Responses must be received no later than March 16, 2026, at 10:00AM EST. THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE IS ISSUED SOLELY FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION. THE SUBMISSION OF PRICING, CAPABILITIES FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, AND OTHER MARKET INFORMATION IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED AND ALLOWED UNDER THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH (IAW) FAR 15.201(e). DISCLAIMER: This Sources Sought Notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this Sources Sought Notice that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. IAW FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Sources Sought Notice. SOURCES SOUGHT DESCRIPTION This is NOT a solicitation announcement. This is a sources sought notice only. The purpose of this sources sought notice is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS 334516. Responses to this sources sought notice will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After review of the responses to this sources sought notice, a solicitation announcement may be published. Responses to this sources sought notice are not considered adequate responses for a solicitation announcement. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), VISN 5 Network Contracting Office, is seeking sources that can provide Cepheid GeneXpert Testing Supplies for the VISN 5 Wide VA Medical Centers. Statement of Work Scope: The Cepheid GeneXpert performs testing by utilizing the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. This is a random-access analyzer that has capacity to perform 48 assays at any given time. It is a closed, self-contained, fully integrated and automated platform capable of producing accurate results in a timely manner with minimal risk of contamination. The PCR testing methodology is confirmatory test detection of Coronavirus (CoV-2), Influenza (Flu), Respiratory Syncytial (RSV), Streptococcus A (Strep A), Staphylococcus aureus (SA), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Norovirus, Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), Carbapenemase (Carba), Multiplex Vaginal Panel (MVP), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Trichomoniasis (TV), Hepatitis (HCV), Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB), and Rifampicin (RIF). Test Kits required: Cepheid GeneXpert consumables: GXCARBAR-10 GXCDIFF/EPI-10 GXCT/NG-10 GXMRSA-NXG-10 XPRSTREPA-10 GXHCV-10 GXMRSA/SA-BC-10 GXMRSA/SA-SSTI-10 GXMTB/RIF-US-10 GXNOV-10 GXSACOMP-10 GXTV-10 XPRS-COV2-10 XPRS4PLEX-10 XPRSMVP-10 GXMPX-10 The Vendor shall provide, in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, laws, and ordinances, and in accordance with the specifications outlined for accreditation certification if applicable, reagents/supplies/consumables/service negotiated on contract to enable VISN 5 laboratories to accurately and efficiently process microbiology identification of patient samples using the Cepheid GeneXpert PCR analyzers for a list of bacteria and viruses as required by sample submitted. The Vendor shall provide the ability to ship reagents on an As Needed basis to VISN 5 laboratories. The reagents should have the furthest expiration date possible, contractor will guarantee four months, and the VA can request the longest outdate available upon order. One lot number of products is requested per shipment. The Vendor shall provide the facilities with the most current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved reagents/supplies/consumables necessary for the microbiology testing of patient samples for the identification of bacteria and viruses. The reagents, validator, calibrators, supplies/consumables kits and service must be compatible with the Cepheid GeneXpert analyzers. The Vendor must acknowledge receipt of order within 24 hours and provided estimated shipping timeframe. The Vendor must be able to provide an emergency plan in case reagents are found to be defective and unsuitable for use at no additional cost. In the event that the any consumable, reagent, or other necessary item are found to be defective and unsuitable for use with the vendor's equipment, or they have failed to comply with the requirements for routine supply delivery, the vendor shall deliver the consumable supplies within a period of 24 hours after receipt of the verbal order for priority delivery from the facility. If either circumstance has occurred, the vendor shall deliver to the facility, in the most expeditious manner possible, without additional cost to the facility, the necessary consumables in sufficient quantity as required to allow operations of the Microbiology Laboratory equipment for one week (under normal Government test load volume) so testing is not delayed. If additional requests for emergency supply delivery is required by the Government, they shall be honored by the Contractor until the arrival at the laboratory of the monthly standing order/routine supplies delivery. The vendor shall reimburse the facility for the total reference laboratory costs/supplies related to tests sent to a referral laboratory when testing is not available through no fault of the facility due to reagent problems or any other product issues. The damage assessed shall be applied to the invoice in the form of a credit or deduction. The kits must be maintained and delivered following all Federal and State regulations as applicable. Performance Period: Base plus four (4) Option years. Base year October 1, 2026 September 30, 2027 Option Year 1 October 1, 2027 September 30, 2028 Option Year 2 October 1, 2028 September 30, 2029 Option Year 3 October 1, 2029 September 30, 2030 Option Year 4 October 1, 2030 September 30, 2031 Type of Contract: This is a firm fixed price, Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for all reagents, verification kits, Quality control material (excluding third party supplies), and consumables/accessories and shall be delivered upon the ordering facility. Place of Performance: All VISN 5 sites may order from this agreement to include the following: VA Maryland Healthcare System 10 N Greene St Baltimore, MD 21201 Beckley VA Medical Center 200 Veterans Ave Beckley WV 25801-6444 Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center 1 Medical Center Drive Clarksburg WV 26301 Hershel "Woody" Williams VA Medical Center 1540 Spring Valley Drive Huntington WV 25704 Martinsburg VA Medical Center 510 Butler Avenue Martinsburg WV 25405 Washington DC VA Medical Center 50 Irving Street, NW Washington DC 20422 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information identified above is intended to be descriptive, not restrictive and to indicate the quality of the supplies/services that will be satisfactory. It is the responsibility of the interested source to demonstrate to the government that the interested parties can provide the supplies/services that fulfill the required specifications. If you are interested and are capable of providing the sought-out supplies/services, please provide the requested information as well as the information indicated below. If you are interested and are capable of providing the sought-out supplies/services, please provide the requested information as well as the information indicated below. Response to this notice should include company name, address, point of contact, size of business pursuant to the following questions: (1) Please indicate the size status and representations of your business, such as but not limited to: Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Hubzone, Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Large Business, etc. (2) Is your company considered small under the NAICS code identified under this RFI? (3) Are you the manufacturer or distributor of the items being referenced above (or equivalent product/solution)? What is the manufacturing country of origin of these items? (4) If you are a small business and you are an authorized distributor/reseller for the items identified above (or equivalent product/solution), do you alter; assemble; modify; the items requested in any way? If you do, state how and what is altered; assembled; modified? (5) Does your company have an FSS contract with GSA or the NAC or are you a contract holder with NASA SEWP or any other federal contract? If so, please provide the contract type and number. (6) If you are an FSS GSA/NAC or NASA SEWP contract holder or other federal contract holder, are the referenced items/solutions available on your schedule/contract? (7) Please provide general pricing for your products/solutions for market research purposes. (8) Please submit your capabilities in regard to the salient characteristics being provided and any information pertaining to equal to items to establish capabilities for planning purposes? *** Submissions addressing Section (8) should show clear, compelling, and convincing*** evidence that all equal to items" meet all required salient characteristics. Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to
[email protected]. Telephone responses shall not be accepted. Responses must be received no later than March 16, 2026, at 10:00AM EST. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this request for information. Responses to this notice are not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation.