R499--Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Specific UX, Design, Testing, and Content Development for Mobile Apps (VA-26-00052985)

The Department of Veterans Affairs, through its Technology Acquisition Center in Eatontown, New Jersey, is seeking industry input via a Request for Information (RFI) for PTSD-specific user experience (UX), design, testing, and content development for mobile applications targeting veterans. This solicitation, identified by number 36C10B26Q0518 and classified under NAICS code 541512, is strictly a market research tool and not a formal solicitation for proposals; respondents are explicitly instructed not to submit bids or proposals. The RFI seeks detailed information from companies with demonstrated expertise in clinical psychology, PTSD-specific user research, and trauma-informed mobile application design, particularly those experienced in conducting UX studies with veterans and developing clinically grounded educational content aligned with VA/DoD clinical practice guidelines. Offerors must be able to demonstrate capability in managing safety and risk during participant engagement, ensuring confidentiality across all phases of recruitment, consent, scheduling, reimbursement, tracking, and documentation, while adhering to Section 508 accessibility standards and addressing unique needs such as readability, predictable navigation, and support for users with concentration difficulties or sensory sensitivities. The draft Performance Work Statement outlines that successful respondents must include a Clinical UX Lead capable of integrating trauma-informed methodologies into every stage of testing and content creation. Key requirements involve supporting multiple concurrent UX studies using defined veteran personas, delivering a Contractor Project Management Plan with schedule, milestones, and risk analysis, providing monthly progress reports in Microsoft Word and Project formats, attending weekly status briefings, and producing weekly testing reports that track progress on identified issues through NCPTSD’s issue tracking system. All deliverables must maintain consistency with Apple iOS and Android design standards and validate clinical appropriateness regarding symptom exacerbation, distress tolerance, and engagement. Respondents are required to disclose their business size, SDVOSB status, SAM/VetBiz registration, and compliance with FAR and VAAR clauses related to small business performance and subcontracting. Submissions are limited to ten pages, must be emailed to [email hidden] and [email hidden] by 2:00 PM Eastern Time on June 23, 2026, and must not include proposals. No funding is committed, and the government will not reimburse any costs incurred in responding. The agency is assessing industry capabilities to inform a future acquisition strategy for a contract that will require rigorous clinical oversight, accessibility compliance, and continuous veteran engagement.