The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued the final Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Secure Performant Reliable and User-Centered Experiences (SPRUCE) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. Building on the success of the prior IDIQ, CEDAR (Customer Experience, DevOps, and Agile Releases), SPRUCE aims to streamline the VA’s access to modern commercial services for delivering exceptional digital products.
SPRUCE is a 100% set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB). The agency anticipates issuing 8 awards on this IDIQ worth a total of $2.4B.
It’s a quick turnaround for proposals, which are due December 13. If you want support on this sprint, don’t hesitate to call OST Global Solutions for help preparing a winning proposal.
The contract vehicle focuses on a range of services including software development, technical advising, service design, data science, and product support operations. The contract aligns with federal initiatives such as the National Cybersecurity Strategy and the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB’s) Digital Services Playbook, emphasizing rapid adoption of best practices in commercial technology and design.
SPRUCE at a Glance
- Scope of Work: SPRUCE focuses on delivering high-quality digital products, including software development and operations, technical advising, architecture planning, service design, user research studies, data science and analytics, and product support operations.
- NAICS: 541519 (Other Computer Related Services).
- Who Can Bid: The SPRUCE IDIQ is a 100% set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB).
- Value: Total value of $2.4B. Estimated $560 million per year, significantly larger than CEDAR’s shared award of $247.2 million.
- Awardees: 8 planned (double the number from CEDAR). However, the Government may also increase the number of awards, if the agency determines that it’s in its best interest.
- Task Orders: Time and Materials (T&M), Labor Hour, or Firm Fixed Price (FFP).
- Set-Asides: 100% for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses.
- Proposal Due Date: December 13, 2023.
The First Volume Case Study: A Critical Proposal Element
The SPRUCE proposal consists of five distinct volumes. The first volume, a case study, is evaluated on a strict Pass/Fail basis. If your proposal is rejected at this stage, the VA will not read any additional volumes you have submitted. A misstep here could mean missing out entirely.
Crafting a winning proposal for SPRUCE demands not just compliance but strategic insight.
How OST Global Solutions Can Help
- Full-Spectrum Proposal Management: From the initial concept to the final submission, OST manages your entire proposal. We handle everything—writing, graphics, pricing, and more.
- Expanding Your Team’s Capabilities: Need extra manpower? We provide seasoned consultants to bolster your team, bringing expertise and efficiency.
- Agile, Tailored Approach: Our six-phase agile proposal process is custom-fit to your proposal’s needs, ensuring a dynamic and responsive approach.
- Rapid Response Team: Our agile team is ready to deploy, ensuring your proposal is developed swiftly without sacrificing quality.
- Efficiency Meets Expertise: We merge speed with our in-depth understanding of federal proposals, ensuring your submission is not only timely but also strategically aligned with VA’s objectives.
Precision and Excellence in Proposal Development
Our services cover all aspects of proposal preparation, including cost/price volume development. We ensure every component of your proposal resonates with the SPRUCE IDIQ requirements and evaluation criteria.
Don’t let this chance slip by. Contact OST Global Solutions now and schedule your FREE 30-minute Business Development Consultation. Together, let’s turn the SPRUCE opportunity into your next big win.
OST Global Solutions is a professional business development consulting firm. We have extensive experience in winning large, strategic bids like SPRUCE. We can provide capture and proposal teams to develop a complete, winning proposal. Or we can provide consultants on a case-by-case basis to fill gaps on your business development team. Our services related to SPRUCE consist of proposal management, cost volume development, proposal writing, editing, graphics, and desktop publishing.
Upcoming Bid & Proposal Academy Classes
Writing Persuasive Government Proposals
OST Global Solutions 7361 Calhoun Place, Suite 560, Rockville, MD, United StatesThis proposal writing course shows how to develop compliant and highly persuasive proposal sections in half the time, to increase your Government proposals' win probability. Learn to outline within the proposal sections for compliance and responsiveness, brainstorm as a group and individually to develop proposal section content, infuse proper structure and flow into your sections, and implement the correct writing process. Learn proposal persuasion techniques.
Proposal Editing Workshop
OST Global Solutions 7361 Calhoun Place, Suite 560, Rockville, MD, United StatesThis class teaches how to edit Government proposals while working with a proposal team. Not another English grammar class, this course teaches proposal-specific professional editing skills to improve your proposals' Pwin.
Competitive Analysis: Black Hat & Price to Win (PTW)
OST Global Solutions 7361 Calhoun Place, Suite 560, Rockville, MD, United StatesThis training covers Black Hat and Price to Win (PTW) analyses that are the backbone of the competitive analysis, and are indispensable in the highly competitive world of winning Government proposals. Master the techniques for identifying competitors; using sources for quantitative and qualitative information; organizing Black Hat sessions; devising competitors’ approach; performing SWOT analysis; postulating competitors’ win strategies; following a disciplined PTW development process; performing labor rate analysis; and more.
