Solicitation
Hospital Communications Support
Department of Defense · Defense Health Agency (DHA)
AI summaryThe Defense Health Agency, for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, wants a contractor to supply 7 full-time staff for hospital communications and executive correspondence work. It is a small business set-aside for a firm-fixed-price purchase order with a one-year base period starting 1 December 2026 and two option years. The RFQ document states an estimated cost of $5,711,262.00. More in the summary
AI summary Beta
Summary of the version posted Sep 28, 2026. The notice was amended Oct 28, 2026. The due date moved from Oct 28, 2026 to Nov 9, 2026. Check what else changed on SAM.gov. This summary may miss requirements: 2 of 8 attachments weren't read (Solicitation - HT001426QE048 Amendment 1.pdf, Hospital Communications Support Pricing Matrix - HT001426QE048.xlsx). Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The Defense Health Agency, for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, wants a contractor to supply 7 full-time staff for hospital communications and executive correspondence work. It is a small business set-aside for a firm-fixed-price purchase order with a one-year base period starting 1 December 2026 and two option years. The RFQ document states an estimated cost of $5,711,262.00.
Who can bid (6)
- Small business under NAICS 541611; the size standard is $24.5 million. The notice lists the set-aside as Small Business Set Aside - Total.
- Staff must meet degree and experience minimums, for example 5+ years in the field plus healthcare or military public affairs experience for most roles. The COR and contracting officer will review personnel against these.
- Employees need a Tier 2 background investigation (SF 85/86) and a Common Access Card before getting network access; all work is unclassified.
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- Every employee must sign a DHA non-disclosure agreement (DHA Form 49) by their first day; HIPAA training is also expected.
- Staff must work on site at the hospital in Bethesda.
- Contractor must get and keep access to the PIEE Government Furnished Property module and report property inventories twice a year.
How to submit: Email to philip.b.atwell.ctr@health.mil, due October 28, 2026, 3:00 PM Eastern (the notice lists Oct 28, 2026 15:00 -04:00; the attachments write EST). What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (8)
- Worth checking: Questions were due Oct 7, 2026. Check the amendments for the agency's answers.
- Worth checking: Evaluation documents disagree. One document says Technical plus a Past Performance vs Price trade-off, another says Technical Approach, Experience and Price, and the second one treats unknown past performance as both acceptable and unacceptable.
- Worth checking: Date passed (Oct 28, 2026): Unclear what to submit. The RFQ document calls this market research and asks for a capabilities statement by 28 October, while the other documents ask for a full priced quote by the same date.
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- Worth checking: Date passed (Oct 26, 2026): Past performance references are needed fast. Your references must return their questionnaire to you by October 26, two days before the quote is due, so you need to start now.
- Worth checking: Seven experienced, qualified hires at fixed price. Each role needs 5+ years of experience and a degree, and the government will check personnel against them, so you must have people ready or be able to recruit quickly.
- Worth checking: Pricing file and amendment not read. Amendment 1 is a scanned PDF and the pricing matrix spreadsheet was not read, so changes to the requirement or price format may be missing here.
- Minor: Staffing and turnover standards conflict. The PWS wants every vacancy filled within 30 working days, the performance table says 30 days and a 75% fill rate, and turnover is capped at 25%, so it is unclear which standard governs.
- Minor: Questionnaire has a different solicitation number. The questionnaire is labeled HT0014-26-Q-E033 and says 'lease', not this solicitation number, which may confuse references.
Read from the notice and 6 attachments. 2 of 8 not read. Show which files.
- RFQ Document HT001426QE048.docx (read)
- Instructions to Offerors HT001426QE048.docx (read)
- Solicitation - HT001426QE048.pdf (read)
- Evaluation Factors for Award - HT001426QE048.docx (read)
- PWS - HT001426QE048.docx (read)
- Past Performance Questionnaire HT001426QE048.docx (read)
- Solicitation - HT001426QE048 Amendment 1.pdf: not summarized: open it on SAM.gov
- Hospital Communications Support Pricing Matrix - HT001426QE048.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
Full summary
What they want
- Provide 2 Graphic Designers (print, digital, infographics, signage, social media)
- Provide 1 Editor (Authored Works Review): edit, fact-check and clear written materials in AP Style
- Provide 1 Writer and Author (Print Journalism): feature stories, interviews, weekly communication reports
- Provide 1 Producer and Director (Video Production): plan, shoot and edit videos
- Provide 1 Public Relations Specialist: media relations, press releases, events, crisis communications support
- Provide 1 Executive Secretariat Program Manager (Publications and Issuances): manage the hospital's publications and policy documents
- Deliver a Quality Control Plan, monthly progress reports, quarterly program reviews and a contingency operations plan
- Fill vacant positions quickly and keep staff turnover low
- Contract type
- Firm-fixed-price purchase order for commercial, non-personal services
- Period of performance
- 1 base year (01 Dec 2026 - 30 Nov 2027) + 2 option years (to 30 Nov 2029)
- Place of performance
- On site at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20889
- Estimated value
- $5,711,262.00 (stated as the estimated cost of the procurement in the RFQ document; it does not say whether this includes the option years)
- How they'll choose
- Simplified trade-off (best value). Technical is pass/fail; then Past Performance and Price are traded off and are about equal in importance. A second evaluation document describes a three-factor trade-off (Technical Approach, Experience, Price), so the two should be reconciled.
- Offers due
- October 28, 2026, 3:00 PM Eastern (the notice lists Oct 28, 2026 15:00 -04:00; the attachments write EST) (from the version posted Sep 28, 2026; amended since)
- How to submit
- Email to philip.b.atwell.ctr@health.mil
- Page limits
- Technical Approach: no more than 3 pages. Experience: 2 to 3 references. No other page limits stated in the text provided.
What they'll judge offers on
- Factor 1 - Technical (Acceptable / Unacceptable; must pass to be considered further)
- Factor 2 - Past Performance (called 'Experience' in a second document), about equal to price
- Factor 3 - Price (must be fair and reasonable; option years are added to the total)
What to include when you submit
- Questions must be in writing to Philip Atwell by October 7, 2026, 3:00 PM ET
- Price all CLINs on the attached SF 1449 and pricing matrix
- Technical narrative showing you understand the PWS (3 pages max)
- Give 2 to 3 past performance references from the last 3 years, using the Past Performance Questionnaire template, with project dates, contact, contract number, annual dollar value and location
- Put company name, address, individual names, CAGE code and DUNS number on the first page of the technical information
- Quotes must be readable in Microsoft Office 2011 programs at a minimum
- Hold your price firm for 90 calendar days
- The PWS says a Quality Control Plan is provided with the proposal
Not in the notice text
- What Amendment 1 changes (the scanned PDF could not be read)
- Required pricing format and CLIN structure in the Hospital Communications Support Pricing Matrix spreadsheet (not read)
- Whether the $5,711,262.00 estimate covers the base year only or all three years
- Whether a current contractor is performing this work; none is named
- Which evaluation approach governs where the attached documents differ
- Wage rates or labor category pay requirements, if any (none stated)
- Exact content of the SF 1449 price schedule (blank form only)
Eligibility and how to respond
- Set aside for small businesses: only a business that counts as small under this notice's NAICS code can bid as the prime contractor. More open small business set-asides under NAICS 541611
- How to submit, from the AI summary: Email to philip.b.atwell.ctr@health.mil. Check it in the notice before you send anything.
- Service contracts usually set minimum pay rates (the Service Contract Act). Price the labor with the SCA price calculator.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 28, 2026
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Office
- Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA
- Product/service code
- R426 · Support – Professional: Communications
- Business type
- Consulting & professional services (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 541611)
- Versions
3 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 28, 2026 · Amendment 0002 (this version)Due Nov 9, 2026 (changed)
- Sep 28, 2026 · Amendment 0001Due Oct 28, 2026 (changed)
- Sep 28, 2026 · SolicitationDue Oct 7, 2026
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
- How to respond to a solicitation (8 steps)
- How to read a government solicitation
- How to price a government contract
- Set-aside contracts explained
Terms on this notice: Solicitation, Set-aside
Full notice text from SAM.gov
Please refer to revised documents and questions and answers before submitting your proposal. New due date 09 November 2026. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) has a requirement for non-personal services to support the Hospital Communications Department and Executive Secretary Program. The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform Hospital Communications and Executive Secretariat Support Services as defined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS) except for those items specified as government furnished property and services.