Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Procurement

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is one of the largest buyers in the federal government, spending on everything from electronic health records and medical supplies to IT services and facilities work. For contractors in healthcare, life sciences, and information technology, the VA is one of the most consistent and high-volume opportunity sources in the entire market. Its mission to serve veterans also makes it the home of the strongest set-aside preference in federal contracting for veteran-owned businesses.

Overview

The VA runs the nation's largest integrated health system, which drives a procurement footprint that rivals the biggest civilian agencies. In a representative federal spending snapshot, the VA ranked just ahead of the Department of Health and Human Services in contract dollars, behind only the Department of Defense and the General Services Administration among major buyers. The scale of individual awards is significant: the Oracle Health electronic health record (EHR) operational management and hosting contract carries a value of roughly $1.5 billion, illustrating how large a single VA health IT program can be. Because the VA buys both clinical goods and the technology that runs its hospitals, it sits at the intersection of healthcare and IT spending. For a wider view of how large agencies time and structure their buys, see federal agency buying patterns.

Where opportunities are posted

Most major VA solicitations are cross-posted to SAM.gov, the central system where federal opportunities are published and where you register to do business with the government. The VA also runs its own portal, the Electronic Contract Management System (eCMS), at va.gov/opal/nac/ecms, which carries VA-specific solicitations, particularly health IT and medical supplies. Larger procurements are usually cross-posted between eCMS and SAM.gov, but smaller VA opportunities are sometimes posted on eCMS only, so registering and monitoring both is worth the effort. The VA also buys through governmentwide contract vehicles. When the VA needs commercial categories such as cloud services, it frequently orders against GSA contract vehicles, which means an opportunity can show up under a GSA vehicle even though the work, funding, and customer are all VA.

What they buy

VA spending concentrates in a few large categories. Healthcare and medical needs include pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, laboratory and imaging equipment, and prosthetics, which mirror the clinical demand patterns you also see at HHS. The second major category is information technology, spanning electronic health records, hosting and operational management, cybersecurity, and IT support services that keep VA medical centers running nationwide. The VA also buys facilities, construction, logistics, and professional services to support its hospitals and regional offices. NAICS and PSC codes are how the VA classifies these buys: an IT services solicitation might fall under NAICS 541512 (computer systems design services), while medical and pharmaceutical buys carry their own product service codes. Matching your registered NAICS codes to the codes on each solicitation is the first go or no-go filter on whether an opportunity fits your business.

Set-asides and small business

The VA is the natural home for veteran-owned small business contracting. Under the Veterans First contracting program, the VA gives priority to Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) before considering other competition. The relevant set-aside codes in federal data are SDVOSBC (competitive) and SDVOSBS (sole source), and the certification is administered through the SBA and VA. Across the government, the statutory small business goal is 23% of contracting dollars, with a 5% sub-goal specifically for service-disabled veteran-owned firms, and the VA routinely exceeds that veteran target because of its mission. The VA also uses the broader set-aside menu, including Total Small Business, 8(a) Business Development for socially and economically disadvantaged firms, HUBZone, and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB). If you hold an SDVOSB or VOSB certification, the VA is the single best agency to build your past performance, since the set-aside acts as a hard filter that excludes non-certified competitors from those specific opportunities.

How to win

1. Get certified and register correctly. If you are veteran-owned, complete SDVOSB or VOSB certification through the SBA and VA, then make sure your SAM.gov registration and NAICS codes reflect it. The certification is what lets you compete on Veterans First set-asides where most competitors are screened out.
2. Monitor both SAM.gov and VA eCMS. Major buys are cross-posted, but smaller VA-only opportunities can appear on eCMS alone. Watching only one source means missing real solicitations.
3. Lead with healthcare and IT past performance. The VA buys clinical goods and the technology that runs its hospitals, so relevant medical, health IT, or hospital operations experience is the most persuasive evidence you can put in a proposal.
4. Pursue subcontracting on large programs. Awards like the multibillion-dollar EHR program are dominated by a single prime, but primes carry small business and SDVOSB subcontracting goals, which creates a path onto VA work without winning the prime contract first.
5. Watch GSA vehicles too. Because the VA orders commercial categories like cloud through GSA vehicles, getting onto the right vehicle can open VA demand that never appears as a standalone VA solicitation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the VA really the second largest federal buyer?

The VA is consistently among the very largest federal buyers by contract dollars. In a representative spending snapshot it ranked just ahead of HHS and behind only the Department of Defense and GSA. Its scale comes from running the nation's largest integrated health system, which generates steady, high-volume demand for both clinical goods and IT.

What is the Veterans First contracting program?

Veterans First is the VA policy that prioritizes verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB) before other competition. In federal data these show up as set-aside codes SDVOSBC and SDVOSBS. The certification is administered through the SBA and VA, and it is the strongest veteran preference anywhere in federal contracting.

Where do I find VA solicitations?

Start with SAM.gov, where major VA opportunities are cross-posted and where you register to do business with the government. Also register on the VA's own eCMS portal at va.gov/opal/nac/ecms, since smaller VA-specific solicitations, particularly in health IT and medical supplies, are sometimes posted there only. Some VA demand also flows through GSA contract vehicles.

What does the VA actually buy?

The VA buys across healthcare and IT, including pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, laboratory and imaging equipment, electronic health records, hosting, cybersecurity, and IT support services, plus facilities and professional services. Individual programs can be very large, such as the roughly $1.5 billion EHR operational management and hosting contract. Matching your NAICS and PSC codes to each solicitation is the first step to finding the right fit.

Do I need to be veteran-owned to win VA contracts?

No. While the VA gives strong priority to SDVOSB and VOSB firms, it also uses Total Small Business, 8(a), HUBZone, and Women-Owned Small Business set-asides, plus full and open competition. Non-veteran firms can also compete as subcontractors on large prime contracts, since primes carry small business and SDVOSB subcontracting goals.