DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (11MHSP) intends to award a Firm Fixed Price contract on a sole source basis to Aurelius Talent Solution, LLC, 8341 Governor Run, Ellicott City, Maryland 21043 (UEI: EH1WWE7KUFT7), for iterative clinical workflow and protocol design, implementation toolkit development, in-clinic piloting, and optimization and augmentation of the SOPHROSYNE prototype substance use disorder-focused chatbot. SOPHROSYNE is a VA-owned clinical intervention tool designed to support patient education on substance use disorder (SUD) risks and treatment options, motivate treatment engagement, and reduce substance use risk among Veterans through a Motivational Interviewing approach. The contractor will provide support for the following principal activities, as described in the Performance Work Statement: Iterative design, testing, and revision of clinical workflows and protocols for in-clinic and independent Veteran use of the SOPHROSYNE chatbot; Optimization and versioning of the SOPHROSYNE chatbot to ensure clinical accuracy, usability, and alignment with Motivational Interviewing principles; In-clinic piloting at VA pilot sites in coordination with VA Center of Excellence in Substance Addiction Treatment and Education (CESATE) leadership; Formative evaluation, including structured usability testing, end-user walk-throughs, and collection and analysis of feedback from Veterans, clinic staff, and subject matter experts; and Development and maintenance of an implementation toolkit, user guides, training materials, and a final maintenance guide enabling VA staff to operate and modify the tool after contract completion. Option Year 2, if exercised, is limited to sustainment, maintenance, and policy-driven updates only. No new pilot site additions are authorized in Option Year 2 without written approval from the Contracting Officer via contract modification. All work shall be performed within VA-approved systems and in accordance with VA security, privacy, and information technology requirements, including VA Handbook 6500 and the One-VA Technical Reference Model. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE Period Dates Base Year August 15, 2026 August 14, 2027 Option Year 1 (if exercised) August 15, 2027 August 14, 2028 Option Year 2 (if exercised sustainment scope only) August 15, 2028 August 14, 2029 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE Primary performance at Aurelius Talent Solution, LLC contractor facilities, Ellicott City, Maryland (Howard County). Limited temporary access to VA Philadelphia, VA Puget Sound, and participating pilot sites may be requested by the contractor in support of pilot activities, consistent with PWS Section 3.2. CONTRACT TYPE Firm Fixed Price ESTIMATED VALUE $1,731,864 (base year); $4,680,640 (base year plus all options) Note: Option Year 2 estimated value reflects a materially reduced scope limited to sustainment and maintenance only, consiste…