36C26326Q0435.docx

36C26326Q0435

PAGE 1 OF

1. REQUISITION NO.

2. CONTRACT NO.

3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE

4. ORDER NO.

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

a. NAME

b. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls)

8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL

TIME

9. ISSUED BY

CODE

10. THIS ACQUISITION IS

UNRESTRICTED OR

SET ASIDE:

% FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS:

SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ

IFB

RFP

15. DELIVER TO

CODE

16. ADMINISTERED BY

CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

CODE

FACILITY CODE

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

CODE

TELEPHONE NO.

UEI:

EFT:

PHONE:

FAX:

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER 18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW IS CHECKED

SEE ADDENDUM

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

ITEM NO.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

QUANTITY

UNIT

UNIT PRICE

AMOUNT

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only) 27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN _______________

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFER

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY

(BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED

SET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER) 30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT) 31c. DATE SIGNED

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

(REV. NOV 2021)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

36C263-26-AP-2001

636-26-3-8870-0002 36C26326Q0435 03-26-2025 Dennis Salmonsen 916-923-4508 04-09-2026 17:00

MDT

36C263

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

NETWORK CONTRACTING OFFICE 23

VA BLACK HILLS HCS FORT MEADE CAMPUS

113 COMANCHE RD

FORT MEADE SD 57741

X X 334290 800 Employees N/A X

** SEE DELIVERY LOCATION **

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

NETWORK CONTRACTING OFFICE 23

VA BLACK HILLS HCS FORT MEADE CAMPUS

113 COMANCHE RD

FORT MEADE SD 57741

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

FMS-VA-2(101)

FINANCIAL SERVICES CENTER

PO BOX 149971

AUSTIN TX 78714-9971

See CONTINUATION Page

** SEE SECTION PRICE/COST

SCHEDULE *

Quotes shall be submitted to Dennis Salmonsen at dennis.salmonsen@va.gov by: See Block 8 NOTE 1: Offers shall follow the submission instructions specified in FAR Provisions 52.212-1 and 52.212-2, and their addendums included in this solicitation. Failure to follow the instructions shall result in an unfavorable evaluation.

See CONTINUATION Page X X (1) Dennis Salmonsen

VA-VHA-RPOC-2025-0018

Table of Contents

SECTION D - CONTRACT DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, OR ATTACHMENTS 50

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

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

a. CONTRACTOR:

b. GOVERNMENT: Contracting Officer 36C263 DENNIS SALMONSEN

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

NETWORK CONTRACTING OFFICE 23

VA BLACK HILLS HCS FORT MEADE CAMPUS

113 COMANCHE RD

FORT MEADE SD 57741

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

3. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears:

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.

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

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.

All invoices from the contractor shall be submitted electronically in accordance with VAAR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests. VA’s Electronic Invoice Presentment and Payment System – The FSC uses a third-party contractor, Tungsten, to transition vendors from paper to electronic invoice submission. Please go to this website: http://www.tungsten-network.com/US/en/veterans-affairs/ to register and begin submitting electronic invoices, free of charge. The Department of Veterans Affairs Tungsten Number is: AAA544240062 (this allows you to file invoices online for free.)

More information on the VA Financial Services Center is available at: http://www.fsc.va.gov/einvoice.asp.

Vendor e-Invoice Set-Up Information:

If you have questions about the e-invoicing program or Tungsten, please contact the FSC at the phone number or email address listed below:

• Tungsten e-Invoice Setup Information: 1-877-489-6135

• Tungsten e-Invoice email: VA.Registration@Tungsten-Network.com

• FSC e-Invoice Contact Information: 1-877-353-9791

• FSC e-invoice email: vafsccshd@va.gov Important Notice – System for Award Management (SAM) “System updates may lag policy updates. The System for Award Management (SAM) may continue to require entities to complete representations based on provisions that are not included in agency solicitations. Examples include 52.222-25, Affirmative Action Compliance, and paragraph (d) of 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Products and Commercial Services. Contracting officers will not consider these representations when making award decisions or enforce requirements. Entities are not required to, nor are they able to, update their entity registration to remove these representations in SAM.”

B.2 - Statement of Work

BACKGROUND

The Iowa City VA Health Care System (ICVAHCS) is requesting replacement of 65 percent of the existing nurse call system. The facility has been transitioning to a new nurse call platform through previously awarded construction projects, and approximately 35 percent of the facility—primarily outpatient areas—has been converted to the new system. The remaining 65 percent of the hospital continues to operate on a legacy nurse call system manufactured by Ascom. This system is obsolete and increasingly difficult to support due to limited availability of replacement and repair parts.

On December 16, 2025, internal flooding resulted in a total failure of the remaining Ascom nurse call infrastructure. At present, only the 2S Clinics (Cardiology) and 1W Primary Care remain unaffected. As a result of the failure, approximately 65 percent of the facility is without a fully functional nurse call system, including all inpatient wards, Acute Mental Health, Operating Rooms (OR), Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and several outpatient clinic areas including Audiology, Eye Clinic, 1S Clinics, 6E Clinics, and Hematology/Oncology. Although portions of the system were temporarily restored to provide minimal coverage, the infrastructure remains unstable. Continued failures are likely due to water-damaged components, aging hardware, obsolete parts that are no longer readily available, and limited manufacturer support.

The nurse call system is a critical life-safety communication system essential for patient care, emergency response, and clinical workflow. Due to the extensive system failure, inability to reliably obtain replacement parts, and the significant operational impact to inpatient and critical care areas, immediate replacement of the remaining legacy nurse call system is necessary to restore safe and reliable patient communication capabilities throughout ICVAHCS.

SCOPE

This contract and is for the replacement of the ICVAHCS divested software, and obsolete hardware for the existing Ascom nurse call system and replace\upgrade to the existing Rauland call System Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server and software that will integrate and communicate with Vocera and Rauland Integration SIP Gateway Server to deliver advanced nurse call systems that enhance communication, streamline workflows, and improve patient care.

The Contractor must provide all labor, materials, equipment, and repair plans to accomplish the remaining 65% of nurse call system.

The following work shall include, but is not limited to:

1. Provide head end cabinets

2. Head End Equipment

· Install, terminate, program, and test the internal head end equipment and associated cabling.

3. Field Devices

· Install, terminate, and test the field devices.

4. Cable

· Provide and install all required system cable.

5. System Demolition

· Remove existing equipment and to best of ability preserve current system functionality. Deliver recovered equipment to customer.

6. Programming

· Install, setup, and configure Rauland R5ware and R5 software per design and system requirements.

7. Server

· Provide software and services for Rauland integration to customer provided Vocera interface. New stand-alone server hardware, licensing, and services shall be included.

8. Floor Plan Drawings

· Provide electronic copy of documentation drawing(s) detailing device locations on customer supplied CAD drawings.

9. Spare Equipment

· spare/extra equipment to reasonably account for any system additions that were not detailed on system drawings. This equipment will be ordered as needed for installation due to the site conditions discovered and system requirements. VAICHCS shall be provided any excess equipment at the end of the project to be used for system service needs.

10. Submittals:

· Contractor will provide submittal exchange access to VA COR for document reviews & approvals for all materials and specifications necessary to repair the electrical feeder.

SITE VIST AND QUESTIONS

Site visits for interested parties shall be conducted during the solicitation phase available on:

· 03/31/2026 from 1300 to 1600, and

· 04/01/2026 from 1300 to 1600

Please contact the Della-Lynn Caldwell, della-lynne.caldwell@va.gov and/or phone number (319) 338-0581 to notify Ms. Caldwell if you intend to participate.

All questions must be submitted to the Contracting Officer by 04/02/2026 at 1700 Mountain Standard Time. An amendment to the solicitation shall follow addressing contractors’ questions. This must be signed and returned with the complete quote package.

Daily Performance Logs:

Daily logs shall be submitted to the Point-of-Contact on a daily basis.

Safety:

· Contractor(s) is responsible for maintaining a safe working environment for their employees as well as the MVAHACS Staff. Work areas will be kept cleaned throughout the day and all trash and demolished materials properly disposed of daily.

· Appropriate Personnel Protective Equipment shall be worn while performing work on the VA Campus.

· Contractor must follow Lock-Out, Tag-Out procedures for high voltage equipment.

· Contractor shall request burn permit through POC when needed.

· NOTE: The VAICHCS does not expect asbestos, or lead abatement is necessary for this project

Warranty Requirements:

Manufacturer must offer a (1) one-year minimum warranty that product is free from defects in materials and workmanship. All defects will be replaced or repaired by the manufacturer at no cost to the buyer.

NOTE - The successful vendor shall initiate the start of the warranty periods from the date of startup, not from the date of purchase.

Installation Installation is required by the Contractor. See Schedule on the next page.

Training

a. Prep/Documentation:

a. Compile system documentation and develop unit specific training guides, hand-outs, and curriculum for system training and implementation support.

b. Education/Training:

a. Provide guidance and support of CEC and customer staff during implementation to ensure successful deployment.

b. Conduct end user system training and provide go-live support.

c. Engage customer post go-live to reevaluate system workflow and functionality to ensure system adoption and clinical outcomes.

C. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

One (1) Year

D. TYPE OF CONTRACT

This is a Firm-Fixed-Priced, one-time supply contract with no option year(s).

E. POINT-OF-CONTACT (POC)

This contract is assigned a POC and will provide general instructions for administrating the contract. The POC is not authorized to grant permission(s) to change the scope of the project. The POC that is assigned for this contract will ensure that the supplies/services provided by this company are received based on the contractual terms and conditions.

F. DELIVERABLES OR DELIVERY SCHEDULE

The vendor shall deliver the equipment via standard delivery with F.O.B. Destination as scheduled. See Section C for delivery schedule period-of-performance.

The equipment shall be delivered to the following address:

Scheduling

1) It is the responsibility of the Contractor to coordinate all work with the other trades for scheduling, rough-in, and finishing all work specified. The Iowa City VA Health Care System will not be liable for any additional costs due to missed dates or poor coordination of the supplying contractor with other trades.

Storage, Delivery, and Closeout:

1) Deliver, store, and handle products using means and methods that will prevent damage, deterioration, and loss, including theft.

2) Store products in original containers.

3) All dates are dependent upon the Construction timeline. Coordinate with the Iowa City VA Health POC for product storage. There may be little or no storage space available on site. Plan to store materials off site. Storage of materials off site must be in climate controlled setting, and shall be open to VA POC for inspection if needed.

4) Do not install damaged products. Remove damaged products from the site and replaced with new product at no cost to the Owner.

Upon delivery, the Contractor shall coordinate with the POC and or facility within 10 days after receipt of contract.

Upon delivery, the contractor/vendor agrees to work with facility personnel in order to:

· Conduct a joint inventory of goods by material number, quantity, and serial number

· De-palletize shipment, unbox, and stage products Unbox and assemble

· Affix customer provided asset tags if required

· Perform device in-service Dispose of waste packaging

· Register device warranty if required

· Perform ground continuity checks, leakage current, and power-on tests as required.

Project Close-Out Prior to final inspection and acceptance of the work, remove all debris, rubbish, waste material, tools, construction equipment, machinery and surplus materials from the project site and thoroughly clean your work area.

G. CHANGES TO CONTRACT

Before performing any action in a non-contractual nature or is considered out-of-scope, the Contractor shall contact the Point of Contact (POC) and the Contract Officer identifying the reason(s) for change. All changes shall have prior authorization from a VA Contract Officer in the form of a written modification.

H. POST-AWARD PERFORMANCE CONFERENCE

The POC, COR, Contract Specialist, or Contract Officer will schedule a post-award performance conference with Contractor for contract orientation purposes.

I. BIWEEKLY MEETINGS

Biweekly virtual progress meetings are required for the duration of this project. Meeting agenda and notes shall be completed by the contractor and shall include a four (4) week forecast schedule at every meeting.

J. SECURITY & PRIVACY

B1. GENERAL. This entire section applies to all acquisitions requiring any Information Security and Privacy language. Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors and subcontractor personnel will be subject to the same federal laws, regulations, standards, VA directives and handbooks, as VA personnel regarding information and information system security and privacy.

B2. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE.

a. The Government shall receive unlimited rights to data/intellectual property first produced and delivered in the performance of this contract or order (hereinafter “contract”) unless expressly stated otherwise in this contract. This includes all rights to source code and all documentation created in support thereof. The primary clause used to define Government and Contractor data rights is FAR 52.227-14 Rights in Data – General. The primary clause used to define computer software license (not data/intellectual property first produced under this contractor or order) is FAR 52.227-19, Commercial Computer Software License.

b. Information made available to the contractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract will be used only for the purposes specified in the service agreement, SOW, PWS, PD, and/or contract. The contractor shall not use VA information in any other manner without prior written approval from a VA Contracting Officer (CO). The primary clause used to define Government and Contractor data rights is FAR 52.227-14 Rights in Data – General.

c. VA information will not be co-mingled with any other data on the contractor’s information systems or media storage systems. The contractor shall ensure compliance with Federal and VA requirements related to data protection, data encryption, physical data segregation, logical data segregation, classification requirements and media sanitization.

d. VA reserves the right to conduct scheduled or unscheduled audits, assessments, or investigations of contractor Information Technology (IT) resources to ensure information security is compliant with Federal and V VA requirements. The contractor shall provide all necessary access to records (including electronic and documentary materials related to the contracts and subcontracts) and support (including access to contractor and subcontractor staff associated with the contract) to VA, VA's Office Inspector General (OIG), and/or Government Accountability Office (GAO) staff during periodic control assessments, audits, or investigations.

The contractor may only use VA information within the terms of the contract and applicable Federal law, regulations, and VA policies. If new Federal information security laws, regulations or VA policies become applicable after execution of the contract, the parties agree to negotiate contract modification and adjustment necessary to implement the new laws, regulations, and/or policies.

f. The contractor shall not make copies of VA information except as specifically authorized and necessary to perform the terms of the contract. If copies are made for restoration purposes, after the restoration is complete, the copies shall be destroyed in accordance with VA Directive 6500, VA Cybersecurity Program and VA Information Security Knowledge Service.

g. If a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) contract is terminated for default or cause with a business associate, the related local Business Associate Agreement (BAA) shall also be terminated and actions taken in accordance with VHA Directive 1605.05, Business Associate Agreements. If there is an executed national BAA associated with the contract, VA will determine what actions are appropriate and notify the contactor.

h. The contractor shall store and transmit VA sensitive information in an encrypted form, using VA-approved encryption tools which are, at a minimum, Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2, Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules (or its successor) validated and in conformance with VA Information Security Knowledge Service requirements. The contractor shall transmit VA sensitive information using VA approved Transport Layer Security (TLS) configured with FIPS based cipher suites in conformance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-52, Guidelines for the Selection, Configuration and Use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) Implementations.

i. The contractor’s firewall and web services security controls, as applicable, shall meet or exceed VA’s minimum requirements.

j. Except for uses and disclosures of VA information authorized by this contract for performance of the contract, the contractor may use and disclose VA information only in two situations: (i) in response to a qualifying order of a court of competent jurisdiction after notification to VA CO (ii) with written approval from the VA CO. The contractor shall refer all requests for, demands for production of or inquiries about, VA information and information systems to the VA CO for response.

k. Notwithstanding the provision above, the contractor shall not release VA records protected by Title 38 U.S.C. § 5705, Confidentiality of medical quality-assurance records and/or Title 38 U.S.C. § 7332, Confidentiality of certain medical records pertaining to drug addiction, sickle cell anemia, alcoholism or alcohol abuse or infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). If the contractor is in receipt of a court order or other requests for the above-mentioned information, the contractor shall immediately refer to such court order or other requests to the VA CO for response.

l. Information made available to the contractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor in performance or administration of the contract will be protected and secured in accordance with VA Directive 6500 and Identity and Access Management (IAM) Security processes specified in the VA Information Security Knowledge Service.

m. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a contractor shall be done in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management, VA Handbook 6300.1, Records Management Procedures, and applicable VA Records Control Schedules.

n. The contractor shall provide its plan for destruction of all VA data in its possession according to VA Directive 6500 and NIST 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization prior to termination or completion of this contract. If directed by the COR/CO, the contractor shall return all Federal Records to VA for disposition.

o. Any media, such as paper, magnetic tape, magnetic disks, solid state devices or optical discs that is used to store, process, or access VA information that cannot be destroyed shall be returned to VA. The contractor shall hold the appropriate material until otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or CO. Items shall be returned securely via VA-approved methods. VA sensitive information must be transmitted utilizing VA-approved encryption tools which are validated under FIPS 140-2 (or its successor) and NIST 800-52. If mailed, the contractor shall send via a trackable method (USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.) and immediately provide the COR/CO with the tracking information. Self-certification by the contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met shall be sent to the COR/CO within 30 business days of termination of the contract.

p. All electronic storage media (hard drives, optical disks, CDs, back-up tapes, etc.) used to store, process or access VA information will not be returned to the contractor at the end of lease, loan, or trade-in. Exceptions to this paragraph will only be granted with the written approval of the VA CO.

B3. ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS. – This section is not applicable.

B4. TRAINING. – This section is not applicable.

B5. SECURITY INCIDENT INVESTIGATION.

a. The contractor, subcontractor, their employees, or business associates shall immediately (within one hour) report suspected security / privacy incidents to the VA OIT’s Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) by calling (855) 673-4357 (TTY: 711). The ESD is OIT’s 24/7/365 single point of contact for IT-related issues. After reporting to the ESD, the contractor, subcontractor, their employees, or business associates shall, within one hour, provide the COR/CO the incident number received from the ESD.

b. To the extent known by the contractor/subcontractor, the contractor/ subcontractor's notice to VA shall identify the information involved and the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the following: (1) The date and time (or approximation of) the Security Incident occurred.

(1) The date and time (or approximation of) the Security Incident occurred.

(2) The names of individuals involved (when applicable).

(3) The physical and logical (if applicable) location of the incident.

(4) Why the Security Incident took place (i.e., catalyst for the failure).

(5) The amount of data belonging to VA believed to have been compromised.

(6) The remediation measures the contractor is taking to ensure no future incidents of a similar nature.

c. After the contractor has provided the initial detailed incident summary to VA, they will continue to provide written updates on any new and relevant circumstances or facts they discover. The contractor, subcontractor, and their employes shall fully cooperate with VA or third-party entity performing an independent risk analysis on behalf of VA. Failure to cooperate may be deemed a material breach and grounds for contract termination.

d. VA IT contractors shall follow VA Handbook 6500, Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems VA Information Security Program, and VA Information Security Knowledge Service guidance for implementing an Incident Response Plan or integrating with an existing VA implementation.

e. In instances of theft or break-in or other criminal activity, the contractor/subcontractor must concurrently report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement entity (or entities) of jurisdiction, including the VA OIG, and the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement. The contractor, its employees, and its subcontractors and their employees shall cooperate with VA and any law enforcement authority responsible for the investigation and prosecution of any possible criminal law violation(s) associated with any incident. The contractor/subcontractor shall cooperate with VA in any civil litigation to recover VA information, obtain monetary or other compensation from a third party for damages arising from any incident, or obtain injunctive relief against any third party arising from, or related to, the incident.

f. The contractor shall comply with VA Handbook 6500.2, Management of Breaches Involving Sensitive Personal Information, which establishes the breach management policies and assigns responsibilities for the oversight, management and reporting procedures associated with managing of breaches.

g. With respect to unsecured Protected Health Information (PHI), the contractor is deemed to have discovered a data breach when the contractor knew or should have known of breach of such information. When a business associate is part of VHA contract, notification to the covered entity (VHA) shall be made in accordance with the executed BAA.

h. If the contractor or any of its agents fails to protect VA sensitive personal information or otherwise engages in conduct which results in a data breach involving any VA sensitive personal information the contractor/subcontractor processes or maintains under the contract; the contractor shall pay liquidated damages to the VA as set forth in clause 852.211-76, Liquidated Damages—Reimbursement for Data Breach Costs.

B6. INFORMATION SYSTEM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

a. Information systems designed or developed on behalf of VA at non-VA facilities shall comply with all applicable Federal law, regulations, and VA policies. This includes standards for the protection of electronic Protected Health Information (PHI), outlined in 45 C.F.R. Part 164, Subpart C and information and system security categorization level designations in accordance with FIPS 199, Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems and FIPS 200, Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information Systems. Baseline security controls shall be implemented commensurate with the FIPS 199 system security categorization (reference VA Handbook 6500 and VA Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Architecture).

b. Contracted new developments require creation, testing, evaluation, and authorization in compliance with VA Assessment and Authorization (A&A) processes in VA Handbook 6500 and VA Information Security Knowledge Service to obtain an Authority to Operate (ATO). VA Directive 6517, Risk Management Framework for Cloud Computing Services, provides security and privacy requirements for cloud environments.

c. VA IT contractors, subcontractors and third-party service providers shall address and/or integrate applicable VA Handbook 6500, VA Handbook 6517, Risk Management Framework for Cloud Computing Services and Information Security Knowledge Service specifications in delivered IT systems/solutions, products and/or services. If systems/solutions, products and/or services do not directly match VA security requirements, the contractor shall work though the COR/CO to identify the VA organization responsible for governance or resolution. Contractors shall comply with FAR 39.1, specifically the prohibitions referenced.

d. The contractor (including producers and resellers) shall comply with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) M-22-18 and M-23-16 when using third-party software on VA information systems or otherwise affecting the VA information. This includes new software purchases and software renewals for software developed or modified by major version change after the issuance date of M-22-18 (September 14, 2022). The term “software” includes firmware, operating systems, applications, and application services (e.g., cloud-based software), as well as products containing software. The contractor shall provide a self-attestation that secure software development practices are utilized as outlined by Executive Order (EO)14028 and NIST Guidance. A third-party assessment provided by either a certified Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Third Party Assessor Organization (3PAO) or one approved by the agency will be acceptable in lieu of a software producer's self-attestation.

e. The contractor shall ensure all delivered applications, systems and information systems are compliant with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 and VA Identity and Access management (IAM) enterprise identity management requirements as set forth in OMB M-19-17, M-05-24, FIPS 201-3, Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors (or its successor), M-21-31 and supporting NIST guidance. This applies to Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) product(s) that the contractor did not develop, all software configurations and all customizations.

f. The contractor shall ensure all contractor delivered applications and systems provide user authentication services compliant with VA Handbook 6500, VA Information Security Knowledge Service, IAM enterprise requirements and NIST 800-63, Digital Identity Guidelines, for direct, assertion-based authentication and/or trust-based authentication, as determined by the design and integration patterns. Direct authentication at a minimum must include Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) based authentication supportive of PIV and/or Common Access Card (CAC), as determined by the business need and compliance with VA Information Security Knowledge Service specifications.

g. The contractor shall use VA authorized technical security baseline configurations and certify to the COR that applications are fully functional and operate correctly as intended on systems in compliance with VA baselines prior to acceptance or connection into an authorized VA computing environment. If the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has created a Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) for the technology, the contractor may configure to comply with that STIG. If VA determines a new or updated VA configuration baseline needs to be created, the contractor shall provide required technical support to develop the configuration settings. FAR 39.1 requires the population of operating systems and applications includes all listed on the NIST National Checklist Program Checklist Repository.

h. The standard installation, operation, maintenance, updating and patching of software shall not alter the configuration settings from VA approved baseline configuration. Software developed for VA must be compatible with VA enterprise installer services and install to the default “program files” directory with silently install and uninstall. The contractor shall perform testing of all updates and patching prior to implementation on VA systems.

i. Applications designed for normal end users will run in the standard user context without elevated system administration privileges.

j. The contractor-delivered solutions shall reside on VA approved operating systems. Exceptions to this will only be granted with the written approval of the COR/CO.

k. The contractor shall design, develop, and implement security and privacy controls in accordance with the provisions of VA security system development life cycle outlined in NIST 800-37, Risk Management Framework for Information Systems and Organizations: A System Life Cycle Approach for Security and Privacy, VA Directive and Handbook 6500, and VA Handbook 6517.

l. The Contractor shall comply with the Privacy Act of1974 (the Act), FAR 52.224-2 Privacy Act, and VA rules and regulations issued under the Act in the design, development, or operation of any system of records on individuals to accomplish a VA function.

m. The contractor shall ensure the security of all procured or developed information systems, systems, major applications, minor applications, enclaves, and platform information technologies, including their subcomponents (hereinafter referred to as “Information Systems”) throughout the life of this contract and any extension, warranty, or maintenance periods. This includes security configurations, workarounds, patches, hotfixes, upgrades, replacements, and any physical components which may be necessary to remediate all security vulnerabilities published or known to the contractor anywhere in the information systems (including systems, operating systems, products, hardware, software, applications, and firmware). The contractor shall ensure security fixes do not negatively impact the Information Systems.

n. When the contractor is responsible for operations or maintenance of the systems, the contractor shall apply the security fixes within the timeframe specified by the associated controls on the VA Information Security Knowledge Service. When security fixes involve installing third party patches (such as Microsoft OS patches or Adobe Acrobat), the contractor shall provide written notice to the VA COR/CO that the patch has been validated as to not affecting the Systems within 10 business days.

B7. INFORMATION SYSTEM HOSTING, OPERATION, MAINTENANCE OR USE. - This entire section does not apply.

B8. SECURITY AND PRIVACY CONTROLS COMPLIANCE TESTING, ASSESSMENT AND AUDITING.

a. Should VA request it, the contractor shall provide a copy of their (corporation’s, sole proprietorship’s, partnership’s, limited liability company (LLC), or other business structure entity’s) policies, procedures, evidence, and independent report summaries related to specified cybersecurity frameworks (International Organization for Standardization (ISO), NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), etc.). VA or its third-party/partner designee (if applicable) are further entitled to perform their own audits and security/penetration tests of the contractor’s IT or systems and controls, to ascertain whether the contractor is complying with the information security, network or system requirements mandated in the agreement between VA and the contractor.

b. Any audits or tests of the contractor or third-party designees/partner VA elects to carry out will commence within 30 business days of VA notification. Such audits, tests and assessments may include the following: (a): security/penetration tests which both sides agree will not unduly impact contractor operations; (b): interviews with pertinent stakeholders and practitioners; (c): document review; and (d): technical inspections of networks and systems the contractor uses to destroy, maintain, receive, retain, or use VA information.

c. As part of these audits, tests and assessments, the contractor shall provide all information requested by VA. This information includes, but is not limited to, the following: equipment lists, network or infrastructure diagrams, relevant policy documents, system logs or details on information systems accessing, transporting, or processing VA data.

d. The contractor and at its own expense, shall comply with any recommendations resulting from VA audits, inspections, and tests. VA further retains the right to view any related security reports the contractor has generated as part of its own security assessment. The contractor shall also notify VA of the existence of any such security reports or other related assessments, upon completion and validation.

e. VA appointed auditors or other government agency partners may be granted access to such documentation on a need-to-know basis and coordinated through the COR/CO. The contractor shall comply with recommendations which result from these regulatory assessments on the part of VA regulators and associated government agency partners. transfer, installation, dealing in or use of any information and communications technology or service, including ongoing activities, such as managed services, data transmission, software updates, repairs or the platforming or data hosting of applications for consumer download.

b. When contracting terms require the contractor to procure equipment, the contractor shall purchase or acquire the equipment from an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or an authorized reseller of the OEM. The contractor shall attest that equipment procured from an OEM or authorized reseller or distributor are authentic. If procurement is unavailable from an OEM or authorized reseller, the contractor shall submit in writing details of the circumstances prohibiting this from happening and procure a product waiver from the VA COR/CO.

c. All contractors shall establish, implement, and provide documentation for risk management practices for supply chain delivery of hardware, software (to include patches) and firmware provided under this agreement. Documentation will include chain of custody practices, inventory management program, information protection practices, integrity management program for sub-supplier provided components, and replacement parts requests. The contractor shall make spare parts available. All contractor(s) shall specify how digital delivery for procured products, including patches, will be validated, and monitored to ensure consistent delivery. The contractor shall apply encryption technology to protect procured products throughout the delivery process.

d. If a contractor provides software or patches to VA, the contractor shall publish or provide a hash conforming to the FIPS Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules (FIPS 140-2 or successor).

e. The contractor shall provide a software bill of materials (SBOM) for procured (to include licensed products) and consist of a list of components and associated metadata which make up the product. SBOMs must be generated in one of the data formats defined in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) report “The Minimum Elements for a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM).”

f. Contractors shall use or arrange for the use of trusted channels to ship procured products, such as U.S. registered mail and/or tamper-evident packaging for physical deliveries.

g. Throughout the delivery process, the contractor shall demonstrate a capability for detecting unauthorized access (tampering).

h. The contractor shall demonstrate chain-of-custody documentation for procured products and require tamper-evident packaging for the delivery of this hardware.

B9 PRODUCT INTEGRITY, AUTHENTICITY, PROVENANCE, ANTI-COUNTERFEIT AND ANTI-TAMPERING.

a. The contractor shall comply with Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 15 Part 7, “Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) Supply Chain”, which prohibits ICTS Transactions from foreign adversaries. ICTS Transactions are defined as any acquisition, importation, transfer, installation, dealing in or use of any information and communications technology or service, including ongoing activities, such as managed services, data transmission, software updates, repairs or the platforming or data hosting of applications for consumer download.

b. When contracting terms require the contractor to procure equipment, the contractor shall purchase or acquire the equipment from an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or an authorized reseller of the OEM. The contractor shall attest that equipment procured from an OEM or authorized reseller or distributor are authentic. If procurement is unavailable from an OEM or authorized reseller, the contractor shall submit in writing details of the circumstances prohibiting this from happening and procure a product waiver from the VA COR/CO.

c. All contractors shall establish, implement, and provide documentation for risk management practices for supply chain delivery of hardware, software (to include patches) and firmware provided under this agreement. Documentation will include chain of custody practices, inventory management program, information protection practices, integrity management program for sub-supplier provided components, and replacement parts requests. The contractor shall make spare parts available. All contractors shall specify how digital delivery for procured products, including patches, will be validated and monitored to ensure consistent delivery. The contractor shall apply encryption technology to protect procured products throughout the delivery process.

d. If a contractor provides software or patches to VA, the contractor shall publish or provide a hash conforming to the FIPS Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules (FIPS 140-2 or successor).

e. The contractor shall provide a software bill of materials (SBOM) for procured (to include licensed products) and consist of a list of components and associated metadata which make up the product. SBOMs must be generated in one of the data formats defined in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) report “The Minimum Elements for a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM).”

f. Contractors shall use or arrange for the use of trusted channels to ship procured products, such as U.S. registered mail and/or tamper-evident packaging for physical deliveries.

g. Throughout the delivery process, the contractor shall demonstrate a capability for detecting unauthorized access (tampering).

h. The contractor shall demonstrate chain-of-custody documentation for procured products and require tamper-evident packaging for the delivery of this hardware.

B10. VIRUSES, FIRMWARE AND MALWARE. - This entire section applies when the acquisition involves any product (application, hardware, or software) or when section 6 or 7 is included.

a. The contractor shall execute due diligence to ensure all provided software and patches, including third-party patches, are free of viruses and/or malware before releasing them to or installing them on VA information systems.

b. The contractor warrants it has no knowledge of and did not insert, any malicious virus and/or malware code into any software or patches provided to VA which could potentially harm or disrupt VA information systems. The contractor shall use due diligence, if supplying third-party software or patches, to ensure the third-party has not inserted any malicious code and/or virus which could damage or disrupt VA information systems.

c. The contractor shall provide or arrange for the provision of technical justification as to why any “false positive” hit has taken place to ensure their code’s supply chain has not been compromised. Justification may be required, but is not limited to, when install files, scripts, firmware, or other contractor-delivered software solutions (including third-party install files, scripts, firmware, or other software) are flagged as malicious, infected, or suspicious by an anti-virus vendor.

d. The contractor shall not upload (intentionally or negligently) any virus, worm, malware or any harmful or malicious content, component and/or corrupted data/source code (hereinafter “virus or other malware”) onto VA computer and information systems and/or networks. If introduced (and this clause is violated), upon written request from the VA CO, the contractor shall:

(1) Take all necessary action to correct the incident, to include any and all assistance to VA to eliminate the virus or other malware throughout VA’s information networks, computer systems and information systems; and

(2) Use commercially reasonable efforts to restore operational efficiency and remediate damages due to data loss or data integrity damage, if the virus or other malware causes a loss of operational efficiency, data loss, or damage to data integrity.

B11. CRYPTOGRAPHIC REQUIREMENT

B12. PATCHING GOVERNANCE.

a. The contractor shall provide documentation detailing the patch management, vulnerability management, mitigation, and update processes (to include third-party) prior to the connection of electronic devices, assets, or equipment to VA’s assets. This documentation will include information regarding the follow:

(1) The resources and technical capabilities to sustain the program or process (e.g., how the integrity of a patch is validated by VA); and

(2) The approach and capability to remediate newly reported zero-day vulnerabilities for contractor products.

b. The contractor shall verify and provide documentation all procured products (including third-party applications, hardware, software, operating systems, and firmware) have appropriate updates and patches installed prior to delivery to VA.

c. The contractor shall provide or arrange the provision of appropriate software and firmware updates to remediate newly discovered vulnerabilities or weaknesses for their products and services within 30 days of discovery. Updates to remediate critical or emergent vulnerabilities will be provided within seven business days of discovery.