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How do I become a vendor for the VA, and does the veterans first rule shut out firms without a veteran owner?

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My company provides medical equipment maintenance and repair services (NAICS 811210) to hospitals and clinics. We want to expand into federal contracting, specifically with our local VA medical center. I've heard about the "Veterans First" rule, and it sounds like the VA has to prioritize veteran-owned businesses. My company is not veteran-owned.

I've registered in SAM.gov and looked at VA procurement forecasts, but I'm trying to understand how the VA actually buys services like ours. Does the local VA medical center have its own contracting office for smaller purchases, or do all procurements go through a central VA office? How do they handle simplified acquisition threshold buys or Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA)s? Is there a realistic path for a non-veteran-owned business to win contracts with the VA, or are we effectively shut out?

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asked Nadia F. Verified vendorWOSB owner, management consulting · Minneapolis, MN · 620 rep

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The VA does have a strong preference for veteran-owned businesses, but non-veteran-owned businesses can still win VA contracts. The VA follows the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) for its procurements, and while it prioritizes Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs), other set-asides and full and open competition opportunities exist.

Local VA medical centers often have their own contracting authority for smaller purchases, sometimes through simplified acquisition procedures. For requirements above the micro-purchase threshold but not over the simplified acquisition threshold, the contracting officer must set aside the acquisition for small business unless there is no reasonable expectation of offers from two or more responsible small businesses at competitive prices. For Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs), the VA will typically establish these with multiple vendors, and task orders are then competed among those BPA holders. Your path involves understanding their acquisition strategies for your specific services and actively looking for opportunities that are not exclusively set aside for veteran-owned firms.

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answered Dave H. Verified vendorParts distributor, DLA and DIBBS · Dayton, OH · 440 rep

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Sign up to answerCite the FAR clause or procurement code where you can.

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