Brand Name Justification.pdf

This is a Justification for Single Source Award document filed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) under FAR 12.102, for acquisitions over the micro-purchase threshold but not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold.

The contracting activity is the VA Network Contracting Office in Vancouver, WA, supporting the VA Portland Health Care System's Veterinary Medical Unit in Portland, OR. The procurement covers research-grade animal food and bedding for the Portland VA Veterinary Medical Unit, with no funding identified for the action. The BPA spans five years from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2031, consisting of a base ordering period (2027) and four additional one-year ordering periods (2028-2031). The justification establishes that a single source award is necessary due to unique characteristics limiting availability to one source: the requirement for a specific brand-name feed that is essential to maintain consistent intestinal microbiome in laboratory animals. The feed must be irradiated, subject to strict quality control from manufacture through delivery, and cannot be substituted with equivalent products. Market research determined that one identified vendor is historically the only small business capable of supplying research-grade animal food and bedding to VA Portland and VA Puget Sound facilities, with firm-fixed pricing feasible only for up to two years. A prior sources sought notice (36C26027Q0007) yielded only one interested vendor who subsequently failed to respond to follow-up inquiries, preventing the rule of two from being met. The award was approved by Contracting Officer Jennifer Robles on August 20, 2026.