{"canonical":"https://abierto.us/opportunities/36c10d26q0139","key":"36C10D26Q0139","url":"https://abierto.us/opportunities/36c10d26q0139","title":"R408--MAIL MANAGEMENT SERVICES ANSWERING VENDOR QUESTIONS","solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0139","notice_type":"r","open":false,"response_deadline":"2026-07-21T19:00:00Z","first_posted":"2026-06-23","last_posted":"2026-07-20","department":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","subagency":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","office":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)","naics":"518210","psc":"R408","set_aside":null,"place_state":"DC","winner":null,"award_amount":null,"publications":[{"notice_id":"ad3c074bcd0c457d9c1bbbb68a0fe07d","title":"R408--MAIL MANAGEMENT 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MANAGEMENT SERVICES ANSWERING VENDOR QUESTIONS","solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0139","notice_type":"r","base_type":"r","posted":"2026-07-20","posted_at":null,"due_at":"2026-07-21T19:00:00Z","due_date":"2026-07-21","cancelled":null,"archived":null,"archive_date":"2026-10-28","award_number":null,"awardee_name":null,"amount":null,"link_sam":"https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/9ce5255a8b9942c596bdc7f30faa7372/view","enriched":false,"history":[]}],"latest_notice_id":"9ce5255a8b9942c596bdc7f30faa7372","first_type":"r","notices":[{"dates":{"posted":"2026-06-23","response_deadline":{"raw":"2026-07-21T15:00:00-04:00","utc":"2026-07-21T19:00:00Z","date":"2026-07-21","time":"15:00:00","utc_offset_seconds":-14400}},"links":{"sam":"https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/ad3c074bcd0c457d9c1bbbb68a0fe07d/view"},"naics":{"codes":["518210"],"primary":"518210"},"title":"R408--MAIL MANAGEMENT SERVICES","agency":{"office":{"code":"36C10D","name":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)"},"subtier":{"code":"3600","name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF"},"department":{"code":"036","name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF"},"office_address":{"zip":"20006","city":"WASHINGTON","state":"DC","country":"USA"},"organization_type":"OFFICE"},"status":{"active":true,"archive_date":"2026-10-28","archive_type":"auto_custom"},"contacts":[{"name":"Gregory Stevens","role":"primary","email":"gregory.stevens@va.gov","phone":"313-354-2194","title":"Contract Specialist"}],"base_type":{"code":"r","label":"Sources Sought"},"notice_id":"ad3c074bcd0c457d9c1bbbb68a0fe07d","provenance":{"extract":{"url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/falextracts/Contract%20Opportunities/datagov/ContractOpportunitiesFullCSV.csv","etag":"\"3f59209463433eba6899e195a597c64d-29\"","fetched_at":"2026-09-16T07:50:12.777658Z","row_sha256":"435dafb25b0d547b3950eedd324d3455efe9efa6a0ea7b87e1e31a3c3ff18ca3","last_modified":"2026-09-16T03:30:52Z"},"updated_at":"2026-09-16T07:50:12.777658Z","first_seen_at":"2026-09-16T00:55:28.845070Z"},"description":{"text":"Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice *= Required Field Sources Sought Notice 1.0 INTRODUCTION THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) for Mail Management Services. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only. There is no obligation for the Government to acquire any products or services described in this RFI. In accordance with the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) Subpart 15.101(c), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this effort. The information provided may be used by VBA in developing its acquisition strategy and informing, refining, and finalizing a Performance Work Statement (PWS). Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted or competition sensitive information contained in their response. Only electronic responses to this RFI will be accepted. The Government will not pay for any time expended or information submitted in response to this RFI. Eligibility in participating in a future acquisition does not depend upon a response to this RFI. 2.0 BACKGROUND Through its three (3) administrations, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), National Cemetery Administration (NCA), and Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Affairs (VA) administers vital services to America's Veterans. VA provides health care services, benefits programs, and access to national cemeteries for former military personnel and their dependents. The fundamental mission of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is to provide Veterans, service members, and their families the benefits they have earned through their military service to the United States. VBA accomplishes its mission by delivering client-centered, personalized services that help Veterans readjust to civilian life and enhance their well-being. To continuously improve benefits processing efficiency and cycle-time, VBA expanded its mail receipt and processing services to include Centralized Mail (CM) processing. The CM activities require vendors to receive mail directly from Veterans, claimants, Veterans / claimants representatives and third parties providing evidence in support of a claim. Physical materials are received via paper mail (bulk mail, US Postal Service pickup and delivery, other external mail delivery services) and digital formats (CD/DVD, Flash drives, Microfilm, Microfiche, Other alternate media). Non-physical information is received via various digital formats (direct upload service by Veterans, external Veteran Service Organization user or other third party; through an application program interface (API); secure file transfer; email; and fax). The materials and information received by the contractor are converted into digital files in the searchable Portable Document Format (PDFs) and are then made available to VA end users for review within an interactive centralized mail portal; routed for additional processing; or accessed for unattended mail automation operations. Upon completion of mail processing, images, with associated data, are uploaded to VBA s image repository, the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS). If the CM materials were received in physical formats (e.g., paper), they are prepared for shipment to a government contracted long-term storage facility, awaiting disposition. This Request for Information (RFI) describes VBAs requirements for contractor support related to mail management services. In addition, the purpose of the RFI is to engage industry vendors with expert knowledge and extensive experience as well as with credibility in addressing and mitigating risks. The Government seeks innovative solutions from industry on mail management services. 3.0 INFORMATION SOUGHT The Government is seeking the following information to be provided by vendors when responding to the RFI: Company Information Capability Statement Answers to Questions Draft Performance Work Statement Comments 3.1 Company Information RFI respondents shall provide the following information: Company Name Company Address Company Point of Contact (name, address, telephone number, email address) Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) NAICS Codes and business size for NAICS code 518210 - Identify if your company has any of the following business concern statuses (include all that apply): Small Business (SB); Certified Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) firm; Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB); Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB); Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB); Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB); Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB); Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HubZone) Small Business; Large Business Existing Multiple Award Contract (MAC) vehicles currently held by your company (examples may include General Service Administrations (GSA) schedules, Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs), Indefinite Delivery Contracts (IDCs), Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs)) available for Government use. For each MAC vehicle provide: vehicle name vehicle number date of award expiration date 3.2 Capability Statement RFI respondents shall provide a capability statement with an overview of the company s capabilities to fulfill the requirements of the attached PWS. Overview should include but not be limited to: Details regarding proposed joint ventures, teaming arrangements, strategic alliances, or other business arrangements to satisfy requirements of the entire PWS. Description of the company s resources available and capable of completing the work under the PWS. Explanation of what experience providing services similar in size, scope, and complexity of the PWS the company has. List of specific contracts in the Government or industry where the vendor provided similar services on the same scale and provide Agency / Company name, contract number, contract period of performance and contract dollar value. 3.3 Answers to Questions RFI respondents shall provide answers to the questions provided in Section 5.0 of this RFI. RFI respondents are requested to address each question. Questions that do not apply to RFI respondents or if RFI respondents cannot provide answers shall be addressed by marking these questions with N/A . 3.4 Draft PWS Comments/Questions RFI respondents shall provide comments/questions on the PWS in the following table format: Comment # PWS Page # PWS Section # Comment/Question The comments/questions may include recommended changes, noted errors, inconsistencies, ambiguities, areas requiring further clarifications or higher level of detail, etc. The Department of Veterans Affairs has developed detailed Business Requirements Documents (BRDs) that further describe the technical and operational requirements for Mail Management Services. These BRDs are not included with this RFI. Respondents should base their feedback on the high-level requirements and objectives outlined in this RFI. The Government anticipates providing the full BRDs and other supporting documentation during the subsequent solicitation phase (e.g., Request for Proposal or Request for Quotation). If you require clarification on any requirement or would like to comment on the anticipated level of detail, please indicate this in your response. 4.0 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS Response submissions to this RFI are due no later than July 21, 2026, 3:00 pm Eastern Time and shall be submitted to gregory.stevens@va.gov The email subject line must contain the following: Company Name, Response to RFI 36C10D26Q0139. VBA reserves the right to not reply to any emails, responses, questions, and materials submitted in response to the RFI. Mark your response as Proprietary Information if the information included is considered to be business sensitive and/or includes trade secrets. RFI responses shall not exceed 15 pages total. Responses shall be prepared in Microsoft Word with standard 8.5 x 11-inch page format (charts may be landscaped but must be on 8.5 x 11-inch page format) and shall be in Times New Roman, font size (12), with 1 margins. All page format of the response shall be appropriately numbered and identified with the RFI number. The email file size limitation shall be no more than 40MB. 5.0 LIST OF QUESTIONS 1) Please describe your company s strategy to address the full scope of work, to include risk management, solution management, incident and event management, and education and outreach and communication support services as outlined in the PWS. Please describe any relevant experience within the Government or Industry that demonstrates your capabilities in each service area. How would you address any gaps in your service offerings?  2) Please describe innovations you have employed on other projects and how those innovations differentiate your company from others in regard to the types of services outlined in the PWS. 3) Please outline the experience your company has in scaling, making recommendations, and incorporating continuous improvement principles to enable service delivery and achieving objectives in the PWS. 4) Please describe your company s approach to quality assurance, employing performance metrics, and your success in meeting Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) performance objectives on similar efforts. 5) What is your company s approach for proposing and implementing evolving technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, robotic processing ( bots ) or full artificial intelligence to drive automation for solutions?  How do you ensure these technologies remain current and effective? Can you provide any examples of successful integrations in similar projects?   6) Please describe your company s experience with protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI) when utilizing large databases and processing transactional activities associated with tracking source materials locally and remotely in a secure environment. How do you stay current with evolving data protection regulations and threats? Include details on your disaster recovery and business continuity plans. 7) Please describe any experiences with electronic business process reengineering and integration based on complex multi-level processing rules. Please describe the pricing structures used (e.g., transaction-based; quantity-based; price-banding based on volume; price-banding based on complexity; etc.).  How do you ensure fairness and transparency in these pricing structures? 8) What recommendations would your company make regarding pricing structures for these types of services?  How do these recommendations align with Government best practices and regulations while allowing flexibility in service delivery? 9) Please provide a rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost estimate for all tasked outlined within the PWS. Each ROM estimate should clearly identify underlying assumptions, methodology, and any dependencies impacting cost. 10) Vendors are requested to identify any innovative solutions, technologies, or approaches not currently included in the draft PWS that may enhance mission effectiveness, improve service delivery, or increase operational efficiency. For each recommendation, please indicate whether the proposed innovation should be incorporated as an addition to the PWS or used to revise or replace existing language. Provide a rationale, anticipated benefits, underlying assumptions, and any dependencies relevant to the proposed enhancement 6.0 ATTACHMENTS","origin":"extract"},"notice_type":{"code":"r","label":"Sources Sought"},"schema_version":1,"solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0139","place_of_performance":{"zip":"20006","city":{"name":"Washington"},"state":{"code":"DC"},"street":"Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Acquisition Division 1800 G Street NW","country":{"code":"USA"}},"product_service_code":"R408"},{"dates":{"posted":"2026-07-07","response_deadline":{"raw":"2026-07-21T15:00:00-04:00","utc":"2026-07-21T19:00:00Z","date":"2026-07-21","time":"15:00:00","utc_offset_seconds":-14400}},"links":{"sam":"https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/a1c0d1cd2f7d4067b046df710822b64d/view"},"naics":{"codes":["518210"],"primary":"518210"},"title":"R408--MAIL MANAGEMENT SERVICES ANSWERING VENDOR QUESTIONS","agency":{"office":{"code":"36C10D","name":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)"},"subtier":{"code":"3600","name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF"},"department":{"code":"036","name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF"},"office_address":{"zip":"20006","city":"WASHINGTON","state":"DC","country":"USA"},"organization_type":"OFFICE"},"status":{"active":true,"archive_date":"2026-10-28","archive_type":"auto_custom"},"contacts":[{"name":"Gregory Stevens","role":"primary","email":"gregory.stevens@va.gov","phone":"313-354-2194","title":"Contracting Officer"}],"base_type":{"code":"r","label":"Sources Sought"},"notice_id":"a1c0d1cd2f7d4067b046df710822b64d","provenance":{"extract":{"url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/falextracts/Contract%20Opportunities/datagov/ContractOpportunitiesFullCSV.csv","etag":"\"3f59209463433eba6899e195a597c64d-29\"","fetched_at":"2026-09-16T07:50:12.777658Z","row_sha256":"3bd8fe0afa582562a5d00d05e0e33c3f2f6e21b7e6f67a65218f0b66a265d0e0","last_modified":"2026-09-16T03:30:52Z"},"updated_at":"2026-09-16T07:50:12.777658Z","first_seen_at":"2026-09-16T00:55:28.845070Z"},"description":{"text":"Q1. Will this requirement be awarded to a single contractor or multiple contractors? A1 Undetermined. Q2. Does the VA encourage teaming arrangements or joint ventures for this requirement? A2. Teaming arrangements or joint ventures will not be prohibited. Q3. Will subcontracting opportunities be available for small businesses with experience in commercial mail management, printing, mailing, and document imaging? A3. Subcontracting will not be prohibited. Q4. Must the contractor's processing facility be located in a specific geographic area, or may it be located anywhere within the Continental United States as long as all performance and security requirements are met? A4. Anywhere is permissible. Q5. Will the contractor be responsible for picking up mail from the USPS PO Boxes listed in the PWS (such as Janesville, WI), or will that mail be forwarded to the contractor's designated processing facility? A5. Must pick-up from PO Boxes. Q6. Will the Government provide the Business Requirements Documents (BRDs) and additional technical documentation with the final solicitation? A6. Yes. Q7. Does the VA anticipate hosting an Industry Day or vendor matchmaking event prior to releasing the final solicitation? A7. Not at this time.","origin":"extract"},"notice_type":{"code":"r","label":"Sources Sought"},"schema_version":1,"solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0139","place_of_performance":{"zip":"20006","city":{"name":"Washington"},"state":{"code":"DC"},"street":"Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Acquisition Division 1800 G Street NW","country":{"code":"USA"}},"product_service_code":"R408"},{"dates":{"posted":"2026-07-08","response_deadline":{"raw":"2026-07-21T15:00:00-04:00","utc":"2026-07-21T19:00:00Z","date":"2026-07-21","time":"15:00:00","utc_offset_seconds":-14400}},"links":{"sam":"https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/a13d26ee65f24ad4b826d83807459eb2/view"},"naics":{"codes":["518210"],"primary":"518210"},"title":"R408--MAIL MANAGEMENT SERVICES ANSWERING VENDOR QUESTIONS","agency":{"office":{"code":"36C10D","name":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)"},"subtier":{"code":"3600","name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF"},"department":{"code":"036","name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF"},"office_address":{"zip":"20006","city":"WASHINGTON","state":"DC","country":"USA"},"organization_type":"OFFICE"},"status":{"active":true,"archive_date":"2026-10-28","archive_type":"auto_custom"},"contacts":[{"name":"Gregory Stevens","role":"primary","email":"gregory.stevens@va.gov","phone":"313-354-2194","title":"Contracting Officer"}],"base_type":{"code":"r","label":"Sources Sought"},"notice_id":"a13d26ee65f24ad4b826d83807459eb2","provenance":{"extract":{"url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/falextracts/Contract%20Opportunities/datagov/ContractOpportunitiesFullCSV.csv","etag":"\"3f59209463433eba6899e195a597c64d-29\"","fetched_at":"2026-09-16T07:50:12.777658Z","row_sha256":"395562d4264b11aa89a60dac8c703ebccb690251853951bf7cc5696c27edd101","last_modified":"2026-09-16T03:30:52Z"},"updated_at":"2026-09-16T07:50:12.777658Z","first_seen_at":"2026-09-16T00:55:28.845070Z"},"description":{"text":"Q1. Will the contractor be required to develop, purchase, or license the Digitized Mail Handling Service (DMHS), or will the Government provide access to an existing DMHS solution for use under this contract? A1. Contractor will be required to develop the DMHS service. Q2. Will the Government provide the software, application, or user interface required to upload scanned documents and metadata into VBMS/DMHS, or is the contractor responsible for developing, licensing, and maintaining that capability? A2. Contractor is responsible. VBMS requirements and required metadata transfer requirements will be provided by the Government. Packets are transferred and uploaded to VBMS via the Claims Evidence API. Q3. Will the Government provide the detailed Business Requirements Documents (BRDs) and interface specifications with the final solicitation? A3. Yes. Q4. Will the Government provide standardized document classifications, indexing requirements, and metadata mapping for all document types processed under this contract? A4. Yes. Q5. Will the Government provide a test environment, user training, and technical onboarding support for VBMS/DMHS integration prior to production operations? A5. VBMS has a test environment, but contractor will be responsible for establishing and maintaining applicable DMHS test environment. User training and technical onboarding will be determined if formal solicitation is released. Q6. Will the contractor be required to provide secure digital storage before documents are uploaded to VA systems? If so, what are the required retention periods and storage requirements? A6. Yes, retention period is indefinite. Q7. Will each mail packet be scanned as one searchable PDF, or should each document within the packet be scanned as separate PDF files? A7. A packet can contain one or more PDFs based upon established conversion rules. Q8. If a mail packet contains multiple documents, should the contractor preserve the original document order during scanning? A8. Yes, original document will be sent to long-term storage and may need to be recalled at times. Same document ordering should remain to the extent possible. Q9. If staples, paper clips, binder clips, or other fasteners are removed during document preparation, is the contractor required to reassemble the documents in their original order after scanning? A9. To the extent possible, grouped documents shall remain intact. Retaining grouped documents throughout the conversion process supports date of receipt integrity for the specific group of documents where applicable. Q10. If original paper documents are required to be reassembled after scanning, are there any specific packaging, labeling, or file integrity requirements the contractor must follow prior to shipment to the Government's designated long-term storage facility? A10. Yes. Documents should be sorted and stored in boxes from the long-term storage contractor and able to be recalled from long-term storage for rescan as needed based upon rules established by the VA. There should be enough room in each box to easily insert your hand into the front of the box. Additional instructions would be provided during the solicitation phase. Q11. Can the Government provide examples of the most common document types and mail packets processed under this contract? A11. VA Forms (21-4138, 21-526ez, 20-0995, etc.), returned mail (letters VA sends out) and medical records. Q12. What is the average number of pages contained in each mail packet? A12. 22 pages. Q13. What is the average number of documents contained within each mail packet? A13. 4 documents/packet. Q14. What percentage of the anticipated daily workload is expected to consist of physical paper documents versus electronically submitted documents? A14. Paper 20-25%, Digital 75-80%. Q15. Will the contractor be required to scan non-standard media such as X-rays, radiology films, photographs, oversized documents, CDs/DVDs, flash drives, microfilm, and microfiche? If so, what are the required image quality standards and file formats? A15. Yes, images on CDs, DVDs, eFax, Microfiche, thumb drives or Microfilm must be converted and uploaded to DMHS. Some items must not be scanned to include Charge Cards, blank sticky notes, tabs or temporary markers used as placeholders. DNA packets. Blood samples. Photo negatives. Carbon copy overlays. X-rays and/or X-ray jackets. Material that is clearly not claim related such as magazines addressed to the Regional Offices or mail addressed to VA Employees shall be shipped to the appropriate VA Facility. Q16. How long is the contractor required to retain the original paper documents before shipping them to the Government's designated long-term storage facility? A16. 60 days. Q17. Following successful upload to VBMS/DMHS, will the contractor receive an automated confirmation that documents have been accepted, or will additional reconciliation be required to verify successful processing? A17. The Claims Evidence API will pass back acknowledgement that documents were successfully transferred. The status of each upload should be visible in DMHS and all packets should be reconciled. Q18. Are subcontractors permitted to perform mail pickup and transportation services from the designated USPS PO Box locations? A18. Yes. Q19. Is Janesville, Wisconsin the only USPS PO Box pickup location, or will additional locations be included in the final solicitation? A19. Janesville is the only current location to pick-up mail. No new locations are currently anticipated. Q20. Will the Government provide sample mail packets (with sensitive information redacted, if necessary) so vendors can better understand the document types, organization, and processing requirements before submitting proposals? A20. Due to the composition of most packets (medical records and claim information) the Government will not provide a sample of mail packets. See responses above for frequently received items to understand what a packet typically contains.","origin":"extract"},"notice_type":{"code":"r","label":"Sources Sought"},"schema_version":1,"solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0139","place_of_performance":{"zip":"20006","city":{"name":"Washington"},"state":{"code":"DC"},"street":"Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Acquisition Division 1800 G Street NW","country":{"code":"USA"}},"product_service_code":"R408"},{"dates":{"posted":"2026-07-13","response_deadline":{"raw":"2026-07-21T15:00:00-04:00","utc":"2026-07-21T19:00:00Z","date":"2026-07-21","time":"15:00:00","utc_offset_seconds":-14400}},"links":{"sam":"https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/fa748439121a42c2b558361f4962e5c7/view"},"naics":{"codes":["518210"],"primary":"518210"},"title":"R408--MAIL MANAGEMENT SERVICES ANSWERING VENDOR QUESTIONS","agency":{"office":{"code":"36C10D","name":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)"},"subtier":{"code":"3600","name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF"},"department":{"code":"036","name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF"},"office_address":{"zip":"20006","city":"WASHINGTON","state":"DC","country":"USA"},"organization_type":"OFFICE"},"status":{"active":true,"archive_date":"2026-10-28","archive_type":"auto_custom"},"contacts":[{"name":"Gregory Stevens","role":"primary","email":"gregory.stevens@va.gov","phone":"313-354-2194","title":"Contract Specialist"}],"base_type":{"code":"r","label":"Sources Sought"},"notice_id":"fa748439121a42c2b558361f4962e5c7","provenance":{"extract":{"url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/falextracts/Contract%20Opportunities/datagov/ContractOpportunitiesFullCSV.csv","etag":"\"3f59209463433eba6899e195a597c64d-29\"","fetched_at":"2026-09-16T07:50:12.777658Z","row_sha256":"7395c7fcd3a0985c237f0e337a3564d56738c30eb20efe99e62f98f17b545a64","last_modified":"2026-09-16T03:30:52Z"},"updated_at":"2026-09-16T07:50:12.777658Z","first_seen_at":"2026-09-16T00:55:28.845070Z"},"description":{"text":"Q1. What is the estimated average number of mail packets processed per day? A1. Estimated average 46,000 packets per day (digital and paper). Q2. What is the estimated average number of pages processed per day? A2. Estimated average 1M images per day (digital and paper). Q3. Will cloud-based LLM providers be part of the GFE? A3. Cloud-based LLM services may be available through VAEC's approved Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) as part of the GFE infrastructure; however, model availability is determined solely by the CSP and not VA, and any LLM proposed by the Contractor must be available within an approved GovCloud region (e.g., AWS us-gov-east-1 or us-gov-west-1), receive written COR approval prior to use, and be a submitted AI use case to the OIT Chief AI Officer (CAIO). Contractors are responsible for independently verifying GovCloud model availability, ensuring compliance with all VA security requirements, and assuming all risk associated with model availability changes made by the CSP during the period of performance. Q4. Will the vendor need to provide the ticketing tool, or is there an existing VA ticketing tool? If a vendor is provided, is there a list of approved tools? A4. The Contractor is responsible for providing, funding and maintaining their own VA-approved helpdesk ticketing tool. The proposed tool must operate within a FedRAMP Authorized boundary, provide VA personnel with read access to all tickets and reporting. Some examples: ServiceNow (FedRAMP Authorized) Jira Service Management / Jira Cloud (FedRAMP Authorized) Microsoft Azure DevOps / GitHub Issues (FedRAMP Authorized) Q5. Section 5.8 discusses post-conversion de-preparation. To what extent must the physical paper mail be restored to its original state? Specifically, are mailroom operators required to physically re-staple, re-clip, or re-bind documents that were separated for scanning, or is it sufficient to keep grouped documents loosely bundled together inside their original mail packet envelopes? A5. No, they do not have to re-staple, re-clip or re-bind documents. They should be grouped together so they can easily be recalled in the future and clearly identify which documents were part of the same submission. Q6. Section 5.4.5 states that the contractor must make a reasonable effort to return all unscannable mail to the sender. How will shipping and return postage costs for these items be handled? Will the Government reimburse these postage costs directly as pass-through operational expenses, or must they be fully accounted for within the contractor's firm-fixed-price (FFP) labor rates? A6. VA will provide a postage account or reimburse the contractor for shipping of unscannable mail. Q7. Section 5.10 states that physical paper documents must be stored in boxes before shipment to the RMS long-term storage facility, utilizing NSN 8115-00-117-8249 boxes. Will these storage boxes be provided by the Government or the RMS vendor as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), or is the contractor responsible for purchasing and maintaining an inventory of these specific boxes? A7. The RMS vendor will provide boxes. Q8. To assist in scaling and training the indexing team, can the Government provide a complete list of the unique form numbers and document types that the mailroom is expected to encounter and index? Please clarify if there are custom indexing or metadata fields required for specific forms, or if the four standard index values (Veteran name, file number, document type, and date of receipt) apply uniformly. A8. There are 1,000+ commonly received source material items. Specific processing rules would be provided with a formal solicitation. Q9. The Q&A identifies 'returned mail' (undeliverable VA outbound letters) as a frequently received item. Could the Government provide the estimated daily or monthly volumes for returned mail? Furthermore, what are the specific operational processing steps required are envelopes required to be opened and scanned, or should they only be indexed and routed via envelope-level barcodes? A9. On average, we receive around 70,000 packets of return mail per month. This can vary widely across months when bulk mailers are sent. Envelopes are opened and scanned. Rules based upon type of returned mail. Q10. What are the expected daily operating hours for physical mail receipt and check-in? Section 5.13.3 defines a six-hour turnaround time (TAT) SLA for routing mail packets to the Digitized Mail Handling Service (DMHS). Please clarify if this six-hour window runs continuously after normal business hours (requiring 24/7/365 staffing) or if it pauses at the close of the daily mailroom operations and resumes the next business morning. A10. TAT runs based upon a 12-hour period, 6am to 6pm EST. Q11. For submissions received via the Direct Upload Service, does the metadata captured at upload include the required indexing values (document type, date of receipt)? Is the Contractor required to perform or validate indexing on direct-upload submissions, or is uploader-supplied metadata authoritative? Where document type is not supplied, is the Contractor responsible for classifying those submissions? A11. Contractor is responsible for indexing.","origin":"extract"},"notice_type":{"code":"r","label":"Sources Sought"},"schema_version":1,"solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0139","place_of_performance":{"zip":"20006","city":{"name":"Washington"},"state":{"code":"DC"},"street":"Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Acquisition Division 1800 G Street NW","country":{"code":"USA"}},"product_service_code":"R408"},{"dates":{"posted":"2026-07-16","response_deadline":{"raw":"2026-07-21T15:00:00-04:00","utc":"2026-07-21T19:00:00Z","date":"2026-07-21","time":"15:00:00","utc_offset_seconds":-14400}},"links":{"sam":"https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/b468c525ac014e56a91eca2ee35cc008/view"},"naics":{"codes":["518210"],"primary":"518210"},"title":"R408--MAIL MANAGEMENT SERVICES ANSWERING VENDOR QUESTIONS","agency":{"office":{"code":"36C10D","name":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)"},"subtier":{"code":"3600","name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF"},"department":{"code":"036","name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF"},"office_address":{"zip":"20006","city":"WASHINGTON","state":"DC","country":"USA"},"organization_type":"OFFICE"},"status":{"active":true,"archive_date":"2026-10-28","archive_type":"auto_custom"},"contacts":[{"name":"Gregory Stevens","role":"primary","email":"gregory.stevens@va.gov","phone":"313-354-2194","title":"Contract Specialist"}],"base_type":{"code":"r","label":"Sources Sought"},"notice_id":"b468c525ac014e56a91eca2ee35cc008","provenance":{"extract":{"url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/falextracts/Contract%20Opportunities/datagov/ContractOpportunitiesFullCSV.csv","etag":"\"3f59209463433eba6899e195a597c64d-29\"","fetched_at":"2026-09-16T07:50:12.777658Z","row_sha256":"d8145e8d4bb6e16c60593bb16de9231e0fb454b3f2955d739bc74879ded1af4c","last_modified":"2026-09-16T03:30:52Z"},"updated_at":"2026-09-16T07:50:12.777658Z","first_seen_at":"2026-09-16T00:55:28.845070Z"},"description":{"text":"Q1. Will the Government please clarify if the 298 Mn keystrokes for the base year cover the data extraction required from Form 526? A1. It covers all forms that require extraction and not just the 526. Commonly extracted items typically include Veteran s first and last name, file number and zip code. Q2. Will the Government please clarify what does the 6 AM to 6 PM window mean? Does it specify the pickup window or is 6 PM the cut-off time to process work? A2. Mail pick-up occurs based upon the United States Postal Service (USPS) and carrier operations. The 6:000 PM cutoff represents the daily 6 hour turnaround time (TAT) Threshold for all mail received in paper or digitally.","origin":"extract"},"notice_type":{"code":"r","label":"Sources Sought"},"schema_version":1,"solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0139","place_of_performance":{"zip":"20006","city":{"name":"Washington"},"state":{"code":"DC"},"street":"Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Acquisition Division 1800 G Street NW","country":{"code":"USA"}},"product_service_code":"R408"},{"dates":{"posted":"2026-07-20","response_deadline":{"raw":"2026-07-21T15:00:00-04:00","utc":"2026-07-21T19:00:00Z","date":"2026-07-21","time":"15:00:00","utc_offset_seconds":-14400}},"links":{"sam":"https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/9ce5255a8b9942c596bdc7f30faa7372/view"},"naics":{"codes":["518210"],"primary":"518210"},"title":"R408--MAIL MANAGEMENT SERVICES ANSWERING VENDOR QUESTIONS","agency":{"office":{"code":"36C10D","name":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)"},"subtier":{"code":"3600","name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF"},"department":{"code":"036","name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF"},"office_address":{"zip":"20006","city":"WASHINGTON","state":"DC","country":"USA"},"organization_type":"OFFICE"},"status":{"active":true,"archive_date":"2026-10-28","archive_type":"auto_custom"},"contacts":[{"name":"Gregory Stevens","role":"primary","email":"gregory.stevens@va.gov","phone":"313-354-2194","title":"Contract Specialist"}],"base_type":{"code":"r","label":"Sources Sought"},"notice_id":"9ce5255a8b9942c596bdc7f30faa7372","provenance":{"extract":{"url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/falextracts/Contract%20Opportunities/datagov/ContractOpportunitiesFullCSV.csv","etag":"\"3f59209463433eba6899e195a597c64d-29\"","fetched_at":"2026-09-16T07:50:12.777658Z","row_sha256":"bc4bc42fe36f1b28ecc8665bf1b0df0a8e138c030f7c9c524f8d7373e28e5c85","last_modified":"2026-09-16T03:30:52Z"},"updated_at":"2026-09-16T07:50:12.777658Z","first_seen_at":"2026-09-16T00:55:28.845070Z"},"description":{"text":"Q1. Please confirm that the VBA receives 41,000 packets per day on average but the ask of the contractor for this TO is to process up to 5-7,000 after the third month. The potential is more as the contractor proves its value. This 5-7,000 is all USPS mail and mail that is being shipped to contractor by VBA RO's. A1. The Government confirms that VBA estimates receiving approximately 41,000 mail packets per day across all centralized mail operations; however, this figure represents the total mail volume processed through the full centralized mail pipeline and is not the contractor's Task 5.14 obligation. Task 5.14 Mail Packet Processing Services is a distinct function separate from mail receipt, scanning, and conversion. It represents human-assisted claims processing actions, analogous to work a claims assistant would perform, on mail packets that automated processing was unable to complete, ensuring mail is actioned the same day it enters a work queue. The contractor's Task 5.14 obligation is to process 5,000 7,000 packets per day following the Month 3 ramp-up period as outlined in Table 5 of PWS Section 5.14. The Government notes that this volume has trended downward over time as mail automation capabilities have matured, though temporary spikes may occur due to automation issues or special projects.","origin":"extract"},"notice_type":{"code":"r","label":"Sources Sought"},"schema_version":1,"solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0139","place_of_performance":{"zip":"20006","city":{"name":"Washington"},"state":{"code":"DC"},"street":"Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Acquisition Division 1800 G Street NW","country":{"code":"USA"}},"product_service_code":"R408"}],"due_at":"2026-07-21T19:00:00Z","due_date":"2026-07-21","closes_at":"2026-07-21T19:00:00Z","awardable":true,"dept_key":"d-036","dept_name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","sub_key":"s-3600","sub_name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","office_key":"o-36C10D","office_name":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)","state":"DC","country":"USA","winner_key":null,"amount":null,"linked_awards":0,"cancelled":false,"archived":false,"updated_at":"2026-09-16T07:31:38.954589Z","principal_notice_id":"9ce5255a8b9942c596bdc7f30faa7372","description":{"text":"Q1. Please confirm that the VBA receives 41,000 packets per day on average but the ask of the contractor for this TO is to process up to 5-7,000 after the third month. The potential is more as the contractor proves its value. This 5-7,000 is all USPS mail and mail that is being shipped to contractor by VBA RO's. A1. The Government confirms that VBA estimates receiving approximately 41,000 mail packets per day across all centralized mail operations; however, this figure represents the total mail volume processed through the full centralized mail pipeline and is not the contractor's Task 5.14 obligation. Task 5.14 Mail Packet Processing Services is a distinct function separate from mail receipt, scanning, and conversion. It represents human-assisted claims processing actions, analogous to work a claims assistant would perform, on mail packets that automated processing was unable to complete, ensuring mail is actioned the same day it enters a work queue. The contractor's Task 5.14 obligation is to process 5,000 7,000 packets per day following the Month 3 ramp-up period as outlined in Table 5 of PWS Section 5.14. The Government notes that this volume has trended downward over time as mail automation capabilities have matured, though temporary spikes may occur due to automation issues or special projects.","html":null,"origin":"extract"},"contacts":[{"name":"Gregory Stevens","role":"primary","email":"gregory.stevens@va.gov","phone":"313-354-2194","title":"Contract Specialist"}],"place_of_performance":{"zip":"20006","city":{"name":"Washington"},"state":{"code":"DC"},"street":"Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Acquisition Division 1800 G Street NW","country":{"code":"USA"}},"office_address":{"zip":"20006","city":"WASHINGTON","state":"DC","country":"USA"},"naics_codes":["518210"],"award":null,"attachments":[],"awards":[],"related":[{"key":"36C10D26Q0188","latest_notice_id":"f258ea391ada42bc9520f6ac92730e83","title":"POWER DRIVEN TOOLS","solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0188","notice_type":"o","first_type":"o","first_posted":"2026-09-03","last_posted":"2026-09-11","notices":2,"due_at":"2026-09-16T21:00:00Z","due_date":"2026-09-16","closes_at":"2026-09-16T21:00:00Z","awardable":true,"open":true,"dept_key":"d-036","dept_name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","sub_key":"s-3600","sub_name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","office_key":"o-36C10D","office_name":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)","naics":"333991","psc":"5130","set_aside":"SBA","state":"NY","country":"USA","winner":null,"winner_key":null,"amount":null,"linked_awards":0,"cancelled":false,"archived":false,"updated_at":"2026-09-16T07:31:38.954589Z"},{"key":"36C10D26Q0204","latest_notice_id":"1f37693774114f9ea2876d52d2edce84","title":"Boston PACs Maintenance Sources Sought Notice","solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0204","notice_type":"r","first_type":"r","first_posted":"2026-09-10","last_posted":"2026-09-10","notices":1,"due_at":"2026-09-18T02:00:00Z","due_date":"2026-09-17","closes_at":"2026-09-18T02:00:00Z","awardable":true,"open":true,"dept_key":"d-036","dept_name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","sub_key":"s-3600","sub_name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","office_key":"o-36C10D","office_name":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)","naics":"561621","psc":"J063","set_aside":null,"state":"MA","country":"USA","winner":null,"winner_key":null,"amount":null,"linked_awards":0,"cancelled":false,"archived":false,"updated_at":"2026-09-16T07:31:38.954589Z"},{"key":"36C10D26Q02001","latest_notice_id":"c130107f8597486f97dbc190025d2b67","title":"CARPET CLEANING SVCS | SEATTLE","solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0200_1","notice_type":"p","first_type":"p","first_posted":"2026-09-14","last_posted":"2026-09-14","notices":1,"due_at":"2026-09-18T15:00:00Z","due_date":"2026-09-18","closes_at":"2026-09-18T15:00:00Z","awardable":true,"open":true,"dept_key":"d-036","dept_name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","sub_key":"s-3600","sub_name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","office_key":"o-36C10D","office_name":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)","naics":"561740","psc":"S214","set_aside":null,"state":"WA","country":"USA","winner":null,"winner_key":null,"amount":null,"linked_awards":0,"cancelled":false,"archived":false,"updated_at":"2026-09-16T07:31:38.954589Z"},{"key":"36C10D26Q0200","latest_notice_id":"853c6f665d5642118bfcc2ea4ca63115","title":"CARPET CLEANING SVCS | SEATTLE","solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0200","notice_type":"o","first_type":"p","first_posted":"2026-09-10","last_posted":"2026-09-14","notices":2,"due_at":"2026-09-18T15:00:00Z","due_date":"2026-09-18","closes_at":"2026-09-18T15:00:00Z","awardable":true,"open":true,"dept_key":"d-036","dept_name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","sub_key":"s-3600","sub_name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","office_key":"o-36C10D","office_name":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)","naics":"561740","psc":"S214","set_aside":null,"state":"WA","country":"USA","winner":null,"winner_key":null,"amount":null,"linked_awards":0,"cancelled":false,"archived":false,"updated_at":"2026-09-16T07:31:38.954589Z"},{"key":"36C10D26Q0206","latest_notice_id":"ee61b713c47749ee9f4219499f7d17ce","title":"AV PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SERVICES","solicitation_number":"36C10D26Q0206","notice_type":"o","first_type":"p","first_posted":"2026-09-14","last_posted":"2026-09-14","notices":2,"due_at":"2026-09-22T17:00:00Z","due_date":"2026-09-22","closes_at":"2026-09-22T17:00:00Z","awardable":true,"open":true,"dept_key":"d-036","dept_name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","sub_key":"s-3600","sub_name":"VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF","office_key":"o-36C10D","office_name":"VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN (36C10D)","naics":"541519","psc":"J059","set_aside":"SDVOSBC","state":"NC","country":"USA","winner":null,"winner_key":null,"amount":null,"linked_awards":0,"cancelled":false,"archived":false,"updated_at":"2026-09-16T07:31:38.954589Z"}]}