacturer, would the business offer products from a small business manufacturer for compliance with the Non-Manufacturers Rule (NMR)?

(6) Would the business provide a rough estimate for the total cost of these products? (This is not binding and for market research purposes only!)

The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to determine if set-aside procedures will be utilized. As indicated above, interested businesses may reply to this Sources Sought Notice via e-mail to Dirk.Kelley@va.gov.

Businesses must be registered in SAM. To register in the SAM database, visit www.sam.gov. SDVOSBs or VOSBs must also be certified in the Small Business Search (SBS) database administered by Small Business Administration (SBA) under SBA Certifications via https://search.certifications.sba.gov/advanced?page=0.

DISCLAIMER: This Sources Sought Notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes only. This Sources Sought Notice does not constitute a Solicitation (Request for Quotation, Request for Proposal, or Invitation for Bid). All information received in response to this Sources Sought Notice is marked as proprietary and will be handled accordingly. In accordance with the Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation [FAR] Overhaul (RFO), responses to this Sources Sought Notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Sources Sought Notice.

Artificially Intelligent-Based Vending Machines Salient Characteristics

Compact Single-Door AI Smart Cooler

▪ 6 Shelves

▪ 400 product capacity

▪ Runs on standard 110V outlet

▪ Double-Pane Insulated Glass Door

▪ 32°F to 71.6° F Temperature Range

▪ 5 Shelves

▪ 240 product capacity

▪ Runs on standard 110V outlet

▪ Low-E Coated Glass Door – Auto Close

▪ -13°F to 71.6° F Temperature Range

Premium Single-Door AI Smart Cooler

▪ 5 Shelves

▪ 470 product capacity

▪ Runs on standard 110V outlet

▪ Low-E Coated Glass Door – Auto Close

▪ 32°F to 71.6° F Temperature Range

Large Double-Door AI Smart Cooler

▪ 10 Shelves

▪ 670 product capacity

▪ Runs on standard 110V outlet

▪ Anti-Fog Mirrored Glass

▪ 32°F to 50° F Temperature Range

Sources Sought Notice