36C10X24R0053 0001.docx

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Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Innovation Ecosystem (VHAIE); Broad Agency Announcement (BAA); Suicide Prevention
Solicitation number
36C10X24R0053
Issued by

About this file

This document is a modification to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) solicitation for the VA Innovation Ecosphere (VHAIE) program, which seeks innovations in suicide prevention, care coordination, and treatment to serve Veterans.

The key details are:

  • The BAA has a maximum funding of $2 million for the Prototyping/Test Phase and $4 million for the Field Test/Pilot Phase.
  • Offerors can submit multiple concept papers but are encouraged to submit their strongest concepts.
  • Funding is allocated per project, not per topic area.
  • The VA will work with selected offerors to provide access to relevant data sources for project evaluation.
  • Offerors should not include pricing information in the technical volume, but can include it in the transmittal letter.
  • The VA encourages brevity and clarity in proposals, and will not count SOWs or key personnel resumes against page limits if they are included in appendices.

View the file

Other files

File Type Posted
Concept paper template - July 2025.docx DOCX document
36C10X24R0053 0003 v3.pdf PDF
Concept paper template - Attachment A.docx DOCX document
36C10X24R0053 0003.pdf PDF
36C10X24R0053 0002Final.pdf PDF
RFP2024BAAJRBFinal3.pdf PDF
RFP 2024 BAA -JRB Final2.pdf PDF
RFP 20204 BAA -Finalv.pdf PDF

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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)

07-18-2024

36C10X Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs

5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703

36C10X Strategic Acquisition Center - Frederick Department of Veterans Affairs

5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103 Frederick MD 21703 To all Offerors/Bidders

36C10X24R0053 06-05-2024

X

X The purpose of this amendment is to answer questions asked by industry.

Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Innovation Ecosystem (VHAIE; Broad Agency; Broad Agency Announcement (BAA);

Suicide Prevention

Jaime Bennett Contracting Officer

Questions
Answers
At the start of section II. General Information, a Development Phase and a Field Test (Piloting) Phase are detailed (pages 3-4). In the same section, under item F. Total Funding Availability for Award(s) (page 5), the following three phases and their associated maximum funding are listed: Development Phase ($250,000), Combined Prototyping and Validation Phase ($500,000), and Field Test/Piloting Phase ($750,000). Then, in section B. Volume II Price (page 16), the following phases and associated maximum funding are listed: Phase 1 Development ($250,000) and Phase 2 Field Test/Piloting ($500,000). Given that there are contradictions between these three descriptions, could the Government please clarify the allowable project phases and maximum funding per phase?
The funding descriptions have been modified per the updated BAA. Please see page 5, Section F. F. Total Funding Availability for Award(s): Although VA plans to award multiple contracts through this BAA, no funding has been specifically reserved for this announcement at this time. The following contract funding limits have been established:

o Prototyping/Test Phase -maximum funding is $2,000,000.00.

o Field Test/Pilot Phase -maximum funding is $4,000,0000.00.

SAM.gov

On page 13 in the Full Proposal Preparation and Submission Instruction section, it states that the "total proposed price, broken out by price of Development Phase (Base period) and price of Field Test/Piloting Phase (Option period), as applicable" has to be included in the Transmittal Letter for the Technical Volume. Since it is a common practice in government solicitations to prohibit any pricing information from appearing in technical volumes, could VA please confirm that offerors should include this information in the Transmittal Letter for the Technical Volume?
Please include pricing in the response.
According to the instructions on pages 14-15 within the Full Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions section, a Statement of Work (SOW) is to be included within the "Detailed Proposal Information" section of the Technical Volume and counts against the 27-page limit for this subsection. As SOWs can be lengthy and creating one for this submission will save the government time in developing potential contracts for the proposed projects, would the government allow offerors to place their SOWs in an appendix and not count this document against the page limit for this section of the proposal?
The government values brevity and clarity. We encourage you to include key information as relevant within the proposed page limit.
According to the instructions on pages 15-16 within the Full Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions section, resumes for Key Personnel shall be included in the "Detailed Proposal Information" section of the Technical Volume and will count toward the 27-page limit for this subsection. Since these resumes could quickly consume a good portion of the page limit, would the government please consider imposing a two-page limit on key personnel resumes instead and not counting them against the overall page limit for the technical volume?
The government values brevity and clarity. We encourage you to include key information as relevant within the proposed page limit.
In the Notification Information/Project Co-Design section on page 19 of the BAA, it states: "Offerors who receive an invitation to submit a full proposal will have approximately 30 days to communicate with the VA to gain further insight into the problem their innovation addresses, general resource requirements, the feasibility of developing the innovation, and the structure of the piloting phase of the project for the VA. If needed, VHAIE can help facilitate introductions." Does this mean that offerors should try to identify a VA staff person who would act as the VA technical point of contact or will VHAIE identify the appropriate staff?
The VA will support identification of relevant VA SME to support selected projects
On page 17, within section B. Volume II, Price, it states that "all subcontractor cost documentation must be prepared at the same level of detail as that required of the prime.” Since this level of detail includes proprietary information that a subcontractor will likely not want to share with a prime offeror, can subcontractors submit a separate sealed price volume directly to the VA?
Yes, this is permissible
Is this funding amount from page 6 of the RFP the amount that each contract could potentially be awarded? “F. Total Funding Availability for Award(s): Although VA plans to award multiple contracts through this BAA, no funding has been specifically reserved for this announcement at this time. The following contract funding limits have been established: o Prototyping/Test Phase -maximum funding is $2,000,000.00. o Field Test/Pilot Phase -maximum funding is $4,000,0000.00.”
Yes, this is the correct amount of maximum funding. We encourage accurate and responsible cost estimates in your proposals.
Can an organization submit multiple concept papers? If yes, can an organization submit more than one concept paper per topic area?
Yes, an organization can submit multiple concept papers. We encourage thoughtful submission of the strongest possible concepts rather than many less well-developed concepts.
Will funding be released per topic area? For example, if an organization bids on two topic areas and is awarded funding for both, would the funding amount double?
Yes, it is possible for an organization to be selected for more than one concept paper. Funding is released per project.
Can responses to topic areas cross over?
Yes. We encourage you to thoughtfully select the topic area that most closely represents the focus of the submission.
Once a concept paper is submitted, does the Government anticipate how quickly they will review and request a full proposal for accepted concepts?
The Government will request a full submission no later than 1-2 weeks following concept paper.
Will there be an acceptance or appetite to fund opportunities that are more research based and require an IRB?
The BAA is geared toward operational efforts. Research funding is available through other mechanisms.
Can you provide a list of what data sources the VA will have available or provide access to, I.e., Web Proxy, emails, SMS messages, etc., for automated/active monitoring?
The VA will work with selected project leads to determine the details of data access the VA will support for project evaluation once accepted.
Would the VA entertain having a voluntary opt in application to monitor vet communications for suicide prevention
The VA will review all concepts as part of the concept paper process.
Are the described funding limits additive for solutions that advance into the next phase, or are each phase’s funding limits specific to that phase? For example, if a solution was funded for $2,000,000 in the prototyping/test phase and advanced to the field test/pilot phase, would their new funding maximum be $6,000,000 or would the prior funding be subtracted, resulting in a $2,000,000 maximum?
The government would request submission for each concept at each phase and would award selected concepts at the level of funding appropriate to the project needs. A project that is selected at the prototyping/test phase would need to resubmit for the field test/pilot phase. They would be separate submissions and would be reviewed for the level of funding that would meet the needs of the project requirements.
Can a vendor submit a concept paper to more than one topic if partnering with another firm to respond? If not, could a joint venture respond independently to a different topic or with another vendor?
An organization can submit more than one concept paper. We encourage you to select the most appropriate topic area per concept paper and to submit the strongest possible concepts rather than the largest number of concepts.

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