How to bid on Rideshare for VHA Homeless Program Veterans from the VA

What the VA is buying and why it matters

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking a contractor to provide nationwide rideshare coordination and transportation services for Veterans enrolled in VHA Homeless Programs. This includes scheduling, selecting the lowest-cost rides, handling urgent requests, offering 24/7 support, managing payments, reporting, invoicing, and training VA staff.

This opportunity is significant because it supports Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness in accessing essential services like shelter, housing appointments, healthcare, community support, court obligations, essential goods, and employment-related activities. The contract is a Time-and-Materials (T&M) type, with a base period of 12 months and an option to extend services for up to six additional months.

Key dates and what happens at the deadline

This Request for Proposal (RFP) was published on August 03, 2026. Questions regarding the solicitation are due by August 6, 2026. All proposals must be submitted by August 17, 2026, at 10:00 AM ET. After this deadline, no further proposals will be accepted for consideration.

Who this opportunity suits

This solicitation is a 100% set-aside for eligible Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) under the SDVOSB Program (13 CFR Part 128) pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 8127. Firms specializing in transportation services, particularly those with experience in rideshare coordination, logistics, and technology platforms, would be well-suited. The contractor must be able to operate nationwide across the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. outlying areas including Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The ideal vendor will have a secure, VA ATO-compliant (and FedRAMP-authorized, if cloud-hosted) electronic interface platform for ride coordination and scheduling, along with the capacity for 24/7/365 customer support. Experience with government invoicing, reporting, and staff training is also important.

How to respond to this solicitation

To access the full solicitation details and prepare your response, you will need to view the original source document on the portal. Click the “View original source” link provided. If the first click takes you to the portal’s homepage, click the link again to go directly to the bid.

You may need to create a free account on the portal to view all attached documents, though for some bids, documents are accessible without an account. Ensure you download and review the Performance Work Statement (PWS) in Section B.2 of the solicitation for full requirements, as well as all incorporated FAR and VAAR provisions and clauses.

Tips for preparing a competitive response

Given this is a Time-and-Materials (T&M) contract, clearly detail your proposed labor rates and how you will manage and bill for Other Direct Costs (ODCs), ensuring no profit, markup, or G&A is applied to actual ride costs. Highlight your capability to perform comparative price analysis and select the lowest-cost rideshare options.

Emphasize your technical solution, specifically the security and compliance of your electronic interface platform (VA ATO-compliant and FedRAMP-authorized, if cloud-hosted). Describe your 24/7 customer support capabilities and how you will handle both standard and urgent transportation requests. Provide a clear plan for establishing and managing separate rideshare accounts for each VHA VISN, and outline your approach to monthly consolidated invoicing and trip-level reporting. Finally, detail your proposed training program for authorized VAMC staff on your platform.