JA - VISN Eyeglass Bridge - 36C263-27-AP-0564 - UpdatedHCA.pdf

Request for SDVOSB/VOSB Sole Source Justification Format IAW VAAR 819.7008/9

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Justification and Approval (J&A)

For

Other Than Full and Open Competition

Acquisition Plan Action ID: 36C263-27-AP-0564

1. Contracting Activity: Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction {OALC), Network Contracting

Office {NCO) 23, 1303 5th Street, Suite 300 Coralville, IA 55241 in Support of Department of Veterans

Affairs, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 23.

2237 Number: NIA -Individual orders paid by credit card or 1358

2. Nature and/or Description of the Action Being Approved:

VISN 23 currently has Contract No. 36C26321D0038 with P.D.S. Consultants Inc {hereafter referred to as PDS), a U.S. Small Business Administration {SBA) Small Business Search {SBS) tool certified

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), for prescription eyeglass manufacturing.

The current contract covers the manufacturing and delivery of both dress and safety prescription eyeglasses. The current contract delivery order expires on September 30th, 2026. A short-term bridge procurement is required while the Agency is developing and awarding a long-term national consolidated solution. The short-term bridge contract will ensure that there is no disruption in the availability of prescription eyeglasses for Veteran beneficiaries while the consolidated acquisition is being Completed. Since this requirement entails direct patient care, ongoing services are required.

An interruption of services is not an option as it would place Veteran patients at risk of not receiving care.

The Department of Veterans Affairs seeks approval for and anticipates the award of a new fixed price IDIQ contract resulting from a national consolidated acquisition. VA further anticipates that the national consolidated acquisition should be completed in late 2026. The period of performance for this short-term Fixed Price IDIQ bridge contract will include a 3-month base period as well as a 3-month option period which will allow enough time for the long-term national solution to be awarded and will allow time for potential transition from the current contractor to a successor contractor. The estimated total value of the contract for the base period and option period is

$3,654,166.50.

This is a repetitive sole source award to the same SDVOSB for the same or similar requirement pursuant to VAAR 819.7008. This requirement is exempt from the OSDBU review requirements in

VAAM M806.304-70 Table M806.23, VHAPG 806.3 and VHAPG 819.7008 in accordance with the

Memorandum for Record Exemption to the review and approval requirements of VA Acquisition

Manual {VAAM) M806.304-70, Table M806.23, regarding sole-source contracts to be awarded on a repetitive basis for the provision of prescription eyeglass manufacturing and optician services to the same SDVOSBs approved by Mr. Curtis Jordan, Executive Director Procurement Operations dated

July 15, 2026.

VHAPG Part 819.7008/7009 Sole Source Awards to SDVOSB/VOSB

Acq-Plan # 36C263-27-AP-0564

Revision: 05

Effective Date: 12/15/2025

3. Description of Supplies/Services Required to Meet the Agency's Needs:

The VA has an ongoing program to provide prescription eyeglasses (both dress and safety) to eligible veterans. The provision of corrective eyeglasses is required for eligible veterans to meet their optic and low vision medical needs. The VA eye clinic prescribes corrective lenses based upon a medical exam. The clinical judgement and assessment are used to determine medical necessity in conjunction with VHA Directive 2008-070 (Prescribing Hearing Aids and Eyeglasses) and 39 CFR

17.149 (Sensory-Neural Aids). Eyeglasses are not an emergent service and follow the administrative standard for assessment and procurement practices. The Contractor shall provide all labor and materials necessary to provide prescription eyeglasses.

The Contractor is to provide prescription eyeglasses according to contract specification for beneficiaries of the following sites of care and their entire catchment areas, within VISN 23.

Location

VA Central Iowa Health Care System (VACIHCS)

Iowa City VA Health Care System (ICVAHCS)

Minneapolis VA Health Care System (MVAHCS)

St. Cloud VA Health Care System (SCVAHCS)

VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System (VANWIHCS)

Fargo VA Health Care System (FVAHCS)

VA Black Hills Health Care System (VABHHCS)

Sioux Falls VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS)

The estimated quantities included in the short-term bridge contract are based on historical line-item usage data under the current contract, and actual orders may vary.

Period of Performance:

Base Period: October 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026 ($1,827,083.25)

Option Period: January 1, 2027-March 31, 2027 ($1,827,083.25)

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other than Full and Open Competition: 41 USC §3304(a)(5), 38 U.S.

Code§ 8127(c), as implemented by RFO 6.103-5 (Authorized or Required by Statute). COs may use the non-competitive (sole source) procedures authorized in VAAR 819.7008 (DEVIATION) or VAAR

819.7009 (DEVIATION)- up to $5,000,000. Check the specific VAAR clause used below:

( X) 819.7008 Sole source awards to a certified service-disabled veteran-owned small business.

5. Demonstration that the Contractor's Unique Qualifications and/or Nature of the Acquisition Requires the Use of the Authority Cited Above (applicability of authority):

Under 38 USC 8127(c), VA has the authority to award a contract to an SDVOSB concern using procedures other than competitive procedures if three conditions are met: (1) the SDVOSB is determined to be a responsible source with respect to performance of such contract opportunity;

(2) the anticipated award price of the contract, including options, will not exceed $5,000,000.00; and

(3) in the estimation of the Contracting Officer, the contract award can be made at a fair and reasonable price that offers best value to the U.S.

The proposed contract is a short-term bridge contract with a total performance period of 6 months, if the option period is exercised, while the long-term national consolidated procurement is

VHAPG Part 819.7008/7009 Sole Source Awards to SDVOSB/VOSB

Acq-Plan # 36C263-27-AP-0564

Revision: 05 completed. This proposed short-term bridge contract will allow for continued services. Interruption of services is not an option. The incumbent contractor, PDS, is an SBA verified SDVOSB vendor who has been providing prescription eyeglass manufacturing to VISN 23 since 2016. As such, the incumbent would not require a transition period for this proposed short-term contract.

Without this short-term bridge contract, Veteran beneficiaries of VISN 23 would not have access to prescription eyeglasses. Moreover, due to the complexities involved in the transition to another contractor who could provide the same or similar services, care would undoubtedly be disrupted and any gap in the continuity of services would have a detrimental impact on the Veterans. It is therefore necessary to provide continuous services from the incumbent contractor until national consolidated procurement is completed.

PDS, a verified SDVOSB concern, has been determined to be responsible in accordance with the general responsibility standards outlined in RFO part 9. PDS, a prescription eyeglass manufacturer, has relevant experience providing prescription eyeglass manufacturing and is currently providing services in VISN 23 since 2016. Furthermore, PDS can perform the requirements of this acquisition immediately upon award of the short-term contract.

PDS has certified that it will comply with the requirements of the Buy American Statute and the applicable Limitations on Subcontracting. PDS has certified it is a small manufacturer under applicable NAICS code 339115. PDS is a certified SDVOSB within the SBA SBS as confirmed by the

Contracting Officer on September 14, 2026.

The Contracting Officer has determined that award will be made to PDS at a fair and reasonable price. The Contracting Officer utilized the pricing under the current contract as well as other procurements of prescription eyeglass manufacturing where prices were previously determined to be fair and reasonable to assist in the determination that the pricing for this short-term bridge contract is fair and reasonable.

6. Description of Efforts Made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as deemed practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by RFO 6.301 and, if not, which exemption under RFO 5.101(b)(1) applies:

The Contracting Officer's determination to award a short-term bridge contract on a sole source basis is a business decision wholly within the discretion of the Contracting Officer. Procuring the short term requirement on a competitive basis is not feasible. VA has statutory authority to procure this requirement from a verified SDVOSB concern on a sole source basis IAW 38 USC§ 8127(c). It is in the Government's best interest to solicit from one contractor (the incumbent PDS) for the short term bridge contract to ensure there is no interruption of services while the national consolidated acquisition is going through the procurement process.

7. Determination by the CO that the Anticipated Cost to the Government will be Fair and

Reasonable:

The Contracting Officer will ensure pricing is fair and reasonable prior to award. Because this requirement will not be competed, the Contracting Officer intends to compare to historical pricing data for these same services in VISN 23, historical pricing throughout the VA, and/or the

Independent Government Cost Estimate developed for the national contract requirement.

VHAPG Part 819.7008/7009 Sole Source Awards to SDVOSB/VOSB

Acq-Plan # 36C263-27-AP-0564

Revision: 05

The Contracting Officer anticipates that the unit prices in the short-term contract will remain the same as the unit prices included in the current contract. The existing prices under the current contract were determined fair and reasonable prior to award.

8. Description of the Market Research Conducted and the Results, or a Statement of the Reasons

Market Research Was Not Conducted:

Market research indicates that the incumbent PDS is an SBA verified SDVOSB and available to begin performance under the short-term bridge contract on October 1, 2026. Further market research has not been performed for this requirement.

9. Any Other Facts Supporting the Use of Other than Full and Open Competition:

None. VA has statutory authority to procure this requirement from a verified SDVOSB concern on a sole source basis in accordance with the authority in Section 4.

10. Listing of Sources that Expressed, in Writing, an Interest in the Acquisition:

Known interested SDVOSB sources include:

P.D.S. Consultants Inc

11. A Statement of the Actions, if any, the Agency May Take to Remove or Overcome any Barriers to

Competition before Making subsequent acquisitions for the supplies or services required:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) anticipates the award of new multiple, firm-fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts resulting from national consolidated acquisition for the nation. Details regarding this requirement can be located at Acquisition Plan ID 36C241-26-AP-0017. VA further anticipates that the national consolidated acquisition should be completed by October 31, 2026, and implementation of the national contract is anticipated throughout 2026 and the beginning of 2027.

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the requirement outlined in this justification is a Bona

Fide Need of the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in the justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

JEFFREY

RIEDER

Jeffrey Rieder

Digitally signed by

JEFFREY RIEDER

Date: 2026.09.21

08:10:22 -05'00'

Prosthetic Program Officer

Midwest Health Care Network VISN 23

9/21/2026

Date

VHAPG Part 819.7008/7009 Sole Source Awards to SDVOSB/VOSB

Acq-Plan # 36C263-27-AP-0564

Revision: 05

SCOTT PETRIN Digitally signed by SCOTT PETRIN Date: 2026.09.21 13:56:34 -05'00'

VHAMINBergD2 Typewritten Text 09/23/2026