DA01--VA Enterprise Artificial Intelligence (VA-26-00070193)

Request for Information (RFI)

This RFI is issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for market research purposes to understand the current and future state of VA's Artificial Intelligence (AI) requirements. It is not a solicitation for quotes or proposals and does not commit the government to a contract. The VA aims to leverage AI to improve services for Veterans, enhance efficiency, and maintain high standards of safety and security.

The VA is particularly interested in two main areas for this RFI:

1. User-facing capabilities: Tools that provide AI-driven assistance, collaboration, and agentic functions for various user types (knowledge workers, operators, engineers). This includes interactive natural language assistants, tools for data analysis and code development, and multimodal capabilities.
2. API services: Direct, programmatic access to AI models, including those from "Frontier AI Labs" (organizations developing advanced large language models). The VA is interested in understanding how these services can be accessed, managed, and secured, especially concerning Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

VA serves over 18 million Veterans and operates one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S. The VA's vision is to be an industry leader in AI adoption to improve Veteran services through faster, higher-quality, and more cost-efficient means, supported by strong governance and trust. Key priorities include expanding AI access, building an AI-ready workforce, and reimagining high-impact workflows.

The document highlights early wins in AI adoption, such as the "VA GPT" generative AI tool, Microsoft Copilot for developers, and AI-assisted clinical decision support tools. It also mentions ongoing pilots for generative AI tools like Anthropic's Claude for Government, Google's Gemini for Government, and OpenAI's ChatGPT Enterprise FedRAMP.

Respondents are asked to provide information on their AI offerings, including:

• User-facing capabilities and how they address VA's needs.

• API services and their comparison to other access methods (e.g., cloud providers).

• Security compliance (VA ATO).

• Enablement services.

• Demand forecasts and usage benchmarks.

• Pricing structures (usage-based preferred).

• Product delivery and commercial product definitions.

• Responses are due electronically by 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on June 09, 2026.

• Submissions should be emailed to the Technology Acquisition Center (TAC) point of contact.

• Responses should not exceed 20 pages and must be in Microsoft Word format.

• No marketing materials are allowed.

• The VA prefers usage-based pricing and direct contractual relationships with Frontier AI Labs.

• This RFI may be delayed, canceled, or revised at any time.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a solicitation for VA Enterprise Artificial Intelligence (VA-26-00070193). The specific details of the procurement are not fully described in the provided text, but it references an attached document titled 'VA Artificial Intelligence RFI' for further information.

Details regarding specific requirements or deliverables are not present in this excerpt. Bidders should refer to the attached document for comprehensive information.

No contract details such as type, period of performance, or estimated value are provided in this excerpt.

• Response Date/Time/Zone: 06-09-2026 13:00 EASTERN TIME, NEW YORK, USA
• Archive: 60 days after the response date.
• Further submission and evaluation instructions are likely contained within the referenced attached document.

No specific set-aside or eligibility requirements are mentioned in this excerpt.

• Solicitation Number: 36C10B26Q0485
• NAICS Code: 541512
• Product Service Code: DA01
• Contracting Office: Department of Veterans Affairs, Technology Acquisition Center, 23 Christopher Way, Eatontown NJ 07724.
• Bidders are directed to an attached document ('VA Artificial Intelligence RFI') for more detailed information.

Request for Information (RFI)

This RFI is issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for market research purposes concerning Enterprise Artificial Intelligence (AI). It does not constitute a Request for Quote (RFQ) or Proposal (RFP) and does not commit the government to any future contract. The VA is gathering insights to inform its acquisition strategy for AI capabilities.

The VA serves millions of Veterans and aims to be an industry leader in AI adoption to improve services. Key priorities include expanding AI access, building an AI-ready workforce, reimagining workflows, investing in data/infrastructure, and running effective AI governance. This RFI specifically focuses on expanding AI access (Priority 1) and reimagining high-impact workflows (Priority 3), particularly user-facing tools and API services.

The VA is actively piloting and using generative AI tools, including VA GPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot, with significant user adoption and reported time savings. The VA envisions building enterprise-grade AI infrastructure, prioritizing commercially available solutions, and focusing on user-facing surfaces (tools with chat/agentic capabilities) and API services for direct programmatic access to AI models.

Vendors are asked to provide information on:

• User-facing capabilities: Tools addressing interactive assistants, secure data connection, code assistance, agentic task execution, multimodal analysis, and enterprise administration.

• API services: Direct programmatic access to AI models, including reasoning capabilities, end-user experience, and enterprise administration.

• Security: How offerings meet VA ATO requirements and VA Directive 6500.

• Enablement services: Recommendations and offerings for AI literacy, adoption acceleration, and AI safety.

• Demand Forecast & Usage Benchmarks: Estimated demand and usage data from similar organizations.

• Pricing: Usage-based pricing models, quarterly adjustments, and pooled pricing structures. Preparedness to provide machine-readable pricing data for government-wide benchmarking.

• Product Delivery: How offerings meet the definition of a "commercial product or service" without government-unique customization.

• Responses are due by 1:00 PM Eastern Time on June 9, 2026.

• Submit electronically via email to Amber Davis (Amber.Quivers-Davis@va.gov) and Joe Jones (Joseph.Jones6@va.gov).

• Subject line: "RFI# [Solicitation Number]"

• Responses should not exceed 20 pages (excluding cover page and appendices).

• Submit in Microsoft Word format, 11-point font, 1-inch margins.

• No marketing materials or generic capability statements.

Vendors must provide company details, business size/status, NAICS codes, UEI, existing contractual vehicles, and compliance with subcontracting limitations.

This RFI is for market research only. The VA may delay, cancel, or revise this requirement at any time. No reimbursement for response costs.