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U006--VR&E Self-Employment Services RFI

Description

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) SUBJECT Exploring the Feasibility of VA Partnering with Industry to Ready Disabled Veterans for Self-Employment (i.e., entrepreneurship; small business ownership) 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) for Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) Self-Employment Services. The information provided in response to this request may be used by VBA in developing its acquisition strategy and refining the Performance Work Statement (PWS). THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or otherwise pay for the information requested. Responses will be treated as information only and not as a proposal. There is no obligation for the Government to acquire any products or services described in this RFI. In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 15.101(c)(2), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. 2.0 BACKGROUND VBA s VR&E Service, pursuant to Title 38 United States Code Chapter 31 (see Section 3100), provides to eligible Veterans with compensable service-connected disabilities all services and assistance necessary to enable them to achieve maximum independence in daily living and, to the maximum extent feasible, to become employable and to obtain and maintain suitable employment. After achieving the degree of rehabilitation needed to become suitably employed, VR&E is expected to assist Veterans in the pursuit of suitable employment. One such avenue through which VR&E assists is utilizing VR&E s Self-Employment Track, which is intended to assist eligible Veterans in achieving their vocational goals in entrepreneurship and business ownership. Services include the following: Developing and strengthening a business plan Training in small-business operations, marketing, finances, etc. Assessing the feasibility of implementing such a business plan Obtaining (through loans or grants) the resources necessary to implement a business plan and incorporate the business such as securing loans Purchasing of equipment, acquiring initial stocks and supplies, etc. Specialized expertise and/or support to assist Veterans interested in self-employment includes, but is not limited to, knowledge of local/state/federal laws associated with starting a business;� market research/analysis both from the perspective of assessing viability of the prospective business in the job market and through the lens of purchasing subject matter expertise and purchasing equipment/supplies; and� potential screening or other assessment tools for specialized job markets (i.e. ability to run background checks and/or credit checks to assess criminal history, driving records, substance use/abuse, financial/credit/tax history, education, etc.). Further, VA recognizes that achieving successful self-employment outcomes often re…