36C25023Q1189.docx

Special Notice Special Notice

GENERAL INFORMATION

Network Contracting Office 10 Battle Creek VA Medical Center 5500 Armstrong Rd.

Battle Creek MI 49037

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist Jeffrey Rozema jeffrey.rozema@va.gov

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

DESCRIPTION

INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

The Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Regional Procurement Office Central, Network Contracting Office 10, intends to enter into a sole source procurement for blood, blood products, and reference laboratory testing for the LTC Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center, 2215 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. The Department of Veterans Affairs intends to award a sole source, firm-fixed price, 5-year IDIQ contract to The American National Red Cross, 431 18th Street, Washington, DC 20006. The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 621991 – Blood and Organ Banks, and the Business Size Standard is $40.0M.

This procurement is for various blood, blood products and specialized reference laboratory testing services for the veteran patients at the LTC Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center. The products and services provided will vary based upon orders specified by the clinicians. The contractor will provide blood, blood products and specialized reference laboratory testing services on an as-needed and on-demand basis, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The contract period of performance is anticipated to be October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2028. The total estimated contract value for all five years is anticipated to be up to $4.5M. Previous procurement history and current market research show there are two potential providers of blood, blood products, and reference laboratory testing services in the service area of the LTC Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center – The American National Red Cross and Versiti Michigan, Inc. Versiti Michigan, Inc. has already communicated they are not able to currently take on any new customers. In addition, Versiti’s closest distribution center is Livonia, MI, which can add up to 90-100 minutes of travel time to the Ann Arbor VA. The current requirement is the contractor must be able to provide blood requirements within one hour of notification of need except for blood and blood products requiring specialized typing or testing. The Ann Arbor VA Blood Bank also requires that blood and blood products be re-distributed between local hospitals for credit, thereby reducing overall costs to the VA. It is the Government’s belief that The American National Red Cross is the only vendor capable of meeting all the requirements for the Ann Arbor VA.

This notice satisfies the requirement at FAR 5.201(b)(1) to publicize the proposed contract action. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals or quotes. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Interested persons may identify their interests and capability to respond to this requirement no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Sunday, September 17, 2023. Any response to this notice must show clear and convincing evidence that competition would be advantageous to the Government. Supporting evidence must be furnished in sufficient detail to demonstrate the ability to meet the subject requirement. This information shall be provided at no cost or obligation to the Government.

Interest/capability statements shall be submitted to Jeffrey Rozema, Contract Specialist, via e-mail at jeffrey.rozema@va.gov. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted.

Special Notice