JA FAR Part 6 2022 MH Transportation and Food Security_ Final_Redacted.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Office of Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics (OPAL)

Strategic Acquisition Center (SAC) 5202 Presidents Ct, Suite 103

Frederick, MD 21703

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(1) Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a "Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition."

This Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition is executed by the Strategic Acquisition Center (SAC), on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program.

(2) Nature and/or description of the action being approved.

This activity proposes to negotiate a non-competitive, firm fixed price, sole source award to Architechture Solutions, LLC (Unique Entity ID HQAJMSZDK666), a Service- Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), to provide a platform to support transportation and food delivery services.

(3) A description of the supplies (including the estimated value).

The Contractor shall provide a platform to ensure lowest cost rideshare and food delivery services as well as a 24/7 customer support line to assist with these services for a 12-month period of performance. VHA Mental Health and Homeless programs will partner with Architechture Solutions, LLC, to utilize their proprietary platform to include transportation of veterans and food delivery services. These services will ensure the Veterans within the HUD-VASH and Mental Health Programs with mobility issues are independently able to obtain adequate Transportation support and food deliveries. This service will be provided to vulnerable Veterans engaged with Mental Health services who need essential goods. This also includes Veterans within the HUD-VASH Program where transportation is a major barrier to accessing food resources due to geographical location or the local resources are not available. Additionally, these services will provide assistance by purchasing food and providing delivery in response to any emergency situation that impacts Veterans being displaced from their home, or provide transportation to support relocation of Veterans to a safe location identified by VHA Mental Health and Homeless program staff.

Strategic Acquisition Center (SAC)

(4) An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition.

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C.3304(a)(2) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 6.302-1 Only One Responsible Source

(5) nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited.

VA does not have food delivery services at the present time which significantly impacts at- work is currently being done through donations at the local site levels through community provides and VA now requires it to be nationwide due to the inflated fuel and grocery costs. Further, VA has been partnering with Architechture Solutions LLC to utilize their proprietary platform to obtain rideshare and food delivery services. This service has been provided since 2019 and the need has been increasing. The platform provides a real time cost comparison, that gives VA the ability to schedule up to 5,000 rides per minute, thus saving VA cost on each fare as we are ordering fares at the same time and receiving major discounts in doing so.

VA requires both of these services due to the inflation rates and increased number of at-risk Veterans. Since Covid-19 there has been an increase in substance abuse and drug overdoses among Veterans. Making efforts to support the Mental Health Substance Use Disorder programs a sudden top VHA priority. The program needs the ability to maintain current volume without interruption of services ensuring that Veterans have access to care already scheduled. These increased services will allow us to remove barriers for all Veterans for their treatment, and using food as medicine to support Veterans in eliminating stressors of food insecurity. To date this fiscal year program

Strategic Acquisition Center (SAC) is currently providing over 10,000 rides weekly, with over 200,000 rides successfully completed since Oct 1, 2021. The program needs the ability to maintain current volume without interruption of services ensuring that Veterans have access to care already scheduled.

Architechture Solutions LLC is determined to be the only company with these emergency services currently available on a platform that is vetted by VA and had met the security and policy standards. To date no other company has built out a platform to service rural area Veterans while enforcing all VHA HIPPA measures.

The requirement for food delivery services is an emergency need for Veterans.

USDA states that Veterans are facing the highest inflation in food prices in 5 decades. This has increased food insecurity among Veterans by 15% in the past year per USDA data. Food security is an essential need for preventative care and recovery for Veterans with pre-existing health conditions. Additionally, Veterans have faced transportation cost increases to include fuel, repairs, and overall automotive cost that increasingly reduce their ability to secure transportation to access healthcare and obtain food resources.

(6) A description of efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as is practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies.

Market research was conducted, details of which are in the market research section of this document. This effort did not yield any additional sources that can meet the

(7) A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable.

No award shall be made until the Contracting Officer determines the cost to the Government to be fair and reasonable. This determination will be based on a comparison of current contract pricing, an Independent Government Cost Estimate, past proposal submissions (if available), and other information as made available.

Strategic Acquisition Center (SAC)

(8) A description of the market research conducted (see part 10) and the results or a statement of the reason market research was not conducted.

Based on the information obtained from VIP and GSA e-Library there were no organizations capable of fulfilling contractual requests able to process large volumes of transportation and delivery services in multiple states at once.

The contemplated SDVOSB has performed to standards on all previous contracts regarding the Rideshare contract. There are small businesses at the local level to provide these services, but they do not have a platform to order off of or provide customer service at a nationwide level.

Market research indicates Architechture Solutions LLC. is registered in SAM and VIP. It has been determined to be in the best interest of the Government to award to Arcitechture LLC to maintain continuity of data and services.

(9) Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition.

As the transportation to include both rideshare and food delivery services will be serving a vulnerable population of Veterans, and the current staffing shortages facing VA, Architechture Solutions 24/7 customer service support center is critical in these efforts.

VA would have to procure to build out a call center to provide support nationally, which would hinder VA efforts to provide immediate emergency support. This contract will Improve the Veterans experience, and ensure rides are replaces when drivers cancel as the customer service

Strategic Acquisition Center (SAC) support can immediately work through rescheduling the rides and communicating with VA staff.

(10) A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed, in writing, an interest in the acquisition.

Name: Architechture Solutions, LLC.

Address: 11325 Random Hills Rd Ste 360, Fairfax, VA 22030 0972

SAM UIED#: HQAJMSZDK666

(11) A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required.

All future requirements will be handled on a case-by-case basis. We have limited the period of performance to one year and intend to perform additional market research to competitively resolicit.