$50 Million Targeting Innovations in Veteran Health Care and Benefits

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced the 2012 Industry Innovation Competition, which identifies, tests, and evaluates promising innovations that enhance the accessibility and quality of care and services delivered to Veterans.

“VA has established a track record as an innovative organization that welcomes new ideas,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “This competition represents an important way for us to tap the significant pool of talent and expertise outside of government to improve care and services for our Nation’s Veterans, their families and survivors.”

The competition is part of the VA Innovation Initiative (VAi2), a $50 million, department-wide program that seeks the most promising innovations from employees, the private sector, non-profits, and academia to increase Veterans’ access to VA services, improve the quality of services delivered, enhance the performance of VA operations, and reduce or control the cost of delivering those services.  

This is the third Industry Innovation Competition.  As a result of the first two, which generated nearly 600 proposals from the private sector, 35 projects are currently underway as part of a broader innovation portfolio that includes 135 projects across multiple VA lines of business.

“VAi2 launches this year’s competition to solve very real challenges facing Veterans every day,” said Jonah Czerwinski, Senior Advisor to the Secretary and Director of the VAi2 program. “We are confident that industry will respond with ideas that can improve outcomes for those we are here to serve.”

The 2012 VAi2 Industry Innovation Competition seeks creative solutions in four areas of significant importance to VA.  Public and private companies, entrepreneurs, universities and non-profits are encouraged to propose new ways to:

  • Enhance Maternity Continuity of Care
  • Redesign the PTSD Treatment Experience
  • Create Mobile Applications for Benefits Information and Services
  • Prevent and Treat Pressure Ulcers

This is the third Industry Innovation Competition.  Information about investments made as a result of the 2011 and 2010 competitions is available on the VAi2 website.

Please visit FedBizOpps.gov for detailed information on the 2012 VAi2 Industry Innovation Competition.

# # #

 

 

 

###

Reporters and media outlets with questions or comments should contact the Office of Media Relations at vapublicaffairs@va.gov

Veterans with questions about their health care and benefits (including GI Bill). Questions, updates and documents can be submitted online.

Contact us online through Ask VA

Veterans can also use our chatbot to get information about VA benefits and services. The chatbot won’t connect you with a person, but it can show you where to go on VA.gov to find answers to some common questions.

Learn about our chatbot and ask a question

Subscribe today to receive these news releases in your inbox.

More from the Press Room