R606--PR&S Court Reporter Services (VA-26-00065356)

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is a presolicitation notice for Request for Quotes (RFQ) # 36C77626Q0202, seeking court reporting (stenography) services for deposition transcripts for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Consolidated Patience Account Center (CPAC), Office of Revenue Operations (RO).

• Procurement of court reporting (stenography) services for deposition transcripts.

• Offerors must demonstrate the ability to meet ALL requirements outlined in the Statement of Work (SOW).

• Key Personnel must meet minimum qualifications specified in Section B.1.2.2 of the SOW (Attachment 1).

• Offerors must submit a technical quote and a price quote in accordance with the Price Schedule (Attachment 2).

• The solicitation will be issued as an oral (electronic) "Request for Quotes" (RFQ).

• The contract type is not explicitly stated but implies a Firm-Fixed Price based on the evaluation of the Price Schedule.

• Place of Performance is TBD.

• Response Date/Time: May 13, 2026, 10:00 AM Eastern Time, New York, USA.

• Submission Method: Email technical and price quotes to Jessica Rogers (Jessica.Rogers2@va.gov) and Michelle Rhodes (Michelle.Rhodes@va.gov).

• Evaluation Criteria: Offers will be evaluated comparatively based on Technical, Key Personnel, Past Performance, and Price. The award will be made to the responsible Offeror whose offer is most advantageous to the Government, representing the best overall value.

• Discussions: The Government is not required to hold discussions or use FAR Part 15 procedures.

• Award: The Government may award to a response that exceeds minimum requirements but is not requesting alternate quotes. Each response must address the SOW/PWS requirements.

• Set-Aside: 100% for Small Business (SB) concerns.

• NAICS Code: 561492

• Product Service Code: R606

• This notice serves as the notice for publicizing contract actions.

• Technical questions will not be answered as part of this notice. General questions may be submitted via email.

• Telephone calls will not be accepted.

• Missing or incomplete information may count against the Offeror.

• Attachments include: FINAL SOW, Price Schedule, and VA Information System Security and Privacy requirements.

Attachment / Other

This document outlines the VA's requirements for Information System Security and Privacy for contractors. It details the standards, policies, and procedures that contractors must adhere to when handling VA information and information systems.

• Compliance: Contractors must comply with all federal laws, regulations, VA directives, and handbooks related to information security and privacy, mirroring requirements for VA personnel.
• Data Rights: The government has unlimited rights to data first produced and delivered under the contract. FAR 52.227-14 and FAR 52.227-19 are the primary clauses governing data rights and software licenses.
• Information Handling: VA information must only be used for contract performance, not co-mingled with other data, and must be protected through encryption (FIPS 140-2 validated), data protection, and physical/logical segregation.
• Access Control: Contractors require logical or physical access to VA information and systems only as necessary. All personnel must sign the VA Information Security Rule of Behavior (ROB) and undergo background investigations as per VA Directive and Handbook 0710.
• Training: Personnel requiring access must complete VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness training annually and sign the ROB.
• Incident Reporting: Security and privacy incidents must be reported immediately (within one hour) to the VA Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) and the COR/CO.
• System Development & Hosting: Information systems developed or hosted by contractors must comply with VA security standards, including FIPS categorizations, VA Assessment and Authorization (A&A) processes, and secure software development practices (OMB M-22-18, M-23-16, EO 14028).
• Product Integrity: Contractors must ensure product integrity, authenticity, and provenance, complying with regulations on securing the ICTS supply chain and providing Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs).
• Malware Prevention: Contractors must ensure all provided software and patches are free of viruses and malware.
• Cryptographic Requirements: Approved cryptographic methods (FIPS 140-2, NIST 800-52) must be used for encryption.
• Patching: Contractors must manage patch and vulnerability remediation processes, providing updates within specified timelines (e.g., 7 days for critical vulnerabilities).
• Specialized Devices: Medical devices, Special Purpose Systems, and Research Scientific Computing Devices must comply with specific VA policies and FDA cybersecurity requirements.

This document is critical for any bidder whose work involves accessing, processing, storing, or transmitting VA information or utilizing VA information systems. It outlines mandatory security and privacy compliance obligations that will likely be incorporated into the contract.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Price/Cost Schedule for the opportunity. Bidders are expected to use this to provide their pricing for the requested services.

• Item Number: 0001
• Description of Supplies/Services: Court Reporting Task for Depositions for Payer Relations Case.
• Contract Period: Base POP Begin: 05-19-2026, POP End: 06-30-2026.
• Principal NAICS Code: 561492 - Court Reporting and Stenotype Services.
• Product/Service Code: R606 - Support - Administrative: Court Reporting.
• Fields to Complete: Quantity, Unit, Unit Price, and Amount.

Bidders must complete this price schedule to submit their quote or proposal. It details the specific service required, the contract period, and the associated NAICS and PSC codes. The pricing provided in this schedule will be a key component of the proposal evaluation.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

The Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Revenue Operations requires court reporting (stenography) services for deposition transcripts.

• Provide verbatim transcripts of investigations, speeches, conversations, legal proceedings, meetings, and other events.

• Contractor must be certified to administer oaths; reporters must be commissioned notaries public.

• Ensure accurate recording, transcription, clarity, quality, and security of the legal record.

• Maintain a secured storage and retrieval system for all stenographic notes and recordings (paper or digital).

• Destroy transcription documentation immediately after payment receipt and processing.

• Deliver all required deliverables to the facility Point of Contact (POC).

• Submit invoices only after all work is completed and deliverables are approved.

• Proceedings may be designated as Confidential; contractor must hold all information in strict confidence and not divulge without written direction.

• Electronic PDF transcript of each sworn testimony due no later than fourteen (14) calendar days after the last sworn testimony, emailed to the COR or designee.

• If a proceeding is continued for five (5) or more calendar days, the portion of the transcript prior to continuance is considered complete for delivery timing.

• Contractor must determine reporter availability within 24 hours of a service request; failure to respond may result in the VA obtaining services from another source and charging the contractor for excess costs.

• Liquidated damages (2% of transcript price per day, up to 50%) apply for failure to deliver transcripts within the prescribed period.

• Anticipated Period of Performance: 5/19/2026 to 6/30/2026.

• Places of Performance: May be via conference call or in person at a designated VA location, to be advised at the time of ordering.

• Contractor shall be available during Medical Center operating hours (8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday-Friday, excluding Federal holidays), and must accommodate off-tour work for no additional cost if required.

• Contractor must provide qualified court reporters capable of high-speed verbatim recording (shorthand, mechanical, electronic means).

• Reporters must be able to promptly transcribe proceedings and certify/file transcripts, notes, and exhibits.

• Required equipment operation includes Stenographic Equipment, Real-time Recording (Case-view, Live-note), Litigation Support (Key Word Indexing, Condensed Transcripts, E-mail Transcript Delivery), Legal Videography/Videoconferencing/Teleconferencing (Digital Recordings, MPEG1, DVD), Computer Aided Transcription (CAT), and Shorthand/Monitored Multi-Microphone Recording. Audio Tape Recorders are for backup only.

• Reporters need knowledge of steno-typing, business English, legal procedures, and the ability to prepare accurate, secure, and confidential records.

• Board certification or current related certification is required.

• Contractor personnel must comply with VA security policies, including background investigations and mandatory privacy/security awareness training.

• Travel costs are borne by the Contractor.

• The VA is undergoing reorganization; the contractor must remain adaptable to evolving requirements, with changes implemented via bilateral contract modification.