Sources Sought Description 36C25626Q0340.pdf

1. Title: Replacement Cataract Instrument Sets, (Sources Sought # 36C25626Q0340)

2. Purpose:

a) The Network Contracting Office (NCO) 16 located at 5075 Westheimer Road, Galleria Financial Center, Suite 750, Houston, Texas, hereby issues the following Sources Sought/ Request for Information (RFI) with the intent of determining the contractor interest, capabilities, qualifications of potential businesses, nonmanufacturer rule compliance, Buy American Act compliance, Trade Agreement compliance and estimated industry pricing information for market research and estimated budgetary purpose for Replacement Cataract Instrument Sets, Shreveport, LA., 71101.

b) Government requests that interested offerors complete all questions below, provide required documentation, descriptive literature and authorization letter as described below. The Government is in no way obligated to do business with or to enter into any form of contract with any person, firm or other entity that receives or responds to this announcement.

3. Objective: To find qualified and certified contractors with the capability to provide the following:

The Ophthalmology surgical team at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center (OBVAMC) in Shreveport, LA is seeking Replacement Cataract Instrument Sets.

4. Place of Delivery:

Overton Brooks VA Medical Center Warehouse – Building 1 510 E. Stoner Ave Shreveport, LA 71101

5. Period of Performance:

30 Days ARO.

6. Responses Requested: The Overton Brooks VA Medical Center (OBVAMC) requires all the following information and questions answered in this RFI/SS: Questions and information that is not provided shall be considered nonresponsive to the Request for Information and contractor shall not be considered as part of the market research.

a) Contractors shall provide their point(s) of contact name, address, telephone number, and email address, and the company's business size, and SAM Unique Entity Identification Number.

b) Is your company a small business, SDBs, HUBZone, or 8A concern? Please provide proof of qualifications.

c) Does your company meet all required four prong factors for the Nonmanufacturer Rule (NMR) per guidance of SBA and 13 C.F.R. § 121.406? Offer must answer all questions below.

1) Does your company exceed the 500-employee alternative size standard for nonmanufacturers?

2) Is your company primarily engaged in the retail or wholesale trade and normally sells the type of products being supplied?

3) Does your company must take ownership or possession of the item(s) with its personnel, equipment, or facilities in a manner consistent with industry practice?

4) Does your company supply the end products of a small business manufacturer or processor made in the United States?

5) Is your company considered small under the NAICS code 339112.

6) Do you (offer) manufacture the product yourself or a distributor of the items being researched above?

7) Are you an authorized distributor/reseller/Servicer? Provide evidence from original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

8) Do you (offer) supply a product manufactured by another domestic small business, if it is a nonmanufacturer?

9) Do you (offer) supply the product of any sized manufacturer if SBA has granted a waiver to the nonmanufacturer rule?

10) Is your (offer) Buy American Certificate completed in SAM? Please provide evidence with response.

11) Is your (offer) Trade Agreement Certificate completed in SAM? Please provide evidence with response.

12) Information for the name brand or equal product being requested, is it manufactured outside the US-Domestic non-available?

13) Information for the name brand or equal product being requested, is it a foreign manufactured end product under the trade agreement?

14) What is your schedule of delivery after receipt of order for the name brand or equal product?

15) For the name brand or equal product required, is your company available under any;

Government Wide Agency Contract (GWAC) General Services Administration Schedules (GSA) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA)

If so, please list the contract number for name brand or equal product.

Please plainly mark any non-contract items as “Open Market”.

16) Provide descriptive literature demonstrating ability to meet all of the requirement/salient characteristics listed if other than brand name product is being offered. Please provide list of contracts for commercial, federal, state, and local governments. Listed contracts shall provide communication on the government requirement illustrating the capability for comparison to the name brand or equal product meeting the specific requirements stated herein (see descriptions and quantities at the end of this document.

17) Is your company able to provide all items and quantities on an all-or-none basis?

18) Contractors may provide an estimated industry pricing for name brand or equal product for market research and budgetary purpose.

7. Opportunity:

NCO 16 is seeking information from potential contractors on their ability to provide this requirement. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT FOR REQUEST INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. Small Business Concerns are encouraged to provide responses to this Sources Sought in order to assist the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center (OBVAMC) in determining potential levels of competition available in the industry. Contractor shall possess the capability to provide all items and quantities on an all-or-none basis.

8. Instructions and Response Guidelines:

Sources Sought responses are due by 02/02/2026 at 10:00 AM (CST) via email to tammy.demille@va.gov.

Telephone requests or inquiries will not be accepted.

Public Information will not be provided and shall be utilized to the full extent possible.

This is a New Requirement.

The subject line for responses shall read: 36C25626Q0340 - Sources Sought – Replacement Cataract Instruments Sets, Shreveport, LA, 71101. NO SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME. There is no page limitation on subparagraphs 6(a) - 6(c17).

Please provide the information you deem relevant in order to respond to the specific inquiries of the Sources Sought. Information provided will be used solely by OBVAMC as "market research" and will not be released outside of the OBVAMC Purchasing and Contract Team. This Sources Sought notice does not constitute a Request for Proposal

(RFP), Invitation for Bid (IFB), or Request for Quotation (RFQ), and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response to this request. All information contained in this Sources Sought is preliminary as well as subject to modification and is in no way binding on the Government.

In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on Contracting Opportunities (https://beta.sam.gov/) website or posted at GSA’s Ebuy website. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this Sources Sought, or future

RFP/RFQ.

9. Contact Information:

Contracting Specialist, Tammy DeMille Email address: tammy.demille@va.gov

10. THIS NOTICE IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTES/PROPOSALS;

however, any firm that believes it can meet the requirements may provide answers, responses and give written notification prior to the response due date and time.

Supporting evidence and responses must be furnished in enough detail to demonstrate the ability to perform the requirements.

11. Descriptive/requirement Information:

Purpose: The purpose of this procurement is to acquire ten (10) replacement cataract instrument sets for use by the Ophthalmology surgical team at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center (OBVAMC). The current Katena sets are non-conforming with Sterile Processing Service (SPS) cleaning and reprocessing standards. Replacement is necessary to ensure compliance with current SOPs, maintain surgical efficiency, and uphold patient safety standard.

Background: Ophthalmology at OBVAMC performs high-volume cataract surgeries (upwards of 15 cases per week), which are essential to restoring vision and improving quality of life for veterans. The existing cataract sets are outdated and incompatible with updated SPS reprocessing protocols. This nonconformance increases the risk of instrument contamination, delays in OR turnover, and potential procedural cancellations.

The acquisition of ten new cataract sets will allow continued high-quality surgical care, reduce risk, and ensure adherence to current sterilization protocols.

Scope of Work: The contractor shall provide:

• Ten (10) complete instruments cataract sets.

• Each set must include standard instruments for phacoemulsification procedures.

• All sets must be newly manufactured, not refurbished or reconditioned.

• Product must be delivered fully assembled and individually packaged for immediate sterilization and use.

• Instructions for use/cleaning instructions must be provided upon delivery.

Salient Characteristics:

• Instruments must be surgical-grade stainless steel and fully compatible with VA approved sterilization processes (e.g., steam autoclave, washers, etc.).

• Instruments must meet SPS standards for hinge type, crevice-free surfaces, and no sharp edges that hinder safe reprocessing.

• Handle ergonomics must support high-precision microsurgery.

• Instruments must be validated for use with modern ophthalmic surgical platforms and phaco systems.

• Should instrument trays be provided, they must be perforated, autoclavable, and sized appropriately for VA sterilization units.

Part numbers referenced below are for BOSS Instruments LTD.: