8470 – Armor, Personal

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration, specifically the Puget Sound VA Medical Center, is soliciting quotes for body armor and external carrier vests for their VA Police Department. The procurement involves 37 sets of Level IIIA ballistic-resistant body armor, including Safariland Bothal 2.0 external carriers, Hardwire 2.0 body armor with M2 2.0 covert carriers, and Special Threat Plates. Contractors must provide dark navy blue external carriers with specific features like MOLLE rows, badge tabs, mic tabs, and plate pockets. The contract will be awarded on a lowest-price basis to qualified offerors meeting all requirements, with vendors required to either send representatives to measure officers on-site or provide measurement services within 50 miles of the VA location. Critical deadlines include stopping questions on January 20, 2025, at 10:00 PST and submitting offers by January 23, 2025, at 10:00 PST.

The solicitation is a 100% set-aside for small businesses under NAICS category 339113 (Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing), with a size standard of 800 employees. The place of performance is Seattle, Washington, specifically zip code 98108. Contractors must complete delivery within 60 days of finalized measurements, accommodating 31 male and 6 female officers. The procurement is being handled through the NCO 20 Network Contracting Office located in Vancouver, Washington, with the primary point of contact being Subrina Cantil, who can be reached at Subrina.Cantil@va.gov. While specific award value is not disclosed, the solicitation covers a precise requirement for specialized protective equipment for VA police personnel. The contract opportunity is structured to ensure that small businesses have a fair opportunity to compete for this federal procurement.