SAM #36C10F26Q0041

VA RFI: Industry Feedback on Healthcare Facility Design and Construction Standards

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking industry feedback on a Standards Alert Memo related to healthcare facility design and construction. - Issued by the VA Office of Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) - Purpose: Gather input from experienced industry partners (10+ years in healthcare design/construction) - Focus areas for feedback: - Impact of adopting International Code Council (ICC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards - Use of commercial standards in VA projects - Evaluation of facility redundancy and interstitial space design - Overall effect of the Standards Alert Memo on VA healthcare facility projects - No specific products, OEMs, or vendors are being procured at this stage - This is a Request for Information (RFI) only, not a solicitation for proposals or bids - Responses will help inform future VA facility design and construction standards

Description

Special Notice / Request for Information

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) is issuing this Special Notice / Request for Information to solicit industry feedback regarding a Standards Alert Memo.

The Standards Alert Memo is in direct response to the VA Secretary s memorandum dated December 17, 2025, titled Reduce Inefficiencies and Costs in VA Facilities Design and Construction . The Secretary s memorandum directs the VA to identify opportunities to improve healthcare facility design and construction, incorporate private-sector best practices and standards, and ensure that mission-critical requirements are maintained. The overarching objective is to eliminate or reduce burdensome requirements, inefficiencies, and practices that contribute to increased costs and extended project delivery timelines. Specific action items are detailed in the attached Standards Alert Memo.

Please note that this is not a Request for Proposal and the Government will not expend funds regarding this Special Notice/RFI. There is no requirement for industry to respond. However, in an effort to improve VA processes, it is appreciated if industry partners who have extensive knowledge, of at least 10 years, in healthcare design and construction in both private and public sectors, could review the Standards Alert Memo and respond to the following questions:

Organization Name:

Address:

Type of Company (i.e. Design, Construction, etc.)

Point Of Contact Name:

POC Title:

POC Email / Number:

Socioeconomic Category Large Business Small Business Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Small Disadvantaged Business (Includes 8(a)) Woman-Owned Small Business Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zone Small Business Have you reviewed the Standards Alert Memo since it s been issued? Yes

No For Industry Partners with VA contracts In accordance with the memo, is your firm currently designing any Major construction projects in which the design is less than 30% complete or leases still in the procurement stage (pre award)? Yes

No If yes, to the question above, provide information regarding: Contract: Project Title: Type of Project (i.e. Major, Minor, NRM, Lease): VA Organization: VA Point of Contact: Define extent of your role:

Contract: Project Title: Type of Project (i.e. Major, Minor, NRM, Lease): VA Organization: VA Point of Contact: Define extent of your role:

For Industry Partners with or without active VA contracts How does the implementation of this VA Standards Alert Memo affect such Major Construction Projects such as St. Louis, El Paso, Indianapolis, Manchester or Reno or any other NRM, Minor or Lease Projects? Please elaborate.

In your professional opinion, how has or how will immediately adopting the International Code Council (ICC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for core infrastructure systems to serve as the primary requirements for all VA design and construction affect cost and delivery times of projects?

Please note: where multiple options for compliance are listed in the code, VA facilities shall utilize the selected option identified in VA standards to ensure consistency.

How and to what extent are commercial standards currently being incorporated and used in VA design and construction projects?

What is the most effective and efficient method for evaluating VHA Medical Center facilities redundancy in terms of their contribution to continuity of operations, as required by Federal mandates such as the Fourth Mission?

Are there any known issues for clinical and educational spaces increases for intern instruction ONLY for facilities with a documented medical teaching affiliation, supported by workload analysis? Yes If yes, why?

No Are there any known issues with not including infrastructure resilience, other than required by law, for administrative buildings?

What are the potential pros and cons of interstitial space only be designed and provided for above Surgical Department (Operating Rooms), Sterile Processing Service, and Inpatient Mental Health in terms of costs, timelines, functional adjacencies, design limitations, etc.? Pros:

Cons: How common is the use of interstitial spaces in private sector hospitals, and what strategies are typically used in the private sector to avoid or eliminate the need for interstitial spaces?

With the implementation of the VA Standards Alert, does the guidance deter your organization from pursuing VA contracting opportunities? Yes If yes, why?

No Please provide your opinion on the overall impact of the VA Standards Alert on VA healthcare facilities compared to similar facilities designed and constructed in the private sector using common industry practice as the design criteria.

Based on your experience, how does designing and constructing major hospitals using current VA TIL requirements compare to DoD requirements and private sector practices in terms of overall facility construction cost?

Based on your experience, what do you estimate the order of magnitude cost impact would be, expressed as an overall percentage of construction cost, when adopting the VA Standards Alert?

To what extent is the FGI used within the private sector when designing hospitals? Do you typically supplement FGI with additional standards such as owner-specific requirements or internal proprietary criteria? Please elaborate.

Based on your experience and using the existing VA TIL documents, to what extent do VA medical centers maintenance and operations requirements impact the design and construction of VA healthcare facilities compared to DoD and private sector projects? Additionally, what would you estimate the overall cost impact to be, expressed as a rough percentage?

Do you use VA TIL documents when designing non VA healthcare facilities? If so, to what extent? Additionally, how might the VA Standards Alert memo influence your decision to use VA TIL documents for such projects in the future?

Please submit your response to Contracting Officer, Jason Hardy at jason.hardy@va.gov by 3:00pm CST, Friday, April 10, 2026. If your firm requires additional time for a response, please contact the Contracting Officer. Thank you for taking the opportunity to provide your professional input in an effort for the VA to improve its project delivery for Veterans!

Additional Links:Department of Veterans Affairs

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