Existing FedRAMP certification is not required for Department of Veterans Affairs contractors to win bids, a top agency IT official said Tuesday in a memo obtained by FedScoop. “This distinction is intended to preserve acquisition flexibility while maintaining VA’s risk management and operational security standards,” he added later in the document. Advertisement“This memo does not waive, defer, or diminish any otherwise applicable VA security, privacy, or authorization requirements,” Schwartz wrote. “Before any cloud system/service may go into operation, it must still comply with all applicable VA policies and security authorization requirements, regardless of whether it has Fed RAMP certification at the time of procurement.” Previously, Schwartz told FedScoop that as “the largest customer for nearly all of our technology vendors,” the VA is setting new standards for contractors.