SAM #36C24E26Q0123

Sole Source R&D Technology Support Services for VA Care Coordination Mobile Clinical Trial

This notice announces the VA's intent to award a sole source contract for specialized technology support services related to a multi-site clinical trial on care coordination mobile interventions. - Agency: Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Office of Research and Development (R&D), Regional Procurement Office (RPO) – East - Sole source vendor: Vertical Design, Inc., 1219 Derby Street, Berkeley, CA - Scope of work: - Development and maintenance of a mobile application and server components - Integration with Garmin devices for passive mobile data monitoring - Implementation of geolocation, notifications, survey modules, administrative dashboards, and backend APIs - Testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance - Compliance with VACHS IRB regulations, Section 508, ADA standards, VA style guides, and proprietary design requirements - Project supports a four-year, multi-site controlled clinical trial led by Dr. Alexander S. Young at the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System - Vertical Design, Inc. is the only known vendor with the required expertise, proprietary rights, and IRB protocol designation - No competitive solicitation will be posted; this is a firm-fixed-price contract - No specific commercial products or part numbers are listed; procurement is for specialized R&D technology support services - All work will be performed remotely

Description

Pre-Solicitation Notice for the notice of intent to award a sole source contract.

This is not a solicitation. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Office of Research and Development (R&D), Regional Procurement Office (RPO) – East in Pittsburgh, PA intends to award on a sole source basis a Firm-Fixed-Price Contract for a one (1) year base period to include three (3) option years to Vertical Design, Inc., 1219 Derby Street, Berkeley, CA 94702, to develop and maintain a mobile application and specified server components in support of a research project for a four-year multi-site controlled clinical trial that studies the effectiveness of care coordination mobile (CCM).

The vendor will work with the VA project team to develop and maintain a mobile application and specified server components in support of a research project for a four-year multi-site controlled clinical trial that studies the effectiveness of care coordination mobile (CCM), an intervention that uses passive mobile data monitoring, technological and motivational interviewing supports from peer specialists, and enhanced care coordination from VA clinicians to improve patient outcomes and reduce need for acute care services.  These services need to be compliant and in accordance with several regulations including VACHS IRB regulations, Section 508 and ADA compliance standards, VA style guides, and grant-specified proprietary design characteristics. The awarded research project’s timeline requires services be provided by a company already fluent in the necessary regulations, standards, and style guides to minimize delays and ensure the protection of research participant data in the development and delivery of a usable clinical mobile application.

Vertical Design, Inc. is the only known vendor that can provide the specialized services required. This is due to Vertical Design’s expertise, specialized knowledge, and proprietary rights in the development framework and underlying source code required to support the requirement, which is not available on the open market, and to Vertical Design being the named provider in the awarded research project’s approved IRB protocols.

Since the intent is to procure this on a sole source basis, no solicitation will be posted to Contract Opportunities. The applicable NAICS code is 541512 with a $34.0 million size standard. The PSC is DA10. The authority for this action is RFO FAR 6.103-1 only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotes. Responsible sources may identify their interest by submitting capability information that clearly demonstrates the capability to perform the required work in accordance with the attached statement of work. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed requirement based upon the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

The Government will not be responsible for any costs associated with the preparation of responses to this notification.

Capability information is required by Friday, September 18, 2026, 11:00 AM, ET, and must be sent by email to Shannon Hukriede at shannon.hukriede@va.gov. No telephone responses will be accepted.

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