This is a SOURCES SOUGHT announcement only. It is neither a solicitation announcement nor a request for proposal or quote and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. Responses to this Sources Sought must be in writing. The purpose of this Sources Sought Announcement is for market research, to make appropriate acquisition decisions, and to gain knowledge of potential qualified businesses capable of providing the following:
Virtual Employee Whole Health Platform for St. Louis VAMC
*** See Statement of Work below for details ***
If this is within your capability, please respond with the information below:
Company Name
Address
Point of Contact
Phone, Fax, and Email
UEI number
GSA Contract (as applicable)
Capability Statement that clearly and convincingly identifies your ability to fulfill this requirement.
Brochures of product being offered to include specifications.
Meet the Buy American statute FAR 52.225-1
Authorized service provider letter from OEM
Interested firms are reminded that in accordance with FAR 4.203, prospective contractors shall complete electronic annual representations and certifications to be considered for award. In addition, FAR 4.203 states that prospective contractors shall be registered in the System for Award Management (www.SAM.gov) database. All Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) and Veteran Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) shall be verified in SBA at Small Business Search .
Point of Contact for this Sources Sought is:
veronica.flores@va.gov
Department of Veterans Affairs
Network Contracting Office -15
3450 S. 4th Street Trafficway
Leavenworth, KS. 66048Â
Statement of Work for Virtual Employee Whole Health Platform
Contract Title. Implement a Virtual Online Employee Whole Health Platform
Background
The VA Saint Louis Healthcare System (VASTLHCS) seeks to procure and implement a comprehensive, enterprise-level, integrated digital Whole Health and wellness platform designed to support all employees across all sites of care (virtual and available via mobile app or computer) and all shifts (24/7).
This initiative supports the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) long-term strategic priority to address:
Occupational stress
Burnout
Compassion Fatigue
Workplace turnover and related workforce shortages
Employee engagement and retention
Enhance mission readiness.
Scope
VASTLHCS is looking to purchase a wellness platform that will deliver an inclusive, user-centered, digital solution designed to improve overall employee health and well-being across all domains of Whole Health while strengthening workforce resilience, morale, and mission readiness.
The platform must provide comprehensive programming across all Whole Health domains and integrate fitness, nutrition, sleep, stress management, financial well-being, chronic disease support, resilience training, and workplace culture tools.
This virtual wellness platform must be:
Accessible to all VASTLHCS employees across all sites of care (including telework, Community Based Outpatient Clinics and annexes, and off-tour staff)
Function 24/7 to be available across all shifts
Configurable for hospital branding and internal communications (e.g., have an interactive message board for posting employee appreciation and promoting internal events for the hospital).
Supportive of inclusive wellness, meaningful recognition, and data-driven engagement
Utilize different learning modalities (e.g., audio-only, videos, modules, articles)
Building and resourcing an Employee Whole Health Program is a communicated priority at every organizational level throughout the VA.
Department of VA FY2026-2030 Strategic Plan
Objective 3.1.3: Foster accountability and recognize excellence to strengthen employee well-being and retention programs.
Objective 5.1.3: Enhance program evaluation and evidence gathering
Objective 5.3.3: Ensure Mission Resilience and continuity of operations
VA St. Louis Health Care System FY25-26 Strategic Priority Goals.
Goal 2: Recruit and Retain a World Class Healthcare Team.
Desired outcomes: The VASTLHCS will foster a culture of a Learning Organization to engage and develop employees in a supportive and innovative environment. Every employee on the VASTLHCS team is key to providing World Class Care to our Veterans. Emphasis will be placed on developing a world class healthcare team through recruitment, retention, engagement, and employee well-being activities.
Enhance employee wellbeing by promoting a healthy work environment that improves satisfaction and work-life balance.
Create an environment that promotes comfort, productivity, and safety.
Goal 3: Investing in Today, Resourcing the Future.
Desired outcomes: The VASTLHCS is a high reliability organization that maximizes innovation, technology, infrastructure, teamwork, and resources to deliver world class care to Veterans.
This comprehensive wellness platform will address gaps in the STL VA HCS Employee Whole Health Program by providing employees the tools to support increased employee wellness and resilience to improve employee health, satisfaction, and mission readiness.
Per VHA Directive 1445, establishing a robust Employee Whole Health Program is a priority for each VA medical center facility and supports VA initiative to reduce employee burnout and turnover, and enhance workforce resilience and talent retention.
Specific Tasks
Comprehensive Whole Health Programming: The contractor must provide regularly updated, evidence-based (ensuring content accuracy and credentials instructors when applicable), educational and interactive content in multiple formats that support all learning styles and preferences (video, audio-only, podcasts, live webinars, toolkits, quizzes and games to increase interactive engagement with content). Programming must include:
Fitness and Movement: On-demand and schedulable fitness classes adaptable to all ability levels, short-duration movement modules that adhere to time constraints of work breaks (e.g., less than 15 minutes), stretching and ergonomic programs, adaptive workouts, prenatal classes, fitness and movement screenings
Nutrition and Metabolic Health: Healthy meal planning tools, recipes with video instruction, metabolic health education, chronic disease management support (e.g., diabetes, pain management/anti-inflammatory diet)
Sleep and recharge: Sleep improvement programs, fatigue management resources, stress recovery strategies
Mindfulness and Cognitive Resilience: Mindfulness training, stress reduction strategies, gratitude practices, mind-body programming
Financial and Occupational Well-being: Financial wellness education, work-life balance support, time management and productivity training
Social and Workplace culture: Collaboration tools, newsfeed for celebrations (milestones, birthdays, team wins), community groups and engagement forums, regular and customizable team-based wellness challenges across various domains of wellness, recognition tools aligned with organizational values to promote positive health behaviors and strengthen workplace culture, community engagement forums
Personal Development: community engagement, values exploration, productivity enhancement strategies, strategies to improve goal setting and attainment
Spirit and Soul: mind-body-spirit classes, spiritual wellness activities, self-discovery exercises
Surroundings: decluttering to boost productivity, creating calm environments, ergonomics and safety at work
A self-guided digital health hub for employees with:
Health risk assessments and screenings (e.g., age, risk factors, family health) to support personalized health planning
Option for employees to use in-app habit tracking or similar task-completion tracking/logs (e.g., food log, hydration tracker, sleep log), with the capacity to integrate with individual s personal activity trackers (e.g., Apple or Samsung Health Apps, FitBit, Garmin, etc.)
Activity and program engagement tracking and ability to incentivize engagement with gamification of participation (e.g., personal progress dashboard, customizable leadership boards)
Values-based goal setting to help employees customize recommendations
AI-supported evidence-based recommendations and search feature that is able to capture key words in description of the content (not limited only to a title search)
Predictive analytics to support engagement and behavior change
Engagement model to increase sustained engagement by including:
Interactive, customizable, and unlimited number of wellness challenges that can occur across different areas of health
Customizable rewards-based participation structure
Pulse checks, knowledge check-ins, or similar function to promote more active engagement rather than passive viewing
Leaderboards that can be customized to teams or based on challenges or different thematic content
A newsfeed for a curated stream of updates, posts, and interactions for St. Louis VA employees to allow for promotion of local offerings and initiatives, celebration of employee milestones (e.g., birthdays, years of VA service) and recognition badges for positive reinforcement for health behavior engagement. Administrators must be able to manage newsfeed settings and edit posts if needed.
The platform must have the ability for customization and branding with the ability to:
Configure the platform to reflect VASTLHCS branding
Customize homepage and newsfeed to highlight local offerings and initiatives
Provide co-branded marketing materials
Support internal communications strategy and launch campaign planning
In addition to regular on-demand library, the platform must provide hosting and event capabilities, such as hosting Employee Whole Health created webinars, Lunch and Learns, and live virtual wellness events. Platform may be able to provide onsite screenings or participation in in-person Wellness Fairs to promote engagement and provide screenings (e.g., body composition scans) per request.
Deliver measurable ROI and workforce impact data (see performance monitoring)
Will provide a library of marketing and communication materials (i.e., promotional flyers, videos) for VASTLHCS distribution and promotion. This includes logo files which may be customized by VASTLHCS, as well as monthly marketing campaigns that VASTLHCS may use to encourage employee usage of the service.
Will provide support for kick-off event(s) prior to launching the service aimed at introducing the platform to employees and including demonstration of the technical aspects of the service. Will include marketing resources for the kick-off campaign.
Licensing and Access:
Preference for an active-user model payment system (cost-per-engaged user) to maximize efficiency and reduce spending waste compared to flat-rate pricing; if active-user model is not available, a flat-rate option for at least a minimum of 1800 employee licenses to access the online platform based on a 50% estimated utilization
Dedicated customer success manager to work directly with VA platform administrators to support content development specific to the needs of VASTLHCS employees.
A comprehensive launch campaign (emails, flyers) including virtual and onsite Enrollment Fairs to drive employee engagement.
Ensure unlimited 24/7 employee access via web and mobile applications, with customizable challenges, playlists, and communities, with the ability to customize the landing & registration page. Content available in multiple formats (e.g., video, podcasts, articles, live webinars, quizzes).
Provide technical support for administrators and end-users, including troubleshooting.
Performance Monitoring
The Contractor will provide integration and setup of online platform to include ongoing maintenance of inactive and new user access.
Is responsible for ensuring the consistent functioning of all virtual static content, streaming content, and end-user customizable features.
VA administrators, such as the Employee Whole Health Coordinator or Whole Health Program Manager, will have access to the analytics dashboard which provide insights into utilization metrics, engagement trends, department-level break downs, participation by category, aggregate-only (no personal health information) health outcome trends, and predictive analytics insights to drive programming planning, predictive analytics to support decision making for programming to enhance employee engagement
Monthly utilization reports will be sent to the Employee Whole Health Coordinator or Whole Health Program Manager outlining participant usage data
At least quarterly planning meeting with contractor points of contact to review the quarterly summary report including data on measurable ROI/workforce impact data
Ongoing accessibility monitoring of Employee Whole Health program delivery and electronic/information technology and standardizing compliance review.
Security Requirements
No protected Personal Health Information will be provided to the VA. All data and reports will be provided in aggregate, not individual, format to maintain employee anonymity.
Contractor will maintain IT security standards to protect any shared personal subscriber information.
The Authorization requirements do not apply, and that a Security Accreditation Package is not required.
The C&A requirements do not apply.
Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE)/Government-Furnished Information (GFI)
GFE not applicable. All services are virtual in nature with no equipment purchases necessary.
The contractor will be supplied monthly with a list of current staff first name, last name, and email address.
Other Pertinent Information or Special Considerations
It must be understood that, throughout performance of the contract, must the contractor or associated VASTLHCS points of contact recognize a breach of terms of this agreement, this will be communicated, and the contractor will make all reasonable attempts to resolve the problem.
The Contracting Officer s Representative (COR) or designee may periodically consult with the Contractor to ensure the Contractor is adhering to the proposed standards.
Start Time: Employee access to app and platform will start as agreed upon between the Contractor and the Whole Health and Employee Whole Health Coordinators without undue delay.
The Contractor and their personnel will follow all VA policies, standard operating procedures and applicable laws and regulations while on VA property. The Contractor and their personnel will always wear visible identification while they are on VA property.
The preliminary and final deliverables, and all associated working papers, application source code, and other material deemed relevant by the VA which has been generated by the Contractor in the performance of this request are the exclusive property of the U.S. Government and must be submitted to the contracting officer (CO) at the conclusion of the request.
The CO will be the sole authorized official to release, verbally or in writing, any data, draft deliverables, final deliverables, or any other written or printed materials pertaining to this request. No information must be release by the Contractor. Any request for information relating to this task order, presented to the Contractor, must be submitted to the CO for response.
Press releases, marketing materials or any other printed or electronic documentation related to this project must not be publicized without the written approval of the CO and the Whole Health and Employee Whole Health Coordinators.                Â
Risk Control
There are no risks pertaining to safety, patient issues or infection control. All services are virtual in nature with no involvement in patient care.
Place of Performance
STL VA HCS, to include both main campuses, annexes, Community Based Outpatient Clinics, and telework locations.
The platform must be accessible anywhere via internet-enabled devices.
Period of Performance and Schedule
Contract period of performance dates:
Base Period: 9/01/2026 8/31/2027
Option Period I: 9/01/2027 8/31/2028
Option Period II: 9/01/2028 8/31/2029
Option Period III: 9/01/2029-8/31/2030
Option Period IV: 9/01/2030 - 8/31/2031
The virtual online platform will be available 24 hours a day to any active VASTLHCS staff member.
Delivery Schedule
Access to Virtual Employee Whole Health Platform will begin on 9/01/2026.
Once the platform is launched, a virtual launch party & onsite enrollment fair will commence by 11/01/2026.
With collaboration between Whole Health Program Staff and Contractor, the contractor a wellness champion event to occur between 10/01/2026 and 02/29/2027.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Records Management Language for Contracts
Citations to pertinent laws, codes and regulations such as 44 U.S.C. Chapter 21, 29, 31 and 33; Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552); Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a); 36 CFR Part 1222 and Part 1228.
Contractor must treat all deliverables under the contract as the property of the U.S. Government for which the Government Agency must have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest.
Contractor must not create or maintain any records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract using Government IT equipment and/or Government records.
Contractor must not retain, use, sell, or disseminate copies of any deliverable that contains information covered by the Privacy Act of 1974 or that which is generally protected by the Freedom of Information Act.
Contractor must not create or maintain any records containing any Government Agency records that are not specifically tied to or authorized by the contract.
The Government Agency owns the rights to all data/records produced as part of this contract.
The Government Agency owns the rights to all electronic information (electronic data, electronic information systems, electronic databases, etc.) and all supporting documentation created as part of this contract. Contractor must deliver sufficient technical documentation with all data deliverables to permit the agency to use the data.
Contractor agrees to comply with Federal and Agency records management policies, including those policies associated with the safeguarding of records covered by the Privacy Act of 1974. These policies include the preservation of all records created or received regardless of format [paper, electronic, etc.] or mode of transmission [e-mail, fax, etc.] or state of completion [draft, final, etc.].
No disposition of documents will be allowed without the prior written consent of the Contracting Officer. The Agency and its contractors are responsible for preventing the alienation or unauthorized destruction of records, including all forms of mutilation. Willful and unlawful destruction, damage or alienation of Federal records is subject to the fines and penalties imposed by 18 U.S.C. 2701. Records may not be removed from the legal custody of the Agency or destroyed without regard to the provisions of the agency records schedules.
Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material and/or records generated under or relating to this contract. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and Agency guidance for protecting sensitive and proprietary information.
Definitions and Acronyms
VASTLHCS: VA St. Louis HealthCare System
VHA: Veterans Health Administration
VISN: Veterans Integrated Service Network
FY: Fiscal Year
IT: Information Technology
