R420--Association for Clinical Pastoral Education

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Veterans Integrated Service Network 23 has published a Special Notice announcing its intent to award a sole source contract to the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Program services at the St. Cloud VA Health Care System. The notice, posted on August 5, 2025, indicates the VA plans to negotiate directly with this organization under FAR 6.302-1 authority for "Only One Responsible Source." The contract falls under NAICS code 611430 for Professional and Management Development Training and is classified as support for professional certifications and accreditations. The anticipated award date is August 13, 2025, for a five-year contract period running from September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2030.

The purpose of this sole source acquisition is to provide accredited CPE services supporting various educational programs including Level I and Level II Residents, Summer and Extended Interns, and Certified Educator Students/Candidates across four annual sessions totaling 40 units. While this is not a competitive solicitation, the VA has provided an opportunity for other firms to demonstrate their capabilities by submitting written responses to Contract Specialist Arielle Lifto by 10:00 AM Central Standard Time on August 8, 2025. Interested contractors must provide sufficient detailed evidence showing their ability to meet the requirements, though the government retains sole discretion in determining whether to proceed with competition based on any responses received. The CPE program requires structured educational units of at least 100 hours each, supervised clinical practice, didactics, and various training components to support clinical chaplain services for Veterans. If no qualifying responses are received, the VA will proceed with the planned sole source award.