Bid guide
How to bid on pharmacy benefits services for the Department of Veterans Affairs
What the VA plans to buy
The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to solicit a single-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract for third-party pharmacy benefit services supporting its First Fill Prescription Voucher Program for eligible Veterans.
The program helps provide first or urgent-fill prescriptions when VA pharmacies are unable or it is impractical for them to dispense medication. Examples include after-hours emergency room visits and time-sensitive prescriptions connected with community-based outpatient clinics, home-based primary care, or telehealth.
Key dates and the current notice
This is a presolicitation notice only, not a request for a proposal, quotation, or bid. The notice was published October 15, 2026. The solicitation is expected to be publicized around November 1, 2026.
The listed deadline is November 16, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET. Because the current notice is not the solicitation, check the solicitation when it is posted for its submission instructions and any confirmed deadline. The notice says fax bid packages will not be accepted.
Who this opportunity may suit
This opportunity is set aside for VOSB and SDVOSB firms. The notice identifies NAICS 524292, Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third-Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds, with a $4.5 million size standard, and Product Service Code Q517, Pharmacy Services.
Potential vendors must be active in SAM. VOSB and SDVOSB vendors must also be registered in SBA VetCert.
How to find the solicitation
The solicitation will be issued electronically through Contract Opportunities on SAM.gov. To open the opportunity through the portal, click “View original source.” If the first click opens the portal homepage, click it again to go to the bid. You may need a free account to view documents, though some bids do not require one.
The notice says no phone, fax, or email inquiries will be taken for this presolicitation notice. Review the eventual solicitation for the official response method and instructions.
Prepare for a strong response
Confirm that your SAM registration is active and, if applicable, that your SBA VetCert registration is in place before the solicitation appears. Check SAM.gov around the expected posting date and read the solicitation and all posted attachments carefully.
Use the solicitation’s requirements to decide whether your firm can support the voucher program’s stated use cases. Build your response around the requested services and evaluation criteria, follow the required format, and verify that every required form and submission step is complete before the stated deadline.
See the live bid — deadline, agency details, and how to respond
Dates and requirements can change via addenda; always verify on the bid page and at the original source before responding.
View this bid on BiddingSimpleThis guide was prepared by BiddingSimple from the solicitation’s public posting. It is not official guidance from Veterans Affairs, Department of; the original posting controls.