Contracting with the Federal Government 

(Dept. of Veterans Affairs)

Who are we? Second –largest of the 15 Cabinet Departments Noble mission to care for our Nation’s Veterans and their

families Provides benefits and services to more than 22 million veterans

and their families Operates nationwide programs for healthcare, financial

assistance, and burial benefits Consists of three major administrations:

Veterans Health Administrations (80% of budget) Veterans Benefits Administration National Cemetery Administration

More than 316,000 employees More than 100,000 (31%) are Veterans

History of the VA

1930 Veterans Administration Established

1946 Department of Medicine and Surgery Established

(renamed Veterans Health Administration in 1991)

1953 Department of Veterans Benefits Established

(renamed Veterans Benefits Administration in 1991)

History of the VA (continued)

1973 National Cemetery System Established

(renamed National Cemetery Administration in 1998 when Congress transferred 82 national cemeteries from the Army to the VA)

1989 VA became the 14th Department in the

President’s Cabinet and was renamed the Department of Veterans Affairs

VA Organizational Structure

VA Senior LeadershipSecretary –Bob McDonald

Under Secretary for Health – Dr. Robert Petzel

Under Secretary for Benefits – Allison A. Hickey

Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs –Steve L. Muro

Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction Principal Executive Director –Glenn D. Haggstrom

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Logistics – Jan R. Frye

Veterans Health Administration

Operates more thank than 1,400 sites of care including 152 medical centers More than 800 Community –Based Outpatient Clinics Multiple outreach and mobile clinics that serve rural and

remotely located Veterans wherever they live At least one in each state, Puerto Rico, and D.C. Provides broad spectrum of medical , surgical, and

rehabilitative care Manages the largest medical education and health

professions training program in the U.S. VA facilities are affiliated with 107 medical schools, 55

dental schools and more than 1,200 other schools across the country

Veterans Health Administration

In 1996, VA’s health care facilities were aligned under 21 regional networks known as VISN’s (Veterans Integrated Service Networks)

Operates nearly 300 Readjustment Counseling Services Centers called Vet Centers

Provide psychological counseling for war-related trauma and supportive social services for veterans and their family members

Provides healthcare and benefits to more than 100,000 homeless veterans each year

VISN Locations by State

VA Sierra Pacific Network VISN 21

VA Sierra Pacific Network is one of 21 Healthcare Networks operated nationwide by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In addition to the six VA Medical Centers / Health Care Systems it manages, VISN 21 operates the Manila Outpatient Clinic which is the only VHA direct patient care activity located in a foreign country. 

VA Sierra Pacific Network VISN 21

Sites of care are located in northern Nevada, central/northern California, Hawaii, and the vast Pacific Rim including Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, and the Philippines. Today, VISN 21 has a total of 50 sites of care including five rural Outreach Clinics located in Lanai and Molokai (Hawaii), Saipan (CNMI), Yreka, CA and Winnemucca, NV and serves 1.1 million Veterans.

VA San Francisco Medical Center/San Francisco VA Palo Alto Health Care System/Palo Alto VA Pacific Island Health Care System/Hawaii VA Central Health Care System/Fresno VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System/Reno VA Northern California Health Care System/Mather/McClellan Park VA Manila Outpatient Clinic/Manila

VA Sierra Pacific Network VISN 21

The VA Sierra Pacific Network is affiliated with several medical schools including University of California, San Francisco; University of California, Davis; Stanford University; University of Hawaii; and University of Nevada, Reno.

The VA Sierra Pacific Network received 11 VHA Clinical Programs of Excellence (out of a total of 65 programs nationwide). These prestigious awards were bestowed by an independent panel of experts who evaluated the quality of services.

Autopsy (Palo Alto) Cardiac Surgery (Palo Alto and San Francisco) Comprehensive Medical Rehabilitation (Palo Alto) Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (Palo Alto) Epilepsy (San Francisco) Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Palo Alto and San Francisco) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (San Francisco) Renal Dialysis (San Francisco) Spinal Cord Injury (Palo Alto) With the largest VHA research program, the network supports more than 500

investigators who make substantial contributions that benefit everyone. San Francisco VA Medical Center and VA Palo Alto Health Care System rank first and third, respectively, in research grant funding.

VISN 21 Network Contracting Office (NCO 21)

The VISN 21 network Contracting Office (NCO 21) previously known as the Network Contract Activity (NCA is a virtual organization that was formed in 1998 to save acquisition dollars and reduce the duplication of effort by consolidating procurements

The NCO 21 originally functioned under the oversight of the VISN 21 Chief Logistics Officer at Mare Island and under the direct leadership of the Network Contract Manager

NCO staff were later realigned under the Service Area Office‐West regional structure, comprised of the acquisition/contracting staff from VISNs 17‐22

VISN 21 Network Contracting Office (NCO 21)

The NCO is comprised of several product line teams with virtual employees stationed throughout facilities in VISN 21

Product line teams are as follows: Supply Construction Services Medical Sharing Leasing

SupplySupply team NCO staff are responsible for the procurement of Equipment and supplies that includes; commodities, consignment agreements, blood/bread/milk/ice-cream, equipment rental/leases, laboratory equipment, office equipment, medical equipment and installation, office furniture and installation, software/software licenses and Information Technology Equipment.

ConstructionConstruction team NCO staff are responsible for processing Construction acquisition requirements that include; dismantling, demolition, construction of real property, A&E, alterations or real property (concrete, electrical), air quality sampling with project number, boiler upgrades, heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) upgrades, installation of dock leveling equipment, painting, remediation of lead/asbestos/PCB, plumbing upgrades, running cable/data lines, sprinkler installation, installation of windows/doors, and modular buildings.

ServicesServices team NCO staff are responsible for processing service requirements to include; advisory and assistance, air quality sampling without project numbers, ambulance and transportation services, boiler maintenance and repairs, cable TV/internet service, demolition and dismantling only of real property (no construction), elevator maintenance, fire alarm maintenance & testing, hazardous waste removal, HVAC routine maintenance & repair, snow removal, software maintenance & support, trainers, trash removal, window washing, and telephone maintenance and information technology services needs with the exception that all IT service procurements greater than $150K will be processed by the Technology Acquisition Center (TAC).

Medical SharingMedical Sharing team NCO staff are responsible for processing professional medical service requirements to include; physicians, nurses, medical technicians, outpatient services, medical selling agreements, nursing homes, and adult day care, contracts for supplies and equipment that require trained medical personnel to set-up and monitor are included under this product team.

Real Property Leasing

Real Property Leasing team NCO staff are responsible for processing real property leasing requirements to include: parking spaces, office spaces (such as Vet Centers and Data Centers), land, community-based outpatient centers, spaces for specialty medical centers (such as teleradiology center), and warehouses.

Mission, Vision and Goals

Mission• Lead the acquisition enterprise to contracting

excellence

Vision

• Reshape the acquisition function to support our customers through the effective and innovative use of contracting policy, procedures, and processes

Goals• “Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and

Excellence (I CARE) – these are our goals”

Veterans Benefits Administration

VA Regional Office in each state VA pays out most of its budget in checks directly to

Veterans and their dependents VBA administers:

Disability Compensation and Pension Program Payment to Veterans who are disabled by injury or disease

incurred or aggravated during military service

GI Bill Program Providing education and training for more than 20 million

Veterans and service members VA is second only to the Department of Education in

providing educational benefits of $10 billion annually

Veterans Benefits Administration

Administers: Home Loan Assistance

VA guarantees nearly 106 million home loans Our foreclosure rate is the lowest in all categories of

mortgage loans Program for specially adapted housing for disabled

veterans Life Insurance Program

VA is the Nation’s 8th largest life insurance enterprise with $1.3 trillion in coverage, 7.1 million clients, and 95 percent satisfaction rating

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program Provides services to enable veterans with service-

connected disabilities to achieve independence in daily living and assists in obtaining and maintaining employment

National Cemetery Administration

Army transferred 82 national cemeteries to VA in 1973 Operates and maintains the country’s largest national

cemetery system with 131 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico

Headstone and marker program In the past decade, has opened 10 new national

cemeteries Presidential Memorial Certificate Program

Gold embossed certificates signed by the President; commemorates honorably discharged, deceased veterans; sent to the Veteran’s next-of-kin and loved ones

State Cemetery Grants Program Encourages the development of state veterans cemeteries

Building Blocks to getting Federal Contracts Define Your Products

and/or Services Register in the System for

Award Management (SAM) & the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) & Develop an Effective SAM & SBA Profile

Get Certified Get Verified with Vetbiz Prepare a Quality

Capabilities Statement

Find Your Target Market & Market Directly to those Agencies

Find Contract Opportunities

Use Contracting Vehicles Know the Rules Local Small Business

Resources & Technical Assistance such as SBA and PTAC

Define Your Products/or  Services

The federal government uses the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to identify products and services, http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/

The Department of Defense (DoD) uses the Federal Supply Group and Class (FSG/FSC), http://www.dlis.dla.mil/H2/search.aspx

Register in SAM and DSBS Firms who want to do business with the federal

government must register in the System for Award Management (SAM), http://www.sam.gov Get a Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS),

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform Identify your NAICS code(s) Develop an effective SAM & SBA Profile Update your profiles on a regular basis

Get Certified Formal SBA Certification Programs

8(a) Business Development Program HUBZone Program Both programs require pre-approval from the SBA Both programs provide eligibility for Sole Source Contracts

Self-Certifications Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB)/Economically

Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB)* Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)* Small Business – determined by primary NAICS Code Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)

*Certified Veteran Enterprise (CVE) via www.vetbiz.gov is required for VA contracts

Prepare A Quality Capability Statement

Outline your firm’s management, technical and business strengths

Statement should include: Capabilities & skills – list your NAICS codes Past performance history, customers and projects Awards & commendations Certifications Contact Information Photos (optional)

Send out your Statement electronically

Update regularly

Find Your Target Market Identify your customers - who buys what you sell?

Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS), https://www.fpds.gov/ USA Spending, http://www.usaspending.gov/ Research federal agency requirements & forecasts on their websites,

http://www.usa.gov/directory/federal/ Reach out to large prime contractor’s Small Business Liaison Officers

(SBLO) for subcontracting opportunities

Market directly to agencies & large prime contractors Identify & build relationships with the agencies’ procurement staff

and small business specialists, http://www.osdbu.gov Participate in procurement related conferences, activities and

matchmaking events Get email updates from the SBA regarding training and networking

opportunities, http://www.sba.gov/about-offices-content/2/3100 SBA’s Subcontractor Opportunities Directory,

http://ftp.sbaonline.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/gc/contacts/gc_subcontracts_opportunities.html

GSA Vendor List, http://www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov/ElibMain/contractorList.do

Find Contract Opportunities 

Federal agencies post all solicitations >$25K on Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps), http://www.fbo.gov

Visit Acquisition Central for federal agency small business information, business opportunities & contracting forecasts, http://acquisition.gov

Look for subcontracting opportunities SBA’s SUB-Net: http://www.sba.gov/subnet DoD Prime Contracts/Contractors,

http://www.defenselink.mil/contracts

Use Contracting Vehicles General Services Administration (GSA)

Consolidated Purchasing Programs, http://www.gsa.gov

GSA Multiple Awards Schedules Blanket Purchase Agreements Consolidated Schedules Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts

(GWACS)

Know the Rules Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR),

https://www.acquisition.gov/far Subpart 8.4 – Federal Supply Schedules Part 13 – Simplified Acquisitions Part 14 – Sealed Bidding Part 15 – Contracting by Negotiation Part 16 – Types of Contracts Part 19 – Small Business Programs

Code of Federal Regulations 13 CFR – Business Credit and Assistance, http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html

Agency Supplemental Regulations, https://www.acquisition.gov/agency_supp_regs.asp