VA Mulls Unrestricted Vendor Pool for Modernization Contract Follow-On

The Department of Veterans Affairs is considering allowing larger businesses to participate in version 2.0 of a contract vehicle for health care system modernization services. Currently, participation in the Integrated Healthcare Transformation vehicle is restricted to service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses.

The original IHT is an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a potential 10-year performance period. It was awarded in 2020 to Aptive HTG, HRS Consulting, RB Management Consultants, Sierra 7, Titan Alpha and Trilogy Federal.

The Veterans Health Administration recently upgraded IHT’s ceiling value to approximately $1.4 billion.

In a sources sought notice posted on Monday, VHA proposed an unrestricted vendor pool alongside the one for SDVOSBs. The notice contains draft criteria for determining which pool a task order should be competed in.

VHA also suggested requiring market research before each solicitation to assess whether two or more SDVOSB primes can perform work under task orders with ceiling values of at least $125 million, Washington Technology reported.