Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Resuscitation Education Products and Services

                                                                        PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE

                                                       NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE SOLE SOURCE AWARD

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Strategic Acquisition Center – Frederick (SAC-F), on behalf of the Veterans Affairs (VA) VHA Simulation Learning, Evaluation, Assessment, Research Network (SimLEARN) under the VHA Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL), intends to negotiate on a brand-name-only basis with RQI Partners, LLC on a sole source basis, under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR Subpart 6.103-1 entitled, “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.”

The purpose of this procurement is to acquire enterprise-wide resuscitation education and support services necessary to sustain VHA’s existing REdI ecosystem. Specifically, the requirement includes day-to-day operational and implementation support services; maintenance and warranty coverage for approximately 2,050 RQI Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Mobile CPR Testing Stations deployed across the VHA enterprise; continued access to the RQI 1Stop digital platform; and electronic licenses for resuscitation education, instructor materials, and associated digital curriculum updates. RQI Partners 1Stop is the enterprise learning and performance platform that delivers American Heart Association–based resuscitation education, manages self-directed course completion workflows for Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Responder, provides real-time performance feedback and eCredentialing linked to Mobile CPR Testing Stations, and integrates with VHA’s existing learning management and reporting environments.

The REdI, within VHA SimLEARN under the VHA OHIL, is the VHA national program that is responsible for providing mandatory resuscitation education and training across the entire construct of the VHA for clinical and non-clinical employees.

As the national subject matter expert in resuscitation education, REdI is responsible for the full spectrum of resuscitation training across VHA. This includes the identification, development, administration, and maintenance of all required courseware, as well as oversight of mock code programs, training materials, and standardized equipment. REdI serves as the operational lead for the implementation and compliance of VHA Directive 1177, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, ensuring that all designated clinical and non-clinical personnel are equipped to obtain and maintain the certifications necessary for emergency response readiness. Through this comprehensive oversight, REdI ensures consistency, quality, and preparedness across the enterprise. Certification requirements are further defined in VHA Directive 1101.14, Emergency Medicine, which outlines the clinical and non-clinical roles required to maintain appropriate levels of training. These directives ensure that all designated staff are prepared to respond effectively to clinical deterioration or medical emergencies involving patients, visitors, or employees within VA medical facilities and their surrounding campuses.

275,000 VHA clinical and non-clinical employees across 172 VA medical centers and over 1,200 Community-Based Outpatient Clinics engage with REdI’s digital learning ecosystem. The platform delivers scenario-based eLearning modules that promote interactive learning, assess knowledge and confidence, and adapt to learner needs. These are followed by psychomotor skill assessments conducted on Mobile Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Testing Stations equipped with adult and infant manikins.

This self-directed model provides real-time, objective feedback and validates competency in compressions and ventilations, enabling certification in Responder (Lay Rescuer), Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) without instructor facilitation. Learners can complete training through a traditional biennial format or a standardized LDHF pathway. The LDHF model is grounded in evidence-based education science, helping prevent skill decay in life-saving interventions and ensuring compliance with federal healthcare accreditation standards.

The current Government training environment features an enterprise-wide infrastructure that supports standardized resuscitation education across the VHA. This includes approximately 2,050 Mobile CPR Testing Stations, each equipped with Laerdal QCPR® adult and infant manikins. These stations deliver Lay Rescuer, BLS, ACLS, and PALS courseware through the RQI 1Stop digital platform.

In addition to digital delivery, the Government maintains a comprehensive library of current-edition digital and print educational materials to support a wide range of certifications, including HeartSaver (HS), BLS, ACLS, Advanced Stroke Life Support (ASLS), Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition, and Stabilization (PEARS), and PALS. These materials are utilized by a network of approximately 2,500 trained and approved VHA instructors who facilitate instructor-led classroom sessions and mock code training, as appropriate. This learning environment ensures that VHA personnel, both clinical and non-clinical, have access to the appropriate level of training based on their roles, while maintaining flexibility, standardization, and compliance with national resuscitation education requirements.

The NAICS code is code 611710 - Education Support Services and the size standard is $24 million. SAC-F anticipates negotiating and awarding a 5 year firm-fixed-price Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) to RQI Partners, LLC for this requirement by May 25, 2026.

This action will encompass the support, maintenance and associated licenses for the VHA’s currently deployed CPR testing stations, as well as any additional units or licenses the VHA may acquire during the period of performance..

Interested parties that believe they could satisfy the requirements listed above for SAC-F may clearly and unambiguously identify their capability to do so in writing on or before the response date for this notice. This notice of intent is not a solicitation. Information submitted in response to this notice will be used solely to determine whether competitive procedures could be used for this acquisition. Pease note that submission of a capability statement does not guarantee consideration for future procurement, nor will the Government provide evaluations, technical feedback, or additional clarification during this pre-solicitation phase.

Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via email to Caitlin.Ruc@va.gov and Jaime.Bennett@va.gov. All responses to this notice of intent must be submitted so that they are received at Caitlin.Ruc@va.gov and Jaime.Bennett@va.gov no later than March 13 2026, at 1:00 PM ET.