Client: McKesson Specialty Distribution LLC
Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Contract: CDC Centralized Vaccine Distribution Program
RFP: 75D301-23-R-72522
Award: Contract No. 75D30123C17978
Value: Up to $8.1 Billion over 5 years
Award Year: 2024
Opportunity
In 2023, the CDC released a high-stakes RFP to manage the nationwide distribution of child vaccines under the Vaccines for Children (VFC) and Section 317 programs. The scope included:
- Annual distribution of ~75 million vaccine doses
- Cold chain management (non-refrigerated to ultra-cold)
- Deliveries to ~40,000 public health providers across the U.S. and territories
This contract was one of the most complex and competitive federal healthcare logistics awards of the year.
Challenge
McKesson needed a highly compliant, operationally sound, and visually compelling proposal that could:
- Demonstrate readiness for large-scale, temperature-sensitive logistics
- Present a seamless transition and staffing strategy
- Compete successfully against incumbents and major logistics players
- Meet all technical, compliance, and visual presentation requirements under tight deadlines
OCI’s Role
OCI provided comprehensive, full-lifecycle proposal support, led by a Master Proposal Manager/Writer who worked closely with internal McKesson SMEs and external consultants.
Key roles and contributions included:
- Master Proposal Manager/Writer:
- Led the team and schedule
- Crafted and rewrote technical content
- Managed proposal completeness and submission readiness
- Dedicated Graphic Designer / Desktop Publisher:
- Developed original, professional proposal templates
- Created all graphics, charts, and visual aids
- Assembled the final deliverable to CDC specifications
- Strategic Advisory:
- Designed contract organizational structure
- Built management and staffing models
- Provided insight on strengthening technical responses
The collaboration between OCI and McKesson’s internal SMEs was smooth, productive, and highly collegial—enabling the proposal team to maintain high momentum and quality under pressure.
Results
McKesson was awarded the contract, valued at up to $8.1 billion over 5 years (Contract No. 75D30123C17978), in February 2024.
CDC reviewers highlighted:
- Strong technical approach
- Clear management structure
- High-impact visual presentation
- Complete, compliant, and well-organized response
Takeaway for Clients
This win underscores the power of OCI’s integrated proposal support model:
- Expert Leadership – From kickoff through submission
- Strategic Messaging – Aligned to both technical and evaluation criteria
- Professional Design – With a dedicated Graphic Designer / DTP expert
- Seamless Collaboration – With client SMEs and partner consultant