Q505--Locum Gastroenterology (GI) Physician Services MSO-2026-COM-0017

The contract for Locum Gastroenterology (GI) Physician Services under solicitation number 36C25726Q0159 is an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) fixed-price contract issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs through the 257-NETWORK Contract Office 17 in San Antonio, Texas. The contract, with a base year beginning June 1, 2026, and four optional years extending through May 31, 2031, seeks to secure the services of four to five board-certified or board-eligible gastroenterologists to support VA medical centers in San Antonio and Kerrville, Texas. The contract is designed to provide flexible staffing solutions with a guaranteed minimum obligation of $17,500 and a statutory ceiling of $17,500,000, with pricing based on all-inclusive hourly rates tied to specific line items for on-site and call-back coverage, though exact rates are not disclosed. The award will be made using a trade-off process that evaluates technical capability, past performance, and price as equally weighted factors, with no guarantee that the lowest-priced offer will be selected. The solicitation requires strict compliance with numerous Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) clauses, including updated provisions related to subcontracting limitations, whistleblower protections, conflicts of interest, system for award management registration and maintenance, and cybersecurity standards. Key contract requirements include adherence to Section 508 accessibility standards for all technology, mandatory compliance with FIPS and NIST guidelines for cryptographic security, and strict enforcement of patient safety, licensing, and documentation timelines as defined by the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. Contractors must certify size and socioeconomic status, though the SDVOSB set-aside has been removed. Special conditions mandate submission of detailed organizational conflict of interest statements, proof of medical liability insurance ($1M per person, $3M aggregate), ACLS/BLS certification, DEA and NPI validity, and compliance with E-Verify. All key personnel must be verified against exclusion lists, pass security clearance checks per HSPD-12 and NISPM, and maintain physical and logical access controls to VA systems. Invoicing must be submitted monthly through the Tungsten Network by the 10th workday of the following month, and services are subject to on-site surveillance and acceptance authority vested solely in the VA’s Contracting Officer and Contracting Officer’s Representative, who are