VA Boosts Vet Businesses for IT Work Veteran-owned small businesses will be awarded at least seven of 15 places on the Veterans Affairs Department’s $7 billion IT contract. The final RFP for the Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology, or T-4, contract was released July 26. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said the total value of the task order contract could reach $12 billion over five years if other agencies use it for their IT requirements. “This presents great opportunity for veteran-owned small businesses,” Shinseki said at the National Veterans Small Business Conference and Expo in Las Vegas on July 20. “With T-4, you don’t have to settle for smaller subcontracts or set-asides. You can team with other firms to compete for the 15 big contracts. It’s your chance to think big, to think like a prime, and to succeed as one.” Four contracts will be reserved for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and three for other veteran-owned firms. Because the entire contract vehicle is not a set-aside, the small businesses do not have to perform 50% of the work. They can team with large companies to meet the requirements. Shinseki said, “We also reserve the right to set aside task orders for service-disabled and veteran-owned small businesses so that those teaming with big firms actually get the work they have been promised.” Large prime contractors will be required to meet aggressive subcontracting goals—35% for small businesses, including 12% for veteran-owned and 10% for SDVs. The T-4 contract replaces a number of previous IT contracts that VA canceled because they were over budget or behind schedule. It is patterned after an Army T-4 strategy, and Shinseki said VA has hired members of the Army’s contracting team to manage it. The solicitation number is VA11810RP0052. Contact Brandon Utt at 732-578-5426.