VA IT R&D Support Contract Awarded to MITRE Corporation for $22.7M
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $22,765,558 ($22.8M)
Contractor: THE Mitre Corporation
Awarding Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs
Start Date: 2017-09-28
End Date: 2019-09-27
Contract Duration: 729 days
Daily Burn Rate: $31.2K/day
Competition Type: NOT COMPETED
Pricing Type: COST PLUS FIXED FEE
Sector: IT
Official Description: FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OFFICE IGF::CL::IGF IGF::CT::IGF
Place of Performance
Location: MC LEAN, FAIRFAX County, VIRGINIA, 22102
State: Virginia Government Spending
Plain-Language Summary
Department of Veterans Affairs obligated $22.8 million to THE MITRE CORPORATION for work described as: FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OFFICE IGF::CL::IGF IGF::CT::IGF Key points: 1. MITRE Corporation, a well-established R&D entity, secured this contract. 2. The contract falls under 'All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services'. 3. This was a 'Not Competed' award, raising questions about competition. 4. The contract duration was 729 days, ending in September 2019.
Value Assessment
Rating: questionable
The contract type is Cost Plus Fixed Fee, which can lead to cost overruns if not managed carefully. Without a competitive bidding process, it's difficult to assess if the $22.7M price represents fair market value.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: sole-source
The contract was not competed, indicating a sole-source award. This limits price discovery and potentially leads to higher costs for taxpayers compared to a competitive process.
Taxpayer Impact: The lack of competition may have resulted in a higher cost to taxpayers than if multiple vendors had bid on the contract.
Public Impact
Supports the VA's Office of Information and Technology. Focuses on research and development activities. Contract concluded in September 2019.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Sole-source award limits competition.
- Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract type can increase risk.
- No clear indication of small business participation.
Positive Signals
- Supports critical VA IT infrastructure.
- Awarded to a known R&D entity.
Sector Analysis
This contract falls within the professional, scientific, and technical services sector, specifically R&D support for IT. Benchmarks for similar sole-source R&D contracts are difficult to establish without competitive data.
Small Business Impact
The data indicates that small business participation was not a factor in this contract award (ss: false, sb: false). There is no information provided on efforts to engage small businesses for this specific R&D support.
Oversight & Accountability
The 'Not Competed' designation suggests a potential lack of robust oversight in the procurement process. Further review would be needed to assess accountability for the contract's execution and cost management.
Related Government Programs
- All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Department of Veterans Affairs Contracting
- Department of Veterans Affairs Programs
Risk Flags
- Sole-source award
- Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract type
- Lack of transparency in justification for non-competition
- No clear small business participation
Tags
all-other-professional-scientific-and-te, department-of-veterans-affairs, va, delivery-order, 10m-plus
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Department of Veterans Affairs awarded $22.8 million to THE MITRE CORPORATION. FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OFFICE IGF::CL::IGF IGF::CT::IGF
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is THE MITRE CORPORATION.
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: Department of Veterans Affairs (Department of Veterans Affairs).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $22.8 million.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2017-09-28. End: 2019-09-27.
What was the justification for awarding this contract on a sole-source basis?
The justification for a sole-source award typically involves unique capabilities, urgent needs, or a lack of available alternatives. For this VA IT R&D contract, the specific rationale for not competing it would need to be documented by the agency to ensure it met federal procurement regulations and represented the best value.
What specific R&D outcomes were achieved with the $22.7M investment?
Without detailed project reports or deliverables, it's impossible to assess the specific R&D outcomes. The effectiveness of the $22.7M investment hinges on the successful completion of research and development tasks that advanced the VA's IT capabilities and mission objectives.
How did the Cost Plus Fixed Fee structure impact the final cost compared to a fixed-price contract?
A Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract allows the contractor to recover costs plus a fixed fee, incentivizing cost control but also carrying risk of cost overruns if not closely monitored. A fixed-price contract would have shifted more risk to the contractor, potentially leading to a different final cost based on their risk assessment.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Product/Service Code: SUPPORT SVCS (PROF, ADMIN, MGMT) › MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: NOT COMPETED
Solicitation Procedures: ONLY ONE SOURCE
Pricing Type: COST PLUS FIXED FEE (U)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Address: 7515 COLSHIRE DR, MC LEAN, VA, 22102
Business Categories: Category Business, Corporate Entity Tax Exempt, Nonprofit Organization, Not Designated a Small Business, Special Designations, U.S.-Owned Business
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $22,765,558
Exercised Options: $22,765,558
Current Obligation: $22,765,558
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL ITEM PROCEDURES NOT USED
Cost or Pricing Data: YES
Parent Contract
Parent Award PIID: VA118A15D0004
IDV Type: IDC
Timeline
Start Date: 2017-09-28
Current End Date: 2019-09-27
Potential End Date: 2019-09-27 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2021-09-22
More Contracts from THE Mitre Corporation
- Center for Advanced Aviation Development (caasd) Ffrdc Mitre — $1.7B (Department of Transportation)
- FY25 Task Order 7 - to Provide Systems Engineering Research and Development Services for the Department of Defense (DOD) and Other Federal Government Agencies — $753.9M (Department of Defense)
- FY24 Task Order 6 - Initial Funding and Updating PWS & DD254 — $735.3M (Department of Defense)
- Caasd Must Provide Essential Engineering, Research, and Analysis Capabilities to Support the FAA in the Performance of ITS Mission Through a Systems Approach That Addresses ALL Dimensions (E.G. Political, Operational, Economic, Technical) Required to — $700.5M (Department of Transportation)
- Initial Modification on Task Order 5 Nsec, Ffrdc to Incrementally Fund, Update PWS & DD254 — $687.3M (Department of Defense)
Other Department of Veterans Affairs Contracts
- CCN Region 3 Express Report — $5.2B (Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc.)
- Express Report for FY22 Region 2 — $5.1B (Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc.)
- Fiscal Year 2022 Express Report for Region 1 — $4.2B (Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc.)
- Express Report for the Patient Centered Community Care (PC3) Contract — $3.3B (Triwest Healthcare Alliance Corp)
- CCN Region Three FY21 Express Report — $3.1B (Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc.)