R499--FY26 Longitudinal Study Congressionally mandated Longitudinal Study, required per Public Law 110-389, Section 334

The Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a contractor to perform the congressionally mandated Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Longitudinal Study required under Public Law 110-389, Section 334, with proposals due July 29, 2026 and questions due July 10, 2026. The estimated total award amount is $24.5 million over the base period plus four one-year option periods.

This is an unrestricted procurement with no set-aside. Place of performance is Washington, DC. The contractor will manage longitudinal study services for approximately 50,000 veterans across three cohorts (Cohort 1: 10,791 veterans; Cohort 2: 15,396 veterans; Cohort 3: 21,082 veterans) with performance commencing September 29, 2026 through September 28, 2027 (base period), followed by four consecutive one-year options.

Key deliverables include a Project Management Plan and briefing due within 30 calendar days of award; a mock-up VR&E Annual Report due within 120 calendar days; monthly progress reports; survey collection and distribution across multiple modes (mail, web, telephone) commencing within 30 days of award; a contractor-hosted website with 95% uptime and toll-free helpdesk; and annual Congressional reports due March 5th each year analyzing outcomes against 16 statutory data elements. The contract is Firm-Fixed-Price with evaluation emphasizing technical factors and past performance over price. All meetings will be conducted virtually with no travel anticipated. Offerors must submit Past Performance Questionnaires with two project references and comply with small disadvantaged veteran-owned business subcontracting limitations per VAAR 852.21975. VR&E subject matter expertise among key personnel is preferred but not mandatory. The procurement uses NAICS 541611 (Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services) and PSC R499. Service Contract Act prevailing wage rates apply (Wage Determination 15-4281 covers Virginia, DC, and Maryland). The incumbent is Advanced Survey Design, LLC (contract 36C10D21P0015).