DOCUMENT
99 -- BAA for Kidney Disease - Attachment
- Notice Date
- 6/2/2017
- Notice Type
- Attachment
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of Veterans Affairs;Technology Acquisition Center;23 Christopher Way;Eatontown NJ 07724
- ZIP Code
- 07724
- Solicitation Number
- VA11817R2144
- Archive Date
- 9/9/2017
- Point of Contact
- Raymond Mesler, raymond.mesler@va.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Innovation (VACI) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Kidney Disease 2017 VA118-17-R-2144 1 INTRODUCTION As an innovation engine within the Department of Veterans Affairs, the vision of the VA Center for Innovation (VACI) is a VA innovating at the forefront of science and research, service delivery, and employee empowerment. VACI leads this vision through development of organizational capability, delivery of operational breakthroughs, and by driving futures. VACI is committed to developing and employing agile mechanisms that allow VA to source incremental and transformational innovations in order to best serve Veterans and their families. This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) opportunity seeks to source and fund early stage research, development, prototyping, and piloting with an overall goal of moving forward the state of the art. VACI invites all potential offerors (including private sector companies, non-profits, and institutions of higher learning) to contribute ideas for innovations in Kidney Disease prevention, care coordination, and treatment that significantly increase Veteran access to services, reduce or control costs of delivering those services, enhance the performance of VA operations, and improve the quality of service that Veterans and their families receive. NOTE: This BAA is an expression of interest only and does not commit the Government to make an award or pay concept paper or proposal preparation costs generated in response to this announcement. The cost of concept paper and proposal preparation for a response to a BAA is not considered an allowable direct charge to any resultant contract or any other contract. All questions shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer (CO) (Carol Newcomb, 732-795-1018, Carol.Newcomb@va.gov). GENERAL INFORMATION This BAA for Kidney Disease is structured to allow for a competition cycle, which consists of submission of concept paper followed by an invitation only proposal, to select projects to be funded for an initial development phase and option period phase for subsequent field test/piloting. VA seeks solutions that can be developed, piloted, and evaluated within a 12-24 month period. This total period must include all time required for prototype testing and evaluation and for evaluation of field test results. The objectives of the Phases are as follows: Development Phase (contract base period - up to 12 months): This phase is intended to develop new and untested ideas and technologies or novel customization and application of existing technologies that have the potential to provide benefits outweighing all costs, with results that significantly exceed currently deployed solutions. Technologies, care coordination, education and treatment products submitted as Development Proposals shall achieve a working prototype or test system. Field Test (Piloting) Phase (contract optional period: up to 12 months): This phase is intended to field test and evaluate the solution developed in the Development Phase. Solutions shall be repeatable and ready for small-scale deployment at the VISN or facility level. Predominantly we are seeking projects that offer a development phase plus a field testing/piloting optional phase. Offerors who do not require a development phase may choose to submit only a proposal for field test/piloting phase as the base contract period. In this case, the period of performance is limited to a 1 year base period and no option period. Submission Dates: Stage 1: Concept Papers-Submissions will be accepted from June 14, 2017- August 14, 2017. In response to this BAA solicitation, Concept Papers must be submitted to VA s Virtual Office of Acquisition Portal at: https://www.voa.va.gov/default.aspx?PageId=-2 no later than 11:59 PM ET on August 14, 2017. VA will attempt to review and reply to all Concept Paper submissions as soon as is feasible with a target date of approximately sixty (60) calendar days following the Concept Paper submission close date of August 14, 2017. Stage 2: Proposals -Submission will be accepted only upon written request and notification by a VA Contracting Officer. Offerors will have 30 days to prepare a full proposal for submission. See Section IV for concept paper and proposal submission instructions. Authority: This BAA is issued under the provisions of Parts 35.016 and 6.102(d)(2) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which provides for the competitive selection of proposals submitted in response to this announcement. Accordingly, proposals selected for award are considered to be the result of full and open competition and fully compliant with PL 98-369, entitled The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984. Eligible Participants: All responsible sources capable of satisfying the objective of this BAA are encouraged to reply in accordance with the instructions specified herein. Private for profit and not-for-profit entities, and institutions of higher education are eligible to apply. Small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, Veteran owned small businesses, and service-disabled Veteran owned small businesses are encouraged to submit concept papers for this solicitation. NOTE: In order to conduct business with the Government, Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database. Standards of Conduct and Conflict of Interest: Current VA employees, including staff, clinicians, and uncompensated employees, are prohibited from participating in particular matters involving conflicting financial, employment, and representational interests (see, e.g., 18 U.S.C. § § 203, 205 & 208). Therefore, they may not legally participate in concept paper or proposal preparation. With respect to any proposals that may ultimately be submitted in response to this BAA, proposers are notified that the government will assess all submissions for the existence or appearance of any potential conflicts of interest. Notwithstanding any government assessment that shall be conducted as a result of proposal submissions, it is principally incumbent upon the party submitting any proposal to the government for funding consideration to assess all facts relevant to the existence or potential existence of a conflict of interest and disclose such information the government for appropriate consideration. Type of Contract that may be Awarded: The Government intends to use only Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract(s) when making awards resulting from this BAA. Multiple awards are anticipated although no commitments or promises are made in this regard. Total Funding Availability for Award(s): Although VA plans to award multiple contracts through this BAA, no funding has been specifically reserved for this announcement at this time. The following contract funding limits have been established: Development Phase -maximum funding is $250,000.00 Field Test/Piloting Phase-maximum funding is $500,000.00 Combined Development Phase and Field Test/Piloting Phase -maximum funding is $750,000.00 Open Source Software: For technology-based proposals, open source software solutions are encouraged and preferred. Effective deployment of Open Source Software lowers Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), produces better documented and higher quality software code, and enhances health information technology interoperability by employing open standards, open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and open data. Questions: Interested parties may submit questions related to the BAA solicitation directly to both Carol Newcomb (Carol.Newcomb@va.gov) and Raymond Mesler (Raymond.Mesler@va.gov). Please state BAA Question in the subject line of the email. The deadline for submission of questions is July 31, 2017. Responses to the questions will be provided via an amendment to the BAA. III. AREAS OF INTEREST This section of the BAA contains statements of particular fields of interest to the subject VACI Industry Competition. All questions regarding this BAA shall be directed to the Contracting Officer. Background: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is particularly common in the Veteran population. While it impacts approximately 1 in 7 Americans, it affects 1 in 6 Veterans. In fact, CKD is the 4th most diagnosed disease within the VA. Most Veterans with CKD are cared for by a VA multidisciplinary Primary Care team, supported by nephrology specialty care consultants, aligned with the Wagner Chronic Disease Care Model. Over 13,000 Veterans develop end stage kidney disease (ESKD) every year, disproportionately affecting non-Hispanic Whites and those of Hispanic ethnicity. Veterans may receive care for ESKD at any of 71 VA operated maintenance dialysis units, or in the community when needed. In addition, they may opt to pursue transplantation at any of 7 regional VA kidney transplant centers. The high volume of illness and the exorbitant economic and human toll that CKD exacts on the Veteran population, render CKD a healthcare crisis. Compared to cost of caring for this population (estimated at $18 billion for VA), research is underfunded both in- and out-side the VA. Due to the high volume and expenditures related to the care of Americans affected by CKD, there is a critical need for innovation to treat and prevent the disease. The VA s four-fold mission includes delivery of excellence in health care, research, education, and support of the nation in times of crisis. The agency has a noteworthy legacy of innovation in kidney disease clinical care. The VA in fact was the first national healthcare system to adopt hemodialysis technology in the US in the early 1960 s. Following the development of the arterio-venous shunt in 1960 by a VA Seattle physician (Dr Belding Scribner), and the Cimino-Brescia arteriovenous fistula (AVF) at the Bronx VA in 1966, the VA led the paradigm change in dialytic support in the US. Combining dialysis technology with durable arteriovenous access enabled the delivery of maintenance dialysis for people with end stage renal disease. The VA became the first national US health system to provide maintenance dialysis for the population it served. Since then, the VA has continued to support innovation in kidney research, contributing seminal findings related to our understanding of kidney physiology and to the optimized treatment of patients with kidney disease. To address the need for innovation in kidney disease, VA seeks innovations across 4 primary topic areas: Kidney Disease Prevention and Treatment Data Science Advances to Improve Health Care of People with Kidney Disease Rehabilitation of Patients with Kidney Failure Education for People with or at Risk for Kidney Disease and/or their Caregivers NOTE: When responding/inquiring on a specific area of interest, refer to the Topic Number as well as the Topic Title, as identified below. Topic Number: 0001 Topic Title: Kidney Disease Prevention and Treatment Topic Detail: Impaired access to care is a driver of poor health outcomes and perpetuates healthcare disparities experienced by people with kidney disease. As defined by AHRQ (https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/prevention-chronic-care/improve/system/index.html) health care/system redesign involves making systematic changes to primary care practices and health systems to improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of patient care. VA Health system redesign is needed to mitigate the system-level factors that impair Veteran access to care related to kidney disease prevention and treatment. Early detection of incipient kidney disease could potentially reduce disparities in the health of Veterans with kidney disease. In order to optimize CKD detection and prevention, there may be a need for studies of novel testing strategies for kidney injury and early dysfunction. The feasibility and validation of diagnostic efforts to identify kidney disease before CKD has become established clinically and to prevent CKD onset may have the greatest potential for reducing the overall morbidity and costs of CKD. Demonstrations of cost effective interventions that could improve the kidney health of the Veteran population are sought. VA is especially interested in innovations that target the following areas: Novel models of care, interventions, or technologies that improve nephrology and/or primary care s ability to detect, prevent, and treat CKD and end stage kidney disease Innovations that address access issues and healthcare disparities and promote equity in healthcare Innovations in kidney disease diagnostics References for initiatives related to VA access to kidney care initiatives: Crowley, ST et al. Targeting access to kidney care via telehealth: the VA experience. Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease Jan 24(1):22-30, 2017. CKD incidence among Veterans in rural areas: http://www.ruralhealth.va.gov/docs/atlas/Chapter16_Chronic_Renal_Failure_508.pdf Topic Number: 0002 Topic Title: Data Science Advances to Improve Health Care of People with Kidney Disease Topic Detail: People with kidney disease typically suffer from complex comorbidity, frequent hospitalization, and experience numerous care transitions, resulting in increased opportunity for harm. The VA is unique in its national, comprehensive data sources, which if better leveraged could improve the wellbeing of Veterans with kidney disease and substantially reduce avoidable health care utilization and expenditures. In addition, with the growth of community partnerships to deliver care to Veterans with kidney disease, enhanced capture and understanding of the quality and value of non-VA care is essential to VA strategic planning. The rapidly evolving field of data science offers unparalleled opportunities to enhance the wellbeing of individuals, and that of the Veteran population at risk for kidney disease. Accessible and dynamic population health surveillance tools that enable comparative analyses of Veteran care, integrated across provider settings are sought. Novel tools that facilitate data analytics and use of novel and unstructured data to improve the kidney health of individuals as well as the Veteran population in general are needed. Exploration of prognostic models that attempt to forecast outcomes of relevance (for example, hospital admissions, fistula failure, and other adverse outcomes) along with analytics to predict response to therapies and treatments are of interest to the VA. Work flow embedded tools that facilitate care coordination and communication are desired. VA is especially interested in, but not limited to, innovations that target the following areas: Big data aggregation initiatives (genomic data sets, active and passively collected health data, digitized data from wireless devices) to enable kidney population surveillance analysis and reporting Advances in analytics techniques ( machine learning, artificial intelligence, natural language processing) CKD care quality/coordination/communication/ end user tool development Identification of individuals at risk for kidney disease Topic Number: 0003 Topic Title: Rehabilitation of Patients with Kidney Failure Topic Detail: People with kidney disease suffer impaired QOL (health related quality of life) and other poor outcomes both from the disease itself and its burdensome treatment. Transformation in the delivery of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) is required to rehabilitate Veterans with kidney failure, aligning their care with their goals and values. Emerging technologies that exploit physicochemical properties of fabricated materials and regenerative properties of progenitor kidney cells offer promise of novel bionic therapy. Health system changes that promote rehabilitation through more effective care plan development, starting with the values of the person with kidney disease, are needed. And tools and health system requirements to be able to understand the limits and opportunities for both personalized dialysis therapy and preemptive kidney transplantation to advance the rehabilitation of Veterans with kidney failure are required. VA is especially interested in innovations that target the following areas: Clinical implementation of regenerative medical technologic advances in bionics, wearables, and implantable device Innovations to understand, & advance safe deceased and living donor kidney transplantation, focusing on potentially vulnerable groups (disabled, minorities, young child bearing aged women, and others); development and testing of living donor transplantation education and outreach strategies that utilize patient advocates Development and testing of alternative paradigms of KRT such as the following examples: incremental, self-care, assisted care, home KRT, preservation of residual kidney function, and conservative care Topic Number: 0004 Topic Title: Education for People with or at Risk for Kidney Disease and/or their Caregivers Topic Detail: Veterans and their caregivers experience multiple challenges that limit their awareness for the risks, behavior and the management of their kidney disease. In keeping with the VA principle of delivering patient centered care, improving Veteran health literacy that facilitates informed health decisions and developing the point of care decision aids that solicit Veteran goals and preferences would be useful. Nutrition is a key means by which kidney disease may be delayed, but there is a dearth of understandable tools that positively educate Veterans and their caregivers about medical nutrition therapy and other lifestyle interventions such as exercise, fitness, and weight control. Veterans with kidney disease often require substantial psychosocial and economic support from providers and caregivers, yet little is known about how VA can best support psychosocial health and economic support for those with kidney disease and their caregivers. Processes (e.g. system changes, implementation protocols) or tools (e.g. handouts, videos, apps, personalized decision tools, educational programs, gamification and incentive structures, and demonstrations) to improve the health literacy and autonomy of Veterans with kidney disease, and optimize caregiver support with potential to decrease long term costs to health care delivered for patients with kidney disease are sought. VA is especially interested in innovations that target the following areas: Patient awareness of kidney disease & decision aids Patient directed medical nutrition and lifestyle therapy Caregiver support and medical support communities Examples of existing VA resources for reference include the following: e-Kidney clinic: https://www.va.gov/health/services/renal/ Nutrition and Food Services: https://www.nutrition.va.gov/Kidney.asp
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- File Name: VA118-17-R-2144 VA118-17-R-2144_1.docx (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=3546061&FileName=VA118-17-R-2144-001.docx)
- Link: https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=3546061&FileName=VA118-17-R-2144-001.docx
- File Name: VA118-17-R-2144 VACI BAA FY17 Kidney Disease 5.24.17.pdf (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=3546062&FileName=VA118-17-R-2144-002.pdf)
- Link: https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=3546062&FileName=VA118-17-R-2144-002.pdf
- Note: If links are broken, refer to Point of Contact above or contact the FBO Help Desk at 877-472-3779.
- File Name: VA118-17-R-2144 VA118-17-R-2144_1.docx (https://www.vendorportal.ecms.va.gov/FBODocumentServer/DocumentServer.aspx?DocumentId=3546061&FileName=VA118-17-R-2144-001.docx)
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- SN04531497-W 20170604/170602235152-804219aac5134e14171bec5e27f301b0 (fbodaily.com)
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