6505--Sources Sought for Department of Veterans Affairs Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor 2028

SUBJECT

Department of Veterans Affairs Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor 2028

GENERAL INFORMATION

CONTRACTING OFFICE S ZIP CODE

60141

SOLICITATION NUMBER

36W79726Q0001

RESPONSE DATE/TIME/ZONE

11-03-2025 11AM CENTRAL TIME, CHICAGO, USA

NAICS CODE

325412

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS

Department of Veterans Affairs

National Acquisition Center

National Contract Service

Bldg 37, PO Box 76

60141

POINT OF CONTACT

Karen Ade

Karen.Ade@va.gov

708-786-5231

DESCRIPTION

Department of Veterans Affairs Sources Sought Notice

Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor (PPV) 2028

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Acquisition Center (NAC) is conducting market research to identify qualified sources, including Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs), capable of providing pharmaceutical distribution services under the VA s Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor (PPV) Program.

This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Responses to this notice will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition strategy for the upcoming PPV contract, anticipated to begin on or around August 2028. Responses to this notice do not constitute a request to be added to a bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation.

In alignment with VA s Veterans First Contracting Program, we are particularly interested in responses from Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) with the capabilities to perform as a PPV.

The PPV will be required to stock and distribute pharmaceuticals to VA and Other Government Agency (OGA) facilities across the 50 United States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and the Mariana Islands. Products will be priced under Federal Supply Schedule contracts, national contracts, Blanket Purchase Agreements, or other federal contract vehicles. WAC-based generics may be required for items not under contract.

The PPV must have a web-based ordering system, including DEA-compliant electronic ordering for controlled substances. Daily electronic ordering and next-day delivery are required for CONUS facilities, with 72-hour delivery for OCONUS locations. The contract period is anticipated to be eight years, beginning on or around August 2028.

Interested parties are invited to review the attached Sources Sought Notice and respond to the questions provided. Responses must be submitted via email to karen.ade@va.gov no later than November 3, 2025, at 11:00 AM CST. Telephone or fax responses will not be accepted.

This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP), and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. A solicitation may be issued at a later date.

Requested Information

1. Company Information

Company Name

Point of Contact (Name, Email, Phone)

Are you registered in SAM.gov? If so, provide your Unique Entity ID (UEI).

Business size and classification (e.g., Large, Small, SDVOSB, VOSB, WOSB, 8(a), etc.)

Confirm that your company has at least five years of experience as a DEA- and State-licensed pharmaceutical prime vendor or wholesaler.

What is your average annual sales volume and approximate revenue over the past five years?

2. Distribution Network & Coverage

Please list the locations (city and state) of your current distribution centers.

In which of the following areas are you licensed and able to provide distribution coverage?

50 U.S. States (please list)

Puerto Rico

Philippines

Mariana Islands

Could ordering facilities source product from any distribution center in your network if their primary and alternate centers are out of stock, with delivery within 24 hours at no additional cost to the government?

Do you have the infrastructure to handle and distribute specialty pharmaceuticals, including those requiring cold chain logistics?

What procedures are in place to ensure temperature control and monitoring for cold chain shipments?

What is your 12 month average order fill rate?

3. Ordering Platform & System Capabilities

Do you have an electronic catalog?

Is your ordering platform capable of supporting VA-specific requirements, such as formulary restrictions, contract compliance alerts, mandatory source enforcement, and role based ordering workflow where one user can initiate an order and a separate authorized user must approve it before submission?

Can your ordering system provide real-time daily pricing updates and actual product availability by 6:00 AM ET on the effective date?

Can your system accommodate pass-through and drop-ship orders?

How are shelf tag labels with barcodes provided to ordering facilities upon ordering a new NDC, and in what format (e.g., sticker, magnetic)?

Can your system digitally allocate or reserve inventory (i.e., stockpile) for VA-specific needs (e.g., critical formulary items or emergency preparedness reserves)? If so, please describe how this is managed and tracked within your system.

Does your system support Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) transactions (e.g., 810, 832, 855, 856) for order processing, invoicing, and shipment tracking? Describe your EDI capabilities and prior integration with federal systems.

What is the ability/capability to use handheld devices to receive product? Can VA owned handheld devices be integrated into the receiving process?

4. Inventory Management & Analytics

Do you maintain buffer or safety stock for high-priority or formulary-critical items, and how is the inventory managed?

Do you have an inventory management component capable of:

a. Demand Forecasting

b. Calculation of Economic Order Quantity

c. Calculation of Safety Stock Levels

d. Calculation of Reorder Point

e. Calculation of Inventory Stock Level

f. Stratified Inventory Analysis

Do you offer tools or dashboards that will support demand forecasting, inventory optimization, or formulary management for large healthcare systems like the VA?

Do you have any technologies or process innovations that enhance distribution efficiency, accuracy, or transparency?

5. Customer Service & Returns

Do you have a call center that can support the volume and complexity of customer service needs for a system the size of the VA?

Do you have the ability to handle customer returns, including those managed by third-party return goods vendors?

6. Reporting & Data Compliance

Do you have the capability to generate national and facility-level reports for purchasing and inventory control?

Please provide the fields available for ad hoc reporting (see attached Ad Hoc Reports Worksheet).

Please provide a summary of your standard reports in the attached Standard Reports Worksheet.

Do you have the capability to provide and store data electronically in compliance with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)?

7. Controlled Substances

Do you accept Schedule II Controlled Substance orders electronically via the DEA s CSOS system? If so, is there a maximum volume you are permitted to sell?

8. Contract History & Subcontracting

Do you currently provide pharmaceutical distribution as a prime contractor or subcontractor? Please specify and identify any associated contractors.

How many pharmaceutical distribution contracts have you held in the past five years? Please list the contracts, agencies/companies, and approximate value.

If subcontractors will be used, please identify them and describe how you ensure alignment with VA s small business and Veterans First Contracting Program goals.

9. Performance & Strategic Input

What internal performance metrics are used to track and ensure service quality and contract compliance?

Do you have a documented business continuity or disaster recovery plan in place? Please summarize key elements relevant to pharmaceutical distribution.

What pricing categories would you recommend (e.g., brand, generic, specialty, GLP-1, etc.)?

Please share any high-level considerations or recommendations that should be addressed in the upcoming solicitation, particularly those not adequately covered in the current contract [link: https://www.va.gov/opal/nac/ncs/ppv.asp].