The Department of Veterans Affairs just opened the VAi2 Industry Innovation Competition with $80 million available for private sector innovations. The VA is seeking the best ideas possible from both public and private companies, entrepreneurs, universities, and non-profits.
In general, the innovation competition program is looking for new innovative solutions to help the VA meet the challenges involved in becoming a 21st century organization. The goal is to increase the veterans’ ability to have access to VA services, improve the quality of services delivered, enhance the performance of VA operations, and reduce or control the cost of delivering those services.
The VA is looking for telehealth solutions that are broad and varied and can provide the right treatment at the right place and at the right time. The VA also wants to improve polytrauma care by using home monitoring for diverse and complex symptoms and wants to see new ideas for developing assistive technologies. In addition, the VA has made reducing adverse drug events a priority and is actively seeking tools capable of integrating this information into VA records and systems so as to be able to continuously monitor for at-risk situations.
Other solutions are needed to address innovative housing technology, new models to use for dialysis and renal disease prevention, and ways to help veterans and service disabled veterans start new businesses.
Go to www.4.va.gov/vai2 for more information, click on the solicitation details or go directly to www.fbo.gov. The VA Technology Acquisition Center via the BAA announcement requires solutions to be submitted by industry in response to VAi2 topics by September 30, 2010.
An industry day is scheduled via Webinar on June 16, 2010 where information will be provided for each area of interest and questions from industry will be addressed. As additional information becomes available, it will be posted at www.fbo.gov and www.va.gov/vai2.
For more information, email Lauren Oliver, Contract Specialist at Lauren.Oliver@va.gov or Carol Newcomb, Contracting Officer at Carol.Newcomb@va.gov.
In May, the VA announced the 26 winning ideas submitted to the Technology Innovations Competition from VA employees. Some of the winning innovations included ideas on how to reduce healthcare associated infections using informatics, developing wireless voice communications with hands free options, and ways to enhance care management for patients with chronic diseases.
