TeleForm - JA - Redacted.pdf

TeleForm Enterprise Control Number VA-25-00095010

JUSTIFICATION

FOR AN EXCEPTION TO FAIR OPPORTUNITY

1. Contracting Activity: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Procurement, Acquisition, and Logistics

Technology Acquisition Center 23 Christopher Way Eatontown, NJ 07724

2. Description of Action: The proposed action is for a firm-fixed price task order to be issued under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) for brand name Open Text TeleForm maintenance and support.

3. Description of Supplies or Services: The Department of Veteran Affairs, requires TeleForm maintenance and support for current servers and applications. TeleForm is a software package that provides infrastructure that allows for the ability to design, scan, verify, and export data to MS Structured Query Language (SQL) and MS Access databases in support of facility data collection for various programs, including Medical Staff Clinical Privileges. The required software maintenance and support will support the following TeleForm modules: TeleForm Workgroup Suite, TeleForm Enterprise Suite, TeleForm Reader Module, TeleForm Verifier Module, TeleForm Designer Module, TeleForm Scan Station Module, and TeleForm Engage Protect Anytime Module. The resulting Delivery Order will include a period of performance of 12 months followed by two, 12-month option periods. The total estimated price of the proposed action, including the option periods, is .

4. Statutory Authority:

Pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 16.505(a)(4), the following brand name requirement is being justified and approved as an exception to fair opportunity under the statutory authority of Section 41 U.S.C. 4106(c)(2) as implemented by FAR 16.505(b)(2)(i)(B), entitled “Only one awardee is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services ordered are unique or highly specialized”.

5. Rationale Supporting Use of Authority Cited Above: More than one awardee is capable of providing the maintenance and support required, but fair opportunity is limited by restriction to a brand name. Market research has demonstrated that only OpenText TeleForm, or an authorized reseller, can provide support that meets the facilities’ needs, specifically to design, scan, verify, and export data into MS SQL and MS access databases. The results of such functionality aids in supporting the facilities’ data collection programs and the ability for clinical staff to know the clinical privileges approved for each medical staff member. OpenText TeleForm is the only manufacturer of software that provides all the functionality required including creation of scannable forms, scanning and storing the information into MS Access databases. If OpenText TeleForm were not utilized, it would require multiple facilities to completely develop, test, and implement a new system and not utilize the already existing TeleForm infrastructure. There are upwards of 100 scannable forms currently being used and almost as many MS Access databases that are storing the data. To create all the forms and new databases would require hundreds of hours of development and even more hours for testing and implementation. VA estimates that it would take at least 24 months to integrate, test and connect a different software solution, in addition to the costs that would greatly exceed the maintenance costs of the current solution.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Market research was conducted, details of which are in section 8 of this justification. This effort did not yield any additional sources that can meet the Government's requirements. However, the undersigned VA technical representative determined that limited competition is available among authorized resellers for brand name Open Text- Teleform software maintenance and support. In accordance with FAR 16.505(a)(4)(iii)(A)(1), this justification will be provided with the solicitation to all appropriate NASA SEWP V GWAC holders.

Furthermore, in accordance with FAR 5.301, 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(D), and 16.505(a)(4)(iii), the award notice for this action will be synopsized on the Contract Opportunities website and this justification will be made publicly available within 14 days of award.

7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to conduct market research to ascertain if there are changes in the marketplace that would enable future actions to be competed.

8. Market Research: The Government’s technical experts conducted market research in June 2025. Research identified additional vendors that provide similar services to include ABBYY FlexiCapture, Parascript, and Kofax Capture. The use of any alternative vendor solution will not avoid the estimated duplication of time and cost as detailed above. No other manufacturer’s software is compatible, or interoperable with the existing VA infrastructure. Additionally, these vendors only offer software maintenance and technical support for their own proprietary product, not VA’s current TeleForm system in place. Based on reviews, the Government’s technical experts determined that none of these products can meet the Government’s requirements.

Based on these results, the Contract Specialist conducted additional market research, in August 2025, by identifying 119 contract holders that are resellers of Open Text’sTeleForm products and services by utilizing the NASA SEWP V GWAC Market Research Tool/Provider Look-up. Of these 70 resellers, 21 are verified SDVOSBs. Furthermore, NASA SEWP has a dynamic catalog where line items can be added based on customer requests provided that the required item or service is within the scope of the NASA SEWP V contract suite and therefore additional competition may be achieved. As a result, there is reasonable expectation that competition exists among SDVOSB value added resellers on the NASA SEWP V for TeleForm maintenance and support. Evidence of the SDVOSB resellers has been placed in the contract file.

9. Other Facts: None.

10. Technical and Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance, which are included in this justification, are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

11. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated competition and discounts among multiple value added resellers of the required brand name Open Text - Teleform Maintenance and Support. Additionally, further price analysis of quotes received will be conducted to determine fair and reasonable price. Finally, pricing of products awarded under NASA SEWP V GWAC have already been determined to be fair and reasonable.

12. Procuring Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. As this contract action does not exceed $750,000, the certification below required by FAR 16.505(b)(2)(ii)(A) serves as approval.