36C26226Q0362 Sources Sought Notice.docx

SUBJECT*

GeneXpert XVI Preventative Maintenance Services

GENERAL INFORMATION

SET-ASIDE

Department of Veterans Affairs NCO 22 - Network Contracting 3601 S. 6th Avenue Tucson AZ 85723

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contract Specialist Katharine Robert katharine.robert@va.gov

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

ADDRESS

Department of Veterans Affairs

VA Long Beach Healthcare System

5901 E 7th St

Long Beach CA

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

Sources Sought Notice Sources Sought Notice

DESCRIPTION

1. This is a Sources Sought Notice only. This Sources Sought Notice is not a request for competitive quotes and no solicitation is available. All interested parties must respond to the Sources Sought Notice announcement. Any responses received will only be considered for the purposes of determining whether to conduct a set-aside competitive procurement in lieu of a sole source contract. All interested parties must include their SAM UEI and business size status in their response. Supporting evidence must be furnished in sufficient detail to demonstrate the ability to comply with the requirement.

2. The purpose of this notice is to determine if there are interested contractors that are capable of providing preventative maintenance, corrective maintenance, and routine technical support services for VA owned Cepheid GeneXpertXVI equipment for the Long Beach VA Medical Center located at 5901 E 7th St. Long Beach, CA 90822. The Cepheid GeneXpert system is a molecular diagnostics platform designed for high-throughput testing, allowing for efficient sample extraction, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification, and detection. The Joint Commission Regulatory Compliance: Title 42 § 482.41 and EC.02.04.03 state that all medical devices must meet the OEMs recommendation for preventative and corrective maintenance, even if only the OEM can provide that support.

3. The Draft Statement of Work included in this Sources Sought Notice is not final. No inquiries will be accepted at this time. Responses must be submitted via email only to Contract Specialist: Katharine Robert at katharine.robert@va.gov no later than 11:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, February 18, 2026.

4. If there are no interested parties capable of providing the required services, the Government intends to issue a Sole Source, Firm-Fixed Price Award to the OEM, Cepheid.

DRAFT Statement of Work I. Scope: The services to be provided by the contractor under this agreement shall consist of furnishing all necessary parts, labor, transportation, and access required to provide preventative and corrective maintenance support under the terms and conditions of a full service contract. All services shall cover the following VA Long Beach owned equipment: Cepheid GeneXpertXVI (EE: 171457, SN: 120002664)

II. Anticipated Period of Performance: 4/1/2026 - 3/31/2027, 1 year.

III. Hours of Coverage:

a. Normal hours of coverage will be Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 5pm PST.

b. All service/repairs will be performed during stipulated hours of coverage unless requested or approved by Biomedical Engineering.

c. Federal Holidays observed by the VAMC are:

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· New Year’s Day

· Martin Luther King Day

· President's Day

· Memorial Day

· Juneteenth

· Independence Day

· Labor Day

· Columbus Day

· Veterans Day

· Thanksgiving Day

· Christmas Day

IV. Services to be Provided:

a. Ongoing Support Services

· Technical Telephone Support to be provided 24/7/365.

1. Priority support for technical resolutions to be provided

· Onsite Technical Support. One annual on- site PM training and/or instrument evaluation.

b. Preventative Maintenance: Preventative Maintenance Inspections (PMIs) will be done at the manufacturer’s recommended frequency in accordance with the VA Long Beach’s maintenance schedule. Service includes one (1) PMI per year. Preventive maintenance should be negotiated, during normal hours, at least three (3) days in advance with Biomedical Engineering. A check-up of the covered products including wear and tear parts check according to manufacturer’s guidelines during system inspection and calibration. It is the sole responsibility of the contractor to perform all preventive maintenance inspections. The VA will not assume the responsibility of reminding the contractor that a preventive maintenance inspection is due to be performed. If a PM is not performed within the month specified, the amount corresponding will be deducted from the contractor’s payments. Preventive maintenance inspections will be performed on a weekday at a time set once the contract is awarded. No other parts and/or test equipment shall be provided by the VA for the performance of this contract. It is the responsibility of the Vendor to bring the appropriate equipment and/or supplies necessary to complete the work as required within.

· Loaner Equipment is to be provided

c. Corrective Maintenance:

· Repair and labor time to correct an equipment in case of malfunction with an option for expedited repair

· Minimal interruption to daily molecular testing with a 98% UpTime system guarantee and a loaner system.

· Priority support for technical resolutions

d. Software Coverage:

· Software Releases. Access to generally released Software updates for GeneXpert when available

e. Parts: The contractor will supply, at its own expense, necessary OEM manufactured parts (hardware & software), provided that replacement of the parts is required because of normal wear and tear, or outright failure or as otherwise deemed necessary by the contractor.

f. Labor: The contractor will provide all labor associated with the repair of the equipment covered under the contract agreement. Inadequate or improper repairs performed by the contractor will be correctly repaired at a time convenient to the VA at no additional expense to the VA. There will be no limitation to the number of labor hours provided within the stipulated timeframes of contract coverage.

g. Response Times: Contractor will acknowledge requests by telephone for service within 2 hours and be onsite within 4 hours.

· The contractor will always contact the Biomedical Engineering Section, (562) 826-5977 before and after arrival at the site.

h. Reporting Procedures:

· The Contractor must report to the Biomedical Engineering Department (Building 5, Room 138) to sign the visitor logbook. In addition to signing-in, the Contractor personnel shall identify him/herself to the Using Service before proceeding to the job site.

· For services to be performed outside normal working hours, the Contractor must obtain approval from the Biomedical Engineering COR prior to performing any afterhours work. If the afterhours request is approved, the Contractor must report to the Biomedical Engineering Department (Building 5, Room 138) to sign the visitor logbook and pick up a visitor badge. In addition to signing-in, the Contractor personnel shall identify him/herself to the Using Service before proceeding to the job site.

· Prior to leaving the facility, the Contractor shall communicate status of equipment to the Using Service, sign out of the logbook in the Biomedical Engineering Department, and return the visitor’s badge.

Note: To ensure proper equipment history documentation, the contractor will forward all preventive maintenance records within 5 working days of completion to Biomedical Engineering.

i. Documentation:

· For Preventive Maintenance, Contractor will provide a PM checklist to VA Long Beach Biomedical Engineering, listing each action taken to complete the maintenance.

· Contractor will provide individual results which describe services performed (in sufficient detail to be acceptable to the field inspectors of The Joint Commission). The following information must be provided in each report:

1) Date of service

2) Summary of problem and action taken

3) Parts replaced

4) Labor hours

5) Travel time

6) Equipment serviced (description, Equipment ID #, serial number, etc.)

7) Purchase order number

Note: This report must be approved and signed by Biomedical Engineering personnel or their representative. The service report must be provided to Biomedical Engineering within 5 business days of service provided. A copy of each report will be left with Biomedical Engineering. In the event that Biomedical Engineering is not available to receive the service report (outside normal working hours), the service report will be left with the supervising official of the equipment that was serviced; the supervising official will forward the service report to Biomedical Engineering (138M) the next working day.

j. Qualifications: Contractor shall be engaged full-time in the service and support of the equipment listed in Section I.

· Contractor shall have access to complete service manuals

· Contractor shall have access to software diagnostic keys

· Contractor shall, without exception, provide all hand tools, diagnostic test equipment, ladders, and anything else necessary to perform the work.

V. Contractor Badging:

1. Compliance with VA Handbook 0735 – HSPD-12 Program: To comply with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Handbook 0735, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) requirements, the Prime Contractor shall coordinate with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) regarding all site visits to the VA Long Beach Healthcare System. Badges are mandatory for all contractors and subcontractors entering the facility. The Prime Contractor is responsible for ensuring that all required information and documentation are submitted to the COR with sufficient lead time to allow for proper processing of badge requests. No contractor or subcontractor may begin work onsite without an approved badge, except under emergency conditions as outlined below.

1. Processing Time: Badge issuance may take up to 30 calendar days due to required background checks. The Prime Contractor must begin coordination with the COR immediately upon contract award to avoid repair, service, or project delays.

1. Onsite Visits for Badging: Contractors should anticipate at least two separate onsite visits:

· One visit for fingerprinting.

· One visit to pick up the issued badge.

1. Mandatory Training: All contractors and subcontractors must complete mandatory training assigned through the VA’s electronic Training Management System (TMS) before badges are issued. This training typically requires approximately two (2) hours to complete. Badge issuance and retention are contingent upon successful completion of this training.

1. Emergency Repairs Exception: In cases where an emergency repair or service is required and the contractor or subcontractor has not yet been issued a permanent VA badge; a temporary day badge may be issued by VA Police for that emergency only. The Prime Contractor must still ensure that permanent badging is pursued without delay following the emergency event.

PRICE SCHEDULE

Preventative maintenance services for Item Number: GX16A1Y. GeneXpert XVI (EE: 171457, SN: 120002664). Service agreement includes 24/7/365 telephone support, one annual on-site PM training and/or instrument evaluation, corrective maintenance, software coverage, parts, and labor.

Anticipated POP: 04/01/2026 – 03/31/2027