Custom Insoles in support of VA Puget Sound Healthcare, Research and Development, Seattle, WA

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a solicitation for bids, proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement. The responses received from interested contractors will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method.

The intended contract is a firm-fixed price.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office (NCO) 20, is conducting market research to identify potential sources which can provide the following in support of the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Research and Development located at 1660 South Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108-1532.

VA Puget Sound Healthcare System, Research and Development has a need for a base plus one (1) option year contract for custom insoles based on images captured by three VA clinicians for research activities.

RESPONSES SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: Company name, address, SAM UEI, and business size; point of contact name, phone number, and e-mail address; whether supplies/services are presently offered on a current GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract, NASA SEWP, or any other Federal contract. If offering a system with similar physical characteristics, please include business size of manufacturer for Non-Manufacturer Rule (NMR) determination. NAICS Code 339113, 800 employees, is applicable to determine business size standard. This NAICS code is not subject to a waiver. PSC code is 6515. Any questions or concerns may also be directed via email to Jennifer Robles at jennifer.robles1@va.gov.

No used, refurbished, or remanufactured supplies or equipment/parts shall be provided. This procurement is for new Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) items only. No gray market items shall be provided. Gray market items are OEM goods intentionally or unintentionally sold outside an authorized sales territory or sold by non-authorized dealers in an authorized sales territory.
Vendor shall be an OEM, authorized dealer, authorized distributor, or authorized reseller for the custom insoles, verified by an authorization letter or other documents from the OEM provided at the time of offer. All software licensing, warranty and service associated with the equipment/system shall be in accordance with the OEM terms and conditions. There are no exceptions to this requirement!

For potential set-asides: Please indicate in your response whether you can comply with VAAR 852.219-76, VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting and/or FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (e.g., will not pay more than 50 percent of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities) should a set-aside be considered.

Full text of clauses can be found here:
• 852.219-75, VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting: https://www.va.gov/oal/library/vaar/vaar852.asp#85221976
• FAR 52.219-14: https://www.acquisition.gov/far-overhaul/far-part-deviation-guide/far-overhaul-part-52#FAR_52_219_14

PLEASE READ BELOW FOR DETAILS ON THIS REQUIREMENT:

Background:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Research and Development requires contractor support to provide custom insoles based on images captured by three VA clinicians thought the base year. These services are necessary to ensure uninterrupted support for ongoing research activities and compliance with applicable VA and federal requirements.

Objective:
The objective of this procurement is to obtain qualified contractor support to provide insoles that meet the requirements outlines in this Statement of Work (SOW).

Scope of Work/Salient Characteristics:
The contractor shall provide all labor, equipment, materials, supervision, and quality control necessary to successfully manufacture and deliver finished custom insoles in accordance with this SOW. All work shall be performed in a professional manner and comply with applicable industry standards and contract requirements.
a. The contractor shall manufacture custom lattice insoles using additive manufacturing processes from furnished CAD files. These insoles are customized to meet the study requirements and comprehensive methods evaluating the plantar surface.
b. The contractor shall provide all labor, equipment, materials, quality control, and technical expertise necessary to produce finished insoles that meet the approved design specifications.
c. Each contract year the contractor shall:
i. Provide five sets of insoles for each participant.
ii. 100 left insoles
iii. 100 right insoles
iv. Coordinate with the COR regarding scheduling and performance.
v. Comply with all applicable federal, VA, and local regulations.
vi. Maintain professional standards throughout the period of performance.
Government-Furnished Information:
a. CAD files for each custom insole.
b. Design specifications and manufacturing requirements, as applicable.
c. Delivery instructions, fees, and points of contact.

Contractor Requirements
a. The contractor shall:
i. Upon receipt of the customer-provided CAD files for the insoles, the contractor shall begin the manufacturing process by using Carbon Design Engine to generate the required lattice structure in accordance with the approved design specifications. Following completion of the lattice generation process, the insoles shall be prepared for additive manufacturing and printed using a Carbon3D L1 printer with Carbon 3D EPU 41 resin.
ii. Upon completion of the print cycle, the printed insoles will then be cleaned using Heinzen centrifugal spinner to evacuate much of the resin. The insoles shall then be removed from the build plate and immersed in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) for a final cleaning to remove any remaining resin residue.
iii. After cleaning, the insoles shall be placed on parchment paper and thermally cured in a forced-convection oven in accordance with the resin manufacturer’s recommended curing parameters.
iv. Following completion of the thermal curing process, the insoles shall be considered fully manufactured and ready for any required inspection and packaging.
v. Deliver the finished insoles in accordance with Government-provided delivery instructions.

Quality Assurance
a. The contractor shall maintain a documented quality control process to ensure that all finished insoles:
i. Are manufactured from the Government-approved CAD files.
ii. Meet the required dimensional and structural specifications.
iii. Are free from cracks, delamination, warping, contamination, incomplete curing, or other manufacturing defects.
iv. Are fully cleaned and cured prior to delivery.
b. Any product failing to meet these requirements shall be remanufactured at no additional cost to the Government.

Deliverables:
a. The contractor shall provide:
i. Finished custom insoles.
ii. Inspection documentation, if requested.

Acceptance Criteria:
a. The Government will inspect the delivered insoles for compliance with the requirements of this SOW.
b. Any deliverables determined to be nonconforming shall be corrected or remanufactured by the contractor at no additional cost to the Government.

Potential candidates having the capabilities necessary to provide the stated supplies at a fair and reasonable price are invited to respond to this Sources Sought Notice via e-mail to Jennifer Robles at jennifer.robles1@va.gov no later than July 21, 2026, 1PM, Mountain Time. No telephone inquiries will be accepted.

Disclaimer and Important Notes: This Sources Sought Notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. The Government will treat any information received as proprietary and will not share such information with other companies. Any organization responding to this Sources Sought Notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. The Government may or may not issue a solicitation as a result of this announcement. There is no solicitation available at this time.