FY26 Longitudinal Study Congressionally mandated Longitudinal Study, required per Public Law 110-389, Section 334   2

Background
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing this solicitation for a firm-fixed-price contract to conduct a Congressionally mandated Longitudinal Study as required by Public Law 110-389, Section 334. The goal of the contract is to collect and analyze data on Veterans participating in the VA's Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Chapter 31 program, providing insights into their short and long-term outcomes.

Work Details
The Contractor shall provide all necessary resources to accomplish the following tasks:

1. **Project Management Plan and Briefing**: Develop a detailed Project Management Plan (PMP) within ten business days after contract award, including the technical approach, management plan, organizational structure, and resources.

2. **VR&E Chapter 31 Mock Up Reports**: Create a mock-up of an annual report that demonstrates how data will be analyzed and presented.

3. **Monthly Progress Reports**: Submit monthly reports detailing completed work, upcoming tasks, and any issues encountered.

4. **Survey Collection and Distribution**: Print and distribute surveys to up to 50,000 Veterans via mail, web, and telephone while ensuring compliance with statistical validity requirements. Host a compliant website for survey completion with 95% uptime. Provide toll-free assistance for respondents.

5. **Annual Report Preparation**: Analyze collected data and prepare an annual report summarizing outcomes for submission to Congress by March 5th each year. Ensure the report is 508-compliant in PDF format.

6. **OMB Documentation (Optional)**: Assist in developing documentation for OMB approval of survey instruments as per Paperwork Reduction Act requirements.

Period of Performance
Base period from September 29, 2026, to September 28, 2027, with four optional one-year extensions through September 28, 2031.

Place of Performance
Contractor's place of work with specific reviews at VA locations as needed.

Bidder Requirements
Bidders must demonstrate at least three years of experience in writing annual reports for similar studies and provide key personnel with relevant expertise in VR&E policies and procedures.