# How to Get VA Transportation Contracts in 2027: Wheelchair Van and Special Mode Rides

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/guides/va-transportation-contracts/ · Updated 2026-09-29

VA transportation contracts are federal contracts under which VA pays a company to give eligible veterans wheelchair van, stretcher, and other special mode rides. In a 2023 rule, VA said over 99 percent of its non-ambulance special mode rides are paid under contract. To compete, register in SAM.gov, watch it for VA notices under NAICS 485991, and meet each solicitation's driver, vehicle, insurance, and wage rules.

- VA pays for wheelchair van and stretcher rides only for eligible veterans, when a VA provider finds the ride medically needed and VA approves it in advance or it was an emergency.
- Nearly all of this work runs through contracts that VA's regional contracting offices post on SAM.gov, usually under NAICS 485991.
- Veteran-owned small businesses get first priority, but a solicitation can fall through to all small businesses, and some have no set-aside at all.
- Past performance can outweigh price, so line up references from broker, health plan, and facility work before you bid.
- Price in the Service Contract Act wages, VA's response times, and the included miles and wait time each solicitation sets.

The Department of Veterans Affairs buys wheelchair van and stretcher rides the way it buys most services: through federal contracts, one medical center or region at a time. There is no statewide broker network to sign up with, as in Medicaid. You win the work by bidding on a solicitation, and the 2026 solicitations below offered contracts of up to five years.

## How VA pays for veterans' rides

VA's travel benefit, called beneficiary travel, pays for eligible veterans to reach VA care or VA-approved care in the community. As of its July 24, 2026 update, VA's travel pay page says veterans can qualify with a disability rating of 30 percent or more, travel for a service-connected condition, a VA pension, income below the maximum VA pension rate, inability to afford the trip under VA guidelines, or a scheduled claim exam, among other reasons. The full list is in [38 CFR 70.10](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-70.10), and the VA beneficiary travel guide explains it for providers.

How VA pays depends on how the veteran travels:

| How the veteran travels | Who is paid | What VA pays (as of September 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Own car | The veteran | 41.5 cents a mile, minus a $3 deductible each way, up to $18 a month |
| Bus, train, taxi, or other common carrier | The veteran | The actual cost of the most economical option, approved in advance |
| Special mode: ambulance, wheelchair van, or other vehicle designed for disabled riders | The ride company or the veteran | The actual cost, with no deductible (38 CFR 70.30 and 70.31) |
| VA's own vans, or volunteer drivers from veterans groups | No one, the ride is free to the veteran | VA runs its own vans through the Veterans Transportation Program, and veterans service organizations run volunteer rides |

Special mode is the part for NEMT companies. VA defines it as an ambulance, ambulette, air ambulance, wheelchair van, or other vehicle specially designed to carry disabled people ([38 CFR 70.2](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-70.2)). A taxi, bus, or privately owned car with adaptive equipment does not count. See VA special mode transportation for the term itself.

VA approves a special mode ride only when all three of these are true ([38 CFR 70.4(d)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-70.4)):

1. The travel is medically required.
2. The veteran cannot pay for it.
3. VA approved the ride before it happened, or it was for a medical emergency.

In practice, a VA provider decides whether the veteran's condition needs an ambulance or a specially equipped vehicle (VA travel pay page, July 24, 2026). The veteran then asks for the ride through VetRide, VA's online ride request service, or the facility's transportation representative (VA ride request page, June 25, 2026). For an emergency ride without approval, VA asks to be called within 72 hours.

## Why the work comes through contracts

VA may pay a ride company directly on evidence that it provided the ride ([38 CFR 70.32(b)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-70.32)). But in its rule of February 16, 2023, VA wrote that it does not typically pay for wheelchair or stretcher van rides without a contract, and that over 99 percent of its payments to vendors in the two industry codes that cover these rides, NAICS 621999 and 485991, are made under one ([88 FR 10032](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/16/2023-03013/change-in-rates-va-pays-for-special-modes-of-transportation)).

That rule also set a price for special mode rides bought without a contract. For modes other than ambulance, VA would pay the lowest of the vendor's charge, the Medicaid rate posted in the vendor's home state, or the Medicaid rate posted in the state where the ride happened. VA has delayed the rule twice, most recently to February 16, 2029 ([89 FR 88888](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/11/12/2024-25975/changes-in-rates-va-pays-for-special-modes-of-transportation-delay-of-effective-date-from-february)). Until then, the regulation in force says VA pays the actual cost of an approved special mode ride (38 CFR 70.30(a)(4)).

Federal award data on USAspending.gov, as of September 2026, show how much VA obligated on contracts coded NAICS 485991, Special Needs Transportation:

| VA fiscal year | Obligated on NAICS 485991 contracts |
|---|---|
| 2022 (October 2021 to September 2022) | $137.9 million |
| 2023 | $184.3 million |
| 2024 | $180.7 million |
| 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025) | $218.8 million |

In fiscal year 2025, 53 recipients received net new VA obligations under this code. The median recipient received about $2.0 million, and the largest about $22.7 million.

## How VA medical centers buy rides

VA's regional Network Contracting Offices issue the solicitations for the medical centers in their regions and post them on SAM.gov. The titles vary: "wheelchair van transportation services," "special mode transportation," "ambulette," "non-emergent medical transportation," and "hired car" all appeared on VA notices in 2025 and 2026. The Spokane, Altoona, and Hines solicitations below all list NAICS 485991.

Each purchase moves through a set of notices:

| Notice | What it is | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sources sought | Market research before VA decides how to buy | Answer it. The responses feed VA's market research, including whether to set the work aside for veteran-owned or small businesses. |
| Presolicitation | Advance notice that a solicitation is coming | Read the draft terms and set a reminder |
| Solicitation or combined synopsis | The request for quotes or proposals, with the work statement | Price it and submit before the deadline |
| Amendment | A change to the solicitation | Acknowledge every amendment in your offer |
| Award notice | Who won and for how much | Note the winner and the end date for next time |
| Justification or bridge | A short or sole-source contract to cover a gap | A sign that a new competition is coming |

VA posts bridge contracts when a gap opens between contracts. In 2026, VA posted a 3-month wheelchair van justification for the Washington, DC medical center (May 11), a 3-month emergency wheelchair bridge from Network Contracting Office 16 (July 1), and a 6-month wheelchair and stretcher bridge from Network Contracting Office 8 (August 19).

### What the contracts look like

All three 2026 solicitations below are for indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts: VA sets a price list, a minimum, and a ceiling, then places orders as rides are needed. They show the range:

| Solicitation | Size and term | How a trip is priced |
|---|---|---|
| Spokane, Washington, RFQ 36C26027Q0022 (posted September 1, 2026) | Minimum $17,520 and maximum $2.5 million, ordering through September 30, 2031 | Base rate includes the first 25 miles and 30 minutes of wait, with separate rates for riders up to and over 300 pounds. Extra wait is paid in 15-minute units. |
| Altoona, Pennsylvania, 36C24426R0021 (April 29, 2026) | Minimum $5,000 and maximum $22.5 million, ordering July 20, 2026 to July 19, 2031 | A base rate for each county group includes the first 15 miles and 30 minutes of wait. Loaded miles from mile 16 are paid only on trips between county groups, and extra wait in 15-minute units. |
| Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Illinois, 36C25226Q0498 (June 11, 2026) | Guaranteed minimum $250,000 and ceiling $9 million. A September 2, 2026 amendment set ordering from award to September 30, 2027. | A flat rate for each one-way trip within 30 miles of the appointment, plus mileage beyond that, with separate wheelchair van and sedan rates |

The Spokane terms show the billing rules you will price around. You carry one veteran per trip unless VA authorizes a second, never more than two, and a shared trip pays as one. Wait time past the included 30 minutes needs VA's approval first. A cancellation before dispatch pays nothing, and a no-show pays the base rate plus the one-way miles driven toward the pickup. VA measures the loaded miles with its own mapping, and the miles from your base to the pickup and back are not paid separately. Build those [deadhead miles](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/deadhead-miles/) into your rates.

## Veteran-owned set-asides and small business rules

VA must give veteran-owned firms first chance. Under the "rule of two" in [38 U.S.C. 8127(d)](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section8127&num=0&edition=prelim), a VA contracting officer must limit competition to veteran-owned small businesses when two or more are expected to bid and the award can be made at a fair and reasonable price. VA's acquisition rules set the order ([48 CFR 819.7005](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-48/section-819.7005)):

1. Small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans (SDVOSB).
2. Other small businesses owned and controlled by veterans (VOSB).
3. 8(a) and HUBZone small businesses.
4. Other small business set-asides, with due deference to women-owned small businesses.

The Altoona solicitation turned this order into five evaluation tiers: SDVOSB, VOSB, HUBZone and 8(a), women-owned small businesses, then all other small businesses. Its August 28, 2026 amendment shows how that plays out. VA dropped the SDVOSB tier because those bidders were rated Limited Confidence: VA received no past performance questionnaires back from their references, and their offers gave no detail on fleet, dispatch, or staffing. No bids came in for the next three tiers, so evaluation moved to all small businesses.

To bid in a veteran tier, your firm must be certified. SBA took over certification from VA on January 1, 2023, and VA set-asides accept only firms certified in SBA's VetCert program, with no self-certification. A firm qualifies when it is small for its NAICS code and at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more veterans, or by service-disabled veterans for SDVOSB status.

Two more rules apply to small business bidders:

- **Size.** For NAICS 485991, a business is small with average annual receipts of $19.0 million or less, as of September 2026 ([13 CFR 121.201](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-121.201)).
- **Limits on subcontracting.** On a small business set-aside service contract above the simplified acquisition threshold ($350,000 as of September 2026, [48 CFR 2.101](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-48/section-2.101)), and on any veteran-owned set-aside, you may not pay more than 50 percent of what the government pays you to firms that are not similarly situated ([13 CFR 125.6](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-125.6)). You must run most of the rides yourself.

Not every contract is set aside. SAM.gov lists no set-aside for the September 2026 Spokane request, so any company could quote.

## What VA solicitations require

Each solicitation has its own work statement, so read every line. These are the requirements that appeared in the 2026 Spokane, Altoona, and Hines solicitations:

| Area | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Availability | Rides on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays included (Spokane, Altoona, Hines) |
| Response time | For immediate orders with pickup within 20 miles of the medical center, arrive within 30 minutes of the request. Farther out, be on the way within 30 minutes. Hold a 90 percent compliance rate (Spokane). |
| Trip orders | Take orders only from VA staff the contracting officer names, never from nursing homes or other outside callers (Spokane). Watch VA's VetRide vendor portal around the clock (Altoona). |
| Drivers | License valid for the vehicle class, age 18 or older, one year licensed, and for the past three years no suspension, no driving uninsured or unlicensed, and no DUI (Spokane) |
| Driver training | Standard and advanced first aid from the American Red Cross or an equivalent, and able to handle the veteran's oxygen (Spokane, Altoona). At least 8 hours of training in moving and assisting elderly and disabled riders (Hines). |
| Drug testing | A 5-panel drug test before each driver starts, and random tests of at least 10 percent of employees each year (Hines) |
| Background and health | VA fingerprints contract staff for a Special Agreement Check, repeated yearly. TB testing, and a TB exposure control policy within 5 business days of award (Spokane). |
| Vehicles | Meet all state rules, carry a first aid kit, give ample headroom, and open to VA inspection (Spokane). A secured wheelchair may not move more than 3 inches in any direction (Altoona). Lifts or ramps rated for at least 800 pounds, and an Illinois Department of Transportation safety inspection (Hines). |
| Incidents | Call VA within 1 hour of an accident, with a written report by the next business day (Spokane) |
| Privacy and training | HIPAA compliance, a business associate agreement if VA requires one, yearly VA compliance, privacy, and information security training, and records management training (Spokane, Altoona) |
| Invoices | Through VA's electronic system, with no patient information. Spokane requires invoices within 15 calendar days of service, and Hines by the Friday of the week after the service. Altoona takes electronic CMS-1500 claims in the VetRide vendor portal. |
| Billing limits | Never bill the veteran, Medicare, Medicaid, or another insurer (Spokane) |

For insurance, the federal acquisition rules set standard minimums: auto liability of at least $200,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, and $20,000 per occurrence for property damage ([48 CFR 28.307-2](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-48/section-28.307-2)). The Spokane and Hines solicitations asked for those auto limits, $500,000 of general liability per occurrence, and at least $100,000 of employer's liability. Your state or broker may require more. See [NEMT insurance requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-insurance-requirements/).

Build a file for every driver before you bid, because VA may ask for licenses, first aid cards, and TB results at award. The [driver file checklist](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-driver-file-checklist/) covers most of it. If VA requires a [business associate agreement](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/business-associate-agreement/), have your HIPAA policies ready too. See [HIPAA for NEMT providers](https://nemtguide.com/guides/hipaa-for-nemt/).

## Wages and pricing

The 2026 solicitations include the Service Contract Labor Standards clause (FAR 52.222-41) and attach Department of Labor wage determinations for the counties they cover. You must pay at least those wages and fringe benefits. The Spokane and Altoona solicitations add that the Department of Labor has held the contract wage applies while drivers drive both to and from VA destinations.

Look up the wage determination before you price. One of the determinations attached to the Hines solicitation, for La Salle County, Illinois (number 2015-5035, revision 31, May 13, 2026), lists $19.03 an hour for a shuttle bus driver and $24.09 for a bus driver. It also requires health and welfare benefits of $5.55 an hour, up to 40 hours a week. Some solicitations name the job class they expect, such as taxi driver in the Altoona solicitation. Check which class and rate apply to your drivers. See [NEMT driver pay](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-pay/).

Then build each price from your costs:

- **Base rate.** Cover driver time, fuel, and the miles included in the base, plus empty miles to and from each trip.
- **Mileage rate.** Cover the cost of each mile past the included miles.
- **Wait rate.** Cover each 15-minute unit past the included wait. See [NEMT wait time billing](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-wait-time-billing/).
- **No-shows.** Know what the contract pays for a [no-show](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/no-show/) and a late cancellation, and what it pays nothing for.

Unless the contract sets another date, a federal payment is generally due 30 days after the agency receives a proper invoice ([5 CFR 1315.4](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/section-1315.4)). VA's travel directive tells each medical center to confirm that the veteran attended the appointment before it pays a special mode invoice, and to review invoices to confirm each ride was authorized ([VHA Directive 1601B.05](https://www.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=9632), January 20, 2022). Clean trip records keep your cash moving.

## How to get VA transportation work, step by step

1. **Register in SAM.gov.** You must be registered when you submit an offer and at award ([48 CFR 52.204-7](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-48/section-52.204-7)), and you must review and update the registration every year ([48 CFR 52.204-13](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-48/section-52.204-13)). List NAICS 485991 in your profile. SAM.gov points to APEX Accelerators for free help with registration.
2. **Get VetCert if you qualify.** Apply through SBA's certification portal before you need it for a bid.
3. **Learn your medical center.** Find the VA medical centers and clinics within reach of your garage. Ask VA's Small Business Liaison for your region which contracting office buys their rides, and check VA's Forecast of Contracting Opportunities.
4. **Read the history.** Search past VA awards under NAICS 485991 on USAspending.gov to see who holds the contract near you, its value, and when it ends.
5. **Save searches on SAM.gov.** Filter by the Department of Veterans Affairs and NAICS 485991, and add keywords such as wheelchair, special mode, ambulette, and non-emergent.
6. **Answer every sources sought notice.** Send a short capability statement with your fleet, service area, hours, certifications, and references.
7. **Line up references.** Altoona weighed past performance as significantly more important than price and asked for up to 10 references from the last three years. Broker, health plan, and facility contracts can count if they involve wheelchair van work of similar scope. Ask each reference to send VA's questionnaire straight to the contracting officer before the deadline.
8. **Price from the wage determination and the work statement.** Include every line item, and acknowledge every amendment.
9. **Get ready for award.** Expect fingerprinting and badges, VetRide training, a business associate agreement if VA requires one, and VA's yearly training.
10. **Perform and document.** Both the Spokane and Altoona solicitations say VA rates performance in the federal CPARS system on contracts over $250,000, and those ratings follow you to the next bid.

For other federal, state, and county bids, see government NEMT contracts.

## Other ways into VA rides

A prime contract is not the only door.

- **Subcontracting.** The Spokane solicitation lets the prime use a subcontractor that meets every requirement, paid by the prime at their agreed rate. A local company can cover a far corner of a large region.
- **Highly rural grants.** VA gives Highly Rural Transportation Grants to veterans service organizations and state veterans service agencies for counties with fewer than seven people per square mile ([38 CFR 17.701 and 17.702](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-17.702)). The rides are free to veterans, and grantees may pay a subrecipient to do the work. VA's list of ride providers in these counties (June 17, 2026) includes local transit agencies.
- **VA's own vans.** VA's Veterans Transportation Service runs its own door-to-door rides for enrolled veterans ([38 CFR 70.70 to 70.73](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/section-70.73)). When it cannot carry everyone, the facility must help each veteran it turns away find another way to get there.

A veteran may also have Medicaid, a Medicare Advantage plan, or the means to pay. VA pays only for travel to VA care or VA-approved care, so other rides go to those payers. See [who pays for NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/who-pays-for-nemt/) and [private pay NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/private-pay-nemt/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can VA pay my company for a wheelchair van ride without a contract?

VA may pay the company that provided the ride directly (38 CFR 70.32(b)), but the ride must be approved in advance unless it was an emergency (38 CFR 70.4(d)). In its February 16, 2023 rule, VA said over 99 percent of its non-ambulance special mode rides, such as wheelchair and stretcher van trips, are paid under a contract. Treat a contract as the way into this work.

### Do I have to be veteran-owned to win VA transportation contracts?

No. VA must first consider certified service-disabled veteran-owned and veteran-owned small businesses, then other small business programs, then all small businesses (38 U.S.C. 8127 and VAAR 819.7005). If too few qualified veteran-owned firms bid, the work moves to the next group. In 2026, VA awarded wheelchair van contracts for the Baltimore and Philadelphia medical centers under service-disabled veteran-owned set-asides, while other VA transportation solicitations were open to all small businesses or had no set-aside at all.

### What NAICS code do VA wheelchair van contracts use?

Most of VA's 2026 wheelchair van and special mode solicitations list NAICS 485991, Special Needs Transportation. SBA's size standard for that code is $19.0 million in average annual receipts, as of September 2026 (13 CFR 121.201). VA notices that combine ambulance and wheelchair van rides, such as a 2026 notice for the Wilmington, Delaware VA medical center, used NAICS 621910, Ambulance Services, with a $22.5 million size standard. Add both codes to your SAM.gov profile if you run both kinds of vehicles.

### Can I bill the veteran, Medicare, or Medicaid for a VA contract ride?

No. The Spokane VA solicitation posted September 1, 2026 is typical: VA's payment ends the veteran's liability for the ride, and the contractor may not bill the veteran, Medicare, Medicaid, or any other insurer. VA pays only for travel to VA care or VA-approved care in the community. A veteran going to a Medicaid-covered visit outside the VA uses Medicaid rides instead.

### How fast does VA pay a transportation contractor?

Unless the contract sets its own date, a federal agency's payment is generally due 30 days after it receives a proper invoice (5 CFR 1315.4), and late payments earn interest. VA confirms that each veteran attended the appointment before it pays a special mode invoice, and reviews invoices to confirm each ride was authorized (VHA Directive 1601B.05), so errors or missing trip records delay payment.

### Can I work as a subcontractor on a VA transportation contract?

Often, yes. The 2026 Spokane solicitation lets the prime contractor use a subcontractor that meets every contract requirement, paid by the prime at their agreed rate. On contracts set aside for veteran-owned businesses, and on small business set-asides above the $350,000 simplified acquisition threshold (as of September 2026), the prime may not pay more than 50 percent of the service amount to firms that are not similarly situated (13 CFR 125.6), which limits how much it can hand you.

## Official resources

- [SAM.gov: Register your business and get a Unique Entity ID](https://sam.gov/entity-registration)
- [SAM.gov: Search contract opportunities](https://sam.gov/search/?index=opp)
- [SBA: Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert)](https://www.sba.gov/veterans/)
- [VA VetBiz: Your VA contracting roadmap](https://vetbiz.va.gov/dbva/)
- [VA VetBiz: Small Business Liaisons](https://vetbiz.va.gov/resources/services-sbl/)
- [VA: Special mode transportation and travel pay](https://www.va.gov/health-care/file-travel-pay-reimbursement/)
- [eCFR: 38 CFR part 70, Veterans Transportation Programs](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-38/chapter-I/part-70)
- [USAspending.gov: Search past VA awards](https://www.usaspending.gov/search)