DA01--Chat Bot (VA-26-00059859)

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (11MHSP) intends to award a Firm Fixed Price contract on a sole source basis to Aurelius Talent Solution, LLC, 8341 Governor Run, Ellicott City, Maryland 21043 (UEI: EH1WWE7KUFT7), for iterative clinical workflow and protocol design, implementation toolkit development, in-clinic piloting, and optimization and augmentation of the SOPHROSYNE prototype substance use disorder-focused chatbot. SOPHROSYNE is a VA-owned clinical intervention tool designed to support patient education on substance use disorder (SUD) risks and treatment options, motivate treatment engagement, and reduce substance use risk among Veterans through a Motivational Interviewing approach. The contractor will provide support for the following principal activities, as described in the Performance Work Statement: Iterative design, testing, and revision of clinical workflows and protocols for in-clinic and independent Veteran use of the SOPHROSYNE chatbot; Optimization and versioning of the SOPHROSYNE chatbot to ensure clinical accuracy, usability, and alignment with Motivational Interviewing principles; In-clinic piloting at VA pilot sites in coordination with VA Center of Excellence in Substance Addiction Treatment and Education (CESATE) leadership; Formative evaluation, including structured usability testing, end-user walk-throughs, and collection and analysis of feedback from Veterans, clinic staff, and subject matter experts; and Development and maintenance of an implementation toolkit, user guides, training materials, and a final maintenance guide enabling VA staff to operate and modify the tool after contract completion. Option Year 2, if exercised, is limited to sustainment, maintenance, and policy-driven updates only. No new pilot site additions are authorized in Option Year 2 without written approval from the Contracting Officer via contract modification. All work shall be performed within VA-approved systems and in accordance with VA security, privacy, and information technology requirements, including VA Handbook 6500 and the One-VA Technical Reference Model. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE Period Dates Base Year August 15, 2026 August 14, 2027 Option Year 1 (if exercised) August 15, 2027 August 14, 2028 Option Year 2 (if exercised sustainment scope only) August 15, 2028 August 14, 2029 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Primary performance at Aurelius Talent Solution, LLC contractor facilities, Ellicott City, Maryland (Howard County). Limited temporary access to VA Philadelphia, VA Puget Sound, and participating pilot sites may be requested by the contractor in support of pilot activities, consistent with PWS Section 3.2. CONTRACT TYPE Firm Fixed Price ESTIMATED VALUE $1,731,864 (base year); $4,680,640 (base year plus all options) Note: Option Year 2 estimated value reflects a materially reduced scope limited to sustainment and maintenance only, consistent with PWS Section 3.1. SET-ASIDE None Sole Source. Award is intended for Aurelius Talent Solution, LLC, an SBA-certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), pursuant to the Veterans First Contracting Program. PROCUREMENT METHOD FAR Part 12 Simplified Procedures (FAR 12.201-1; 41 U.S.C. 1901). Sole source authority: 38 U.S.C. 8127(c) and VAAR 819.7007 (Veterans First Contracting Program SDVOSB Sole Source). BASIS FOR SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION The Department of Veterans Affairs intends to make a sole source award to Aurelius Talent Solution, LLC pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 8127(c) and VAAR 819.7007, which authorize VA to award contracts on a sole source basis to SBA-certified SDVOSB concerns under the Veterans First Contracting Program when the award is in the best interest of the Government and the contract value is within the applicable statutory ceiling. Aurelius Talent Solution, LLC is an SBA-certified SDVOSB (entrance date: April 17, 2023; exit date: October 17, 2027) and holds an active SAM.gov registration. Award to this firm is consistent with the highest priority in VA's Veterans First Contracting hierarchy under VAAR 819.7004. The Contracting Officer's business decision to award on a sole source basis without seeking competitive SDVOSB offers is further supported by the following: Aurelius Talent Solution, LLC served as the original developer of the SOPHROSYNE chatbot under FY24 and FY25 VA contracts and possesses comprehensive, system-specific knowledge of the chatbot's architecture, coding, logic, and content that no other vendor currently holds. Effective modification and optimization of SOPHROSYNE requires this system-specific technical understanding. VA's Office of Information and Technology (OIT) has confirmed it lacks the capacity and specialized skillset to perform the required work. Any alternative vendor would require several months of onboarding to reach a sufficient level of system familiarity before productive performance could begin. In accordance with VAAR 819.7007(b) and (c), the Contracting Officer is not required to first determine that only one SDVOSB source can meet the requirement; this award reflects the Contracting Officer's business decision that a sole source SDVOSB award is in the best interest of the Government. A Determination for SDVOSB Sole Source Award has been prepared pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 8127(c) and VAAR 819.7007. The Determination will be made publicly available within 14 calendar days after contract award in accordance with FAR 6.305(a). SECURITY NOTICE LIMITED DISCLOSURE This notice is published in accordance with FAR 5.201. However, pursuant to FAR 5.202(a)(1), certain technical details regarding the SOPHROSYNE system have been withheld from this notice because disclosure of the agency's specific system requirements would compromise the security of VA information systems and Veteran health data protected under VA Handbook 6500 and 38 U.S.C. § 5705. The SOPHROSYNE chatbot resides in a VA-secured cloud environment; detailed technical specifications, system architecture, and codebase information cannot be released publicly without VA credentialing and security review processes that are not practicable in the context of a public synopsis. Interested parties who believe they can satisfy the requirement are invited to submit a capabilities statement as described below. All capabilities statements will be reviewed by the Contracting Officer. However, given the system-specific nature of the requirement and the VA security environment, access to the technical details necessary to meaningfully evaluate any competing offer cannot be provided through this public notice process. Consistent with FAR 12.202(b), a combined presolicitation and solicitation notice has not been issued for this action. Because this acquisition is conducted as a sole source under FAR 12.201-1, no competitive solicitation will be issued. This notice satisfies the FAR 5.201 presolicitation requirement to the maximum extent practicable given the security considerations described above and the sole source nature of the award. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS This notice is for informational purposes and to satisfy the FAR 5.201 synopsis requirement for proposed sole source contract actions. The Government is not soliciting competitive offers at this time. Interested parties who believe they possess the unique technical qualifications necessary to perform this requirement specifically, detailed system-specific knowledge of the SOPHROSYNE chatbot's architecture, coding, logic, and content may submit a written capabilities statement to the Contract Specialist no later than June 26, 2026. Capabilities statements shall be limited to five (5) pages and shall address, at a minimum: The offeror's specific technical knowledge of and experience with the SOPHROSYNE chatbot system, including the basis for and extent of that knowledge; The offeror's qualifications in AI/chatbot development, software engineering, and clinical workflow consulting for VA or comparable health-care settings; The offeror's ability to begin effective performance within 30 days of contract award without an onboarding or familiarization period that would delay clinical piloting; and The offeror's current SBA SDVOSB or VOSB certification status and SAM.gov registration information (UEI, CAGE code, NAICS 541519 size standard confirmation). Capabilities statements shall be submitted electronically to the Contract Specialist at derek.devine@va.gov. Telephonic inquiries will not be accepted. The Government will evaluate all timely responses and notify respondents of its determination. Receipt of a capabilities statement does not obligate the Government to conduct a competitive procurement or delay award, but a credible demonstration of system-specific knowledge of SOPHROSYNE would require the Contracting Officer to reassess the sole source determination prior to award. APPLICABLE WAGE DETERMINATION This contract is…