Inactive Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Set-Aside (FAR 19.14)

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED RFI AND DRAFT PWS. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation nor does it restrict the Governmen... PLEASE SEE ATTACHED RFI AND DRAFT PWS. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation nor does it restrict the Government as to the ultimate acquisition approach. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The purpose of this RFI is to identify qualified vendors, who are able to meet Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) requirements for Brand Name or Equal to Reflex Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Veterans Crisis Line Training. Any contract/order that might be awarded based on information received or derived from this market research will be the outcome of the competitive process. The purpose of this RFI is to obtain market information on capable sources of supply, industry best practices, and input specific to the information provided. The Government is not responsible for any cost incurred by industry in furnishing this information. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested vendor's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future Request for Quote (RFQ), if any is issued. Any information submitted by respondents to this RFI is strictly voluntary. All submissions will become Government property and will not be returned. Interested vendors are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or competition sensitive information contained in their response. RFI Response Instructions NOTE: The capability package must be clear, concise and complete. VA is under no obligation to provide feedback to the company or to contact the company for clarification of any information submitted in response to this RFI. Provide the following information: Provide Company Information 1. Company Name 2. CAGE/DUNS Number under which the company is registered in SAM/VetBiz.gov 3. Company Address 4. Point of contact 5. Telephone number 6. Email address 7. For small business concerns, indicate whether at least 50 percent of the total amount paid by the Government will be paid to firms that are similarly situated. Brief summary describing your company’s technical approach to meeting the requirements, to include; 1. List any existing contracting vehicles you have with the VA that you would recommend for this requirement. 2. Does the draft PWS overall provide sufficient detail to describe the technical and functional requirements that encompass the requirement? If “NO”, please provide your technical and functional comments, recommendations and questions on elements of the draft PWS that may contribute to a more accurate proposal submission and efficient, cost-effective effort. 3. Does anything in the PWS need clarification? Is the PWS lacking in any way? 4. Does an alternate product/brand exist that can satisfy this requirement, if so, please provide details. 5. Are there any SDVOSBs capable of providing an alternate product/brand? 5. Please include a Rough Order Magnitude (ROM) in your response to include the option periods. 6. If your company is a Small Business, also include the following: The intent and ability to meet set-aside requirements for performance of this effort. Information as to proposed team members, the percentage of work each is to perform and which PWS requirements would be subcontracted. All responsible sources may submit a response in accordance with the following: All proprietary/company confidential material shall be clearly marked on every page that contains such. Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) and Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) must indicate whether at least 50% of the cost incurred would be expended for prime employees or employees of other eligible SDVOSB/VOSB firms. This should also include the prime planned percentage and if under 50%, the names of the potential team members that may be used to fulfill the 50% SDVOSB/VOSB requirement. Responses to this RFI shall be submitted electronically no later than 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time on August 7, 2023 via email to the Technology Acquisition Center (TAC), points of contact: Contract Specialist: Crystal Lomonaco, crystal.lomonaco@va.gov Contracting Officer: Kendra Casebolt, kendra.casebolt@va.gov VA will not be able to grant any extensions to this RFI. See attached document: Draft BNE Reflex AI PWS 8.1.23.