P03 Exception to Fair Opportunity Howard Medical_redacted.pdf

This is a Department of Veterans Affairs Justification and Approval document for an exception to fair opportunity memo supporting a single-source delivery order.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, through Network Contracting Office 4 at H.J. Heinz III VA Medical Center in Erie, Pennsylvania, is issuing a new firm-fixed-price delivery order to Minburn Technology Group, LLC for thirty-eight (38) Howard Medical Hi-Care E-Carts with pre-determined configuration and accessories. The order is being placed under NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement V (SEWP V), a pre-competed Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), Contract Number NNG15SD34B. Minburn Technology Group is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). The statutory authority permitting the single-source award is 38 U.S.C. 8127(c), the Veterans First Contracting Program, which authorizes direct contracting with SDVOSBs and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB). The government conducted comprehensive market research confirming that Howard Medical is the only manufacturer offering a cart design meeting the Erie VA Medical Center's operational and clinical requirements, specifically dual-monitor functionality integrated with unique workflow and physical environment constraints. The carts are essential to support the Department's Electronic Health Record Modernization (VA EHRM) initiative, with integrated software meeting VA's Technical Reference Model (TRM) requirements for cybersecurity and interoperability standards. The justification and award notice will be posted to the Government Point of Entry (GPE) for a 30-day public notice period. Pricing under SEWP V is considered fair and reasonable based on competitive procedures and ongoing NASA oversight ensuring Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) compliance.