The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Acquisition and Logistics (OAL) National Acquisition Center (NAC) will host a two-day conference for industry titled Acquisitions in a Transitional World. This will bring together the pharmaceutical, medical/surgical/dental, and the medical supplies, equipment, and service vendor community with OAL and NAC leadership and contracting experts from the Federal Supply Schedule Service (FSSS) and National Contract Service (NCS) programs.

Acquisitions in a Transitional World will be held March 15 – 16, 2011 at the InterContinental Hotel Chicago O’Hare, Chicago, IL and is open to the pharmaceutical, medical/surgical/dental, and the medical equipment community. Registration begins at 7:00am on Tuesday, March 15. Please be sure to stop by the registration table to pick up your name badge and conference packet!

The main components of the conference will be:
1.    General sessions hosted by OAL and NAC leadership;
2.    Break-out sessions exploring topics related to FSS and NCS programs; and
3.    One-on-One appointments with representatives from FSS and NCS.

Speakers/presenters include subject matter experts from NAC leadership, and FSS/NCS staff.

Interested vendors may schedule a 15 minute appointment with a representative from FSS and/or NCS. Visit the Acquisitions in a Transitional World: One-on-One Meeting page for more information and to request an appointment.

The VA Federal Supply Schedule break-out sessions will build on the experiences of our customers with presentations through three themed tracks:

Prospective Contractor: The Prospective Contractor track offers basic information on the VA FSS program for vendors new to FSS. Sessions spotlight how to get a Schedule contract, offer best practices, and what to expect when negotiating an offer.

Current Contractor: The Current Contractor track explores the processes, procedures, and best practices related to post-award contract actions. Topics to be covered include an overview of the modification request and contract extension processes, contract requirements, and how to receive contracting assistance.

All FSS Vendors: The All FSS Vendors track will provide relevant, readily applicable information on changes to the VA FSS program. Track sessions will address the new solicitation format, how to effectively manage a subcontracting plan, and available electronic tools.