S02 Sources Sought 36C26025Q0735.pdf

Sources Sought Notice

*= Required Field Sources Sought Notice

SUBJECT* GeoMx DSP Analysis in support od the VA Portland Healthcare System, Portland, OR

GENERAL INFORMATION

CONTRACTING OFFICE’S ZIP CODE* 98661

SOLICITATION NUMBER* 36C26025Q0735

RESPONSE DATE/TIME/ZONE 07-23-2025 3PM MOUNTAIN TIME, DENVER,

USA

ARCHIVE 15 DAYS AFTER THE RESPONSE DATE

RECOVERY ACT FUNDS N

SET-ASIDE

PRODUCT SERVICE CODE* Q301

NAICS CODE* 541380

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS Department of Veterans Affairs

Network Contracting Office 20 (V4CONT)

1601 E. Fourth Plain Boulevard

Building 17, Suite B428

Vancouver WA 98661

POINT OF CONTACT*

Contracting Officer

Jennifer Robles jennifer.robles1@va.gov

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

ADDRESS Department of Veterans Affairs

VA Portland Healthcare System

3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Rd.

Portland OR

POSTAL CODE 97239-2964

COUNTRY United States

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AGENCY’S URL

URL DESCRIPTION

AGENCY CONTACT’S EMAIL ADDRESS jennifer.robles1@va.gov

EMAIL DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a solicitation for bids, proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a potential requirement. The responses received from interested contractors will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method.

The intended contract is a firm-fixed price.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Network Contracting Office (NCO) 20, is conducting market research to identify potential sources which can provide the following in support of the Veterans Health Administration, VA Portland Healthcare System, 1601 E. Fourth Plain Boulevard, Vancouver, WA 98661.

The VA Portland Healthcare System has a need for a one-year contract for turn-key GeoMx DSP analysis of up to 120 FFPE slides supplied by VA Portland. The service includes slide pre-inspection, de-paraffinization, antibody hybridization with the Neuro-Inflammation panels, UV-directed tag collection, nCounter read-out, raw-data processing, and secure transfer of digital count matrices and QC reports.

Please read requirement information in full.

Potential candidates having the capabilities necessary to provide the stated services at a fair and reasonable price are invited to respond to this Sources Sought Notice via e-mail to Jennifer Robles at jennifer.robles1@va.gov no later than July 23, 2025, 3PM, Mountain Time. No telephone inquiries will be accepted.

RESPONSES SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: Company name, address, SAM UEI, and business size; point of contact name, phone number, and e-mail address; whether services are presently offered on a current GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract, NASA SEWP, or any other Federal contract. NAICS Code 541380, $19 Million, is applicable to determine business size standard. There is no SBA Non-manufacturer waiver for this NAICS code. Any questions or concerns may also be directed via email to Jennifer Robles at jennifer.robles1@va.gov. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted.

REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:

Background:

The VA is investigating whether exposure to Agent Orange accelerates Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Archived gastrointestinal biopsies collected decades before motor symptoms emerge provide a unique resource. GeoMx DSP allows simultaneous spatial measurement of PD-related proteins (α-synuclein, amyloid-β, tau) and inflammatory markers in FFPE sections, facilitating early biomarker discovery.

Scope:

The contractor will provide turn-key GeoMx DSP analysis of up to 120 FFPE slides supplied by VA Portland. The service includes slide pre-inspection, de-paraffinization, antibody hybridization with the Neuro-Inflammation panels, UV-directed tag collection, nCounter read-out, raw-data processing, and secure transfer of digital count matrices and QC reports.

Qualifications:

Prospective vendors must meet the following qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience using neurodegeneration panels on GI FFPE tissue.

• Vendors must have experience using neurodegeneration panels on GI FFPE tissue.

• Certified provider of GeoMx services.

mailto:jennifer.robles1@va.gov

• Due to research continuity, continued research must be done using a GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler and same protocols used for prior testing for the research project

• Laboratory must be local to current storage location (zip code 97239) to ensure correct temperature (4 degrees Celsius) and light conditions

Specific Tasks:

Party Task Deliverable

Contractor 1. Receive and log specimens.

Receipt confirmation; run log

2. Perform GeoMx DSP run with neurodegeneration + inflammation antibody panels.

Run log

3. Generate run QC metrics. Run QC metrics

4. Map digital counts to regions of interest and export .RCC + .csv files.

Data files (.RCC + .csv)

5. Transfer data via VA-approved SFTP within 6 weeks of sample receipt.

Data transferred

6. Dispose of excess material under VA biohazard policy. Certificate of destruction

VA Portland Research

7. Provide de-identified slides and sample manifest.

De-identified slides and manifest

8. Review QC and analytical reports.

QC and analytical reports reviewed

9. Verify invoice and release payment.

Approved deliverables;

payment

Performance Monitoring PI will review contractor’s QC scores (binding efficiency ≥ 0.8, negative-control counts < 100) and data-delivery timeline (≤ 45 calendar days).

Security Requirements Slides are fully de-identified; no PHI/PII leaves VA custody. Contractor staff will access VA facilities only to collect specimens and will be escorted at all times. No background investigation is required.

Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE)/Government-Furnished Information (GFI) VA provides labeled FFPE slides and accompanying de-identified manifest.

Risk Control Slides shipped in secondary leak-proof containers; downstream processing performed in the contractor’s BSL-2 lab under standard PPE. Waste disposed per established biosafety guidelines.

Place of Performance Contractor’s Laboratory Facilities

Period of Performance Base: On or about 01 September 2025 – 31 August 2026.

Delivery Schedule Interim QC report within 30 days; final data package within 45 days of last sample receipt.

Required Salient Characteristics of the GeoMx DSP Lab Service:

1. High-Plex Multiplexing in FFPE Tissue Capable of simultaneously profiling up to 96 proteins or 1,800 RNA targets in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue, including archived gastrointestinal samples.

2. Spatial Resolution with UV Photocleavage Antibodies or RNA probes are conjugated to photocleavable oligonucleotide tags, which are released by precise UV exposure from selected regions of interest (ROIs), maintaining tissue context.

3. Automated Quantification and Mapping Released tags are quantified using NanoString’s nCounter system, and counts are digitally mapped back to specific tissue regions, producing spatially resolved expression data.

4. Neurodegeneration and Inflammation Panel Availability Access to validated panels for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s (e.g., amyloid, tau, α-synuclein), and immune cell markers (e.g., CD3, CD20), which are not commercially available for custom order through most service providers.

5. CLIA-Certified and Institutional Affiliation The lab service provider is a CLIA-certified clinical lab located within an academic institute, allowing compliant specimen handling and streamlined collaboration.

6. Secure Chain-of-Custody Onsite or regional handling avoids long-distance transport and enables secure transfer of data and biospecimens, in accordance with VA policy.

7. Experience with VA Projects and Neurodegenerative Disease Research Prior experience analyzing neurodegenerative biomarkers in Veteran-derived samples using DSP, ensuring relevance and reliability for Parkinson’s disease detection.

8. Turnkey Service Delivery Includes slide QC, deparaffinization, panel hybridization, UV cleavage, data acquisition, bioinformatics preprocessing, and digital delivery within 30–45 days.

9. Comparability to Published Studies GeoMx DSP data produced by the lab service provider has been used in peer-reviewed studies, demonstrating technical reproducibility and publication-quality results. Using the same laboratory ensures continuity with existing validated datasets and compatibility with prior methods.

10. Exclusive Access and Industry-Validated Quality The lab service provider is a NanoString-designated Center of Excellence with exclusive access to proprietary technologies and early-release protocols. Their GeoMx DSP services are used not only in academic research but are also trusted by biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as outside academic institutions, for clinical and translational research. This broad external adoption ensures that the lab adheres to the highest standards for data reproducibility, assay robustness, and regulatory compliance.

Disclaimer and Important Notes: This Sources Sought Notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. The Government will treat any information received as proprietary and will not share such information with other companies. Any organization responding to this Sources Sought Notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. The Government may or may not issue a solicitation as a result of this announcement. There is no solicitation available at this time.