M5-Q50A-03-R8: 65IB Drugs, Pharmaceuticals & Hematology Related Products Solicitation Refreshment
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), National Acquisition Center, is refreshing its Worldwide Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Solicitation M5-Q50A-03-R8 for Drugs, Pharmaceuticals & Hematology Related Products (FSC 6505). This standing solicitation continuously accepts offers for indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts. Recent amendments have updated various clauses, submission procedures, and pricing requirements.
Purpose & Scope
This solicitation aims to establish or refresh FSS contracts for a broad range of drugs, biologicals, medicated cosmetics, and toiletries. Contracts are typically fixed-price with economic price adjustment, with a base period of 5 years and options to extend up to 10 years. Vendors must meet minimum sales criteria of $25,000 within the first two years and annually thereafter.
Key Requirements & Updates
- Electronic Submission: Offers must be submitted electronically to vafssoffers@va.gov. Revised procedures emphasize digital/scanned wet signatures, specific file formats (Word/PDF for fill-ins, Excel for price lists), and a maximum file size of 10MB per email. The SF1449 signature date must be no earlier than 10 calendar days prior to submission.
- Pricing & Financial: Detailed Excel pricing sheets are required for various Special Item Numbers (SINs), including Commercial Sales Practices (CSP) data, Manufacturer's Contract (MFC), Tracking Customer (TC), and FSS pricing (with/without Industrial Funding Fee - IFF). Amendment 0006 reduced the IFF reporting grace period from 60 to 30 days after the close of each reporting quarter. Amendment 0002 clarified that DAPA sales are now subject to IFF.
- Regulatory & Compliance: Numerous FAR, GSAR, and VAAR clauses have been updated across multiple amendments. Key updates include:
- Incorporation of GSAM Clause 552.238-120 for Economic Price Adjustment (Amendment 0009).
- Updated Responsibility Evaluation requirements for contractor qualifications and financial information (Amendment 0009, 0008).
- Updated Signature Authority form (Amendment 0009).
- Class deviation to FAR subpart 22.8 regarding Equal Employment Opportunity (Amendment 0007).
- Incorporation of FAR clause 52.204-23 prohibiting contracting with Kaspersky Lab (Amendment 0001).
- Updates to contract extension options (Amendment 0010).
- Product Specifics: Requirements include National Drug Codes, GS1-128 or HIBCC compliant bar coding, and FDA "A" rating for therapeutic equivalence for certain SINs.
Submission Details
Offers are accepted on a continuous basis under this standing solicitation (A-FSS-11). Offerors must acknowledge receipt of all amendments. Failure to acknowledge may result in offer rejection.
Evaluation & Set-Aside
Awards will be made to responsible offerors providing reasonable pricing and conforming to the solicitation, based on best value. While the solicitation itself has no specific set-aside, orders placed under the resulting FSS contracts may be set aside for various small business categories, including Small Business, HUBZone, Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB).
Contact Information
For further information, contact the FSS Help Desk at FSS.help@va.gov or 708-786-7737.