6550--NEW - STX Core Lab QC Consumables

Solicitation 36C25726Q0381 Opportunity Description (Combined Synopsis/Solicitation)

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COMBINED SYNOPSIS / SOLICITATION

OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Department of Veterans Affairs VISN 17 Network Contracting Office (NCO 17)

Field

Value

Notice Type

Combined Synopsis / Solicitation (FAR Subpart 5.2; FAR 12.603)

Solicitation Number

36C25726Q0381

Title

In-Vitro Diagnostic Quality Control Reagents, Consumables, and Associated QC Data-Management Software STVHCS Core Laboratory

Contracting Office

Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 17 Network Contracting Office (NCO 17), 5441 Babcock Rd., Ste. 302, San Antonio, TX 78240

Requiring Activity

South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service

Place of Performance

Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital, San Antonio, TX 78229; Kerrville VA Medical Center, Kerrville, TX 78028

NAICS Code

325413 In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (Size Standard: 1,250 employees)

Product Service Code (PSC)

6550 In-Vitro Diagnostic Substances, Reagents, Test Kits, and Sets

Procurement Vehicle

Open Market Full and Open Competition (no GSA Schedule, BPA, or other contract vehicle)

Set-Aside

None Unrestricted; SDVOSB / VOSB participation evaluated as a non-price factor under VAAR 815.304-71

Contract Type

Single-Award Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) with Firm-Fixed-Price delivery orders (FAR 16.504; FAR 16.202)

Ordering Period

Base ordering period of twelve (12) months plus four (4) twelve-month option periods (5 years total, not to exceed FAR 17.204(e))

Estimated Maximum Ceiling

$1,310,704.58 (inclusive of base and all option periods)

Acquisition Authority

FAR Part 12 (Commercial Products and Services); FAR Part 13 / FAR Part 15 as applicable; FAR 11.104 and FAR 52.211-6 (Brand Name or Equal); VAAR Parts 811, 815, and 819

Response Date / Time

Friday, May 8, 2026, 10:00 AM Central Time (CT)

Response Method

Email submission to the Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist identified below; subject line: "RFQ 36C25726Q0381 Quotation [Offeror Name]"

Questions Due

Friday, May 1, 2026, 2:00 PM Central Time (CT) written questions only, via email

Anticipated Award Date

On or about Monday, June 1, 2026 (subject to availability of funds)

FOB / Delivery

FOB Destination, both sites; next-business-day delivery from receipt of order

Primary Point of Contact

Ognian D. Ivanov, Contract Specialist ognian.ivanov@va.gov

1. Notice and Acquisition Authority

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued.

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of FAR Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services), in conjunction with the simplified procedures of FAR Part 13 and the negotiated procedures of FAR Part 15 as applicable. The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 325413, In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing, with a small business size standard of 1,250 employees. The associated Product Service Code (PSC) is 6550.

This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through the most recent Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) and VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) supplement in effect on the date of this notice.

2. Description of the Requirement

The Department of Veterans Affairs, South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service, has a recurring requirement for in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) quality-control (QC) reagents and consumables, and for the renewal of the associated QC data-management software, in support of the Core Laboratory at the Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital (San Antonio, TX) and the Kerrville VA Medical Center (Kerrville, TX). The QC materials and software directly support patient testing performed under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) on the installed Beckman Coulter AU 5800 (clinical chemistry), Beckman Coulter DxI 800 (immunoassay), and Tosoh HbA1c analyzer fleet.

The Government intends to award a single-award Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract under FAR 16.504, against which Firm-Fixed-Price delivery orders will be issued. The contract will include a base ordering period of twelve (12) months and four (4) twelve-month option periods, for a total ordering time not to exceed five (5) years (FAR 17.204(e)). The maximum contract ceiling is $1,310,704.58 inclusive of the base and all option periods. A guaranteed minimum obligation will be stated in Section B of the solicitation and satisfied via an initial delivery order issued upon award.

3. Brand Name or Equal FAR 11.104 / FAR 52.211-6

This acquisition is solicited on a Brand Name or Equal basis pursuant to FAR 11.104 and includes provision FAR 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal (AUG 1999). The brand name referenced is Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. The Brand Name or Equal Justification supporting this acquisition is posted with this notice as Attachment 3.

Offerors may quote the referenced Bio-Rad brand-name products listed below, or may quote an "equal" product that meets each of the salient physical, functional, and performance characteristics set forth in Attachment 2 Salient Characteristics. Offerors quoting an "equal" product shall complete and submit the Compliance Matrix at Attachment 5 with their quotation, together with the substantiating documentation identified in Part VII of Attachment 2 (FDA 510(k) clearance, Instructions for Use, commutability data, VA TRM listing and Section 508 / VPAT documentation for software, and a delivery / lead-time statement).

Brand-name products referenced (in the alternative):

Brand-Name Reference (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.)

SOW Item(s)

Multiqual Levels 1 / 2 / 3 (tri-level clinical chemistry QC)

Items 1 3

Liquichek Immunoassay Plus Levels 1 / 2 / 3

Items 4 6

Liquichek Ethanol / Ammonia Control Levels 1 / 2 / 3

Items 7 9

Liquichek Cardiac Marker Plus LT Levels 1 / 2 / 3

Items 10 12

Liquichek Diabetes Control (HbA1c) Levels 1 / 2 / 3

Items 13 15

Liquichek Urine Chemistry Levels 1 / 2

Items 16 17

Liquichek Immunology Levels 1 / 2 / 3

Items 18 20

Liquichek Spinal Fluid Levels 1 / 2

Items 21 22

Liquichek Urine Toxicology Screen S1E / S2E (Low Opiate)

Items 23 24

Liquichek Cardiac Markers Plus LT Level 1B

Item 25

Liquichek Specialty Immunoassay Plus Levels 1 / 2 / 3

Items 26 28

Unity Real Time QC Data-Management Software (12-month subscription)

Item 29

4. Procurement Vehicle, Set-Aside Status, and Veteran Small Business Participation

This requirement is being acquired on the Open Market under full and open competition. The Government is not soliciting against the General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule, the VA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS), a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA), a Government-wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), or any other pre-existing contract vehicle. Quotations from any responsible source, including non-Schedule holders, are solicited and will be evaluated on an equal basis.

Following review of the market research consolidated in Attachment 1A (Market Research Report) and consistent with the "Rule of Two" analysis under VAAR 819.7005 and 38 U.S.C. § 8127, this acquisition is issued on an unrestricted basis. The Contracting Officer determined that two or more verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) or Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) capable of performing at fair and reasonable prices were not identified for the consolidated multi-analyzer / multi-platform requirement at the maximum ceiling stated above.

Notwithstanding the unrestricted status of this acquisition, SDVOSB and VOSB participation will be evaluated as a non-price factor under Section M of the solicitation, consistent with VAAR 815.304-71. Offerors that are themselves verified SDVOSBs or VOSBs (per SBA VetCert), or that propose meaningful subcontracting roles for verified SDVOSBs or VOSBs, will receive evaluation credit as set forth in the solicitation.

5. Ordering Period, Delivery, and Place of Performance

The base ordering period and each option period will be twelve (12) months in duration. Delivery orders will be issued on an as-needed basis throughout each ordering period. Routine deliveries shall be made next-business-day, FOB Destination, to the following sites:

Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital, 7400 Merton Minter Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78229 Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service (Core Laboratory).

Kerrville VA Medical Center, 3600 Memorial Blvd., Kerrville, TX 78028 Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service.

The contractor shall sequester QC lots so that lot numbers remain constant throughout each 12-month ordering period (consistent with CLIA lot-to-lot validation practice under 42 C.F.R. § 493.1253(b)(3)) and shall provide a 24-hour emergency replacement capability at no additional cost to the Government for defective shipments or routine delivery failures, with replacement quantity sufficient to support a minimum of one (1) week of normal Government test-load volume.

6. Submission Instructions

Quotations are due not later than Friday, May 8, 2026, 10:00 AM Central Time (CT). Late quotations will be handled in accordance with FAR 52.212-1(f). Quotations shall be submitted by email to the Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist identified in this notice, with the subject line "RFQ 36C25726Q0381 Quotation [Offeror Name]". Email transmissions are limited to 10 MB per message; offerors may split submissions across multiple emails as needed. Hand-carried, facsimile, and postal submissions will not be accepted unless specifically authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer prior to the response deadline.

Quotations shall be organized into the volumes and tabs identified in Section L of the solicitation, including (at a minimum):

Volume I Technical Quotation: SF 1449 cover; Compliance Matrix (Attachment 5) for "equal" offers; manufacturer documentation (510(k), IFU, commutability data); software documentation (VA TRM listing or compliance, VPAT / Section 508); delivery / lot-sequestration / emergency-replacement plan; SDVOSB / VOSB participation documentation.

Volume II Past Performance: up to three (3) relevant references from the past three (3) years, using Attachment 7 (PPQ).

Volume III Price Quotation: completed Pricing Schedule (Attachment 4, Excel) covering the Base ordering period and Option Periods 1 4; Total Evaluated Price (TEP) computed in accordance with Section M.

Offerors shall be registered and active in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) at the time of quotation submission and through award (FAR 52.204-7).

7. Questions and Communications

Written questions concerning this solicitation shall be submitted by email to the Contract Specialist not later than Monday, May 4, 2026, 10:00 AM Central Time (CT). Questions received after that date and time may not be answered. The Government will consolidate questions and post written responses, together with any resulting amendments, as an amendment to this notice on SAM.gov. Offerors are responsible for monitoring SAM.gov for amendments.

All communications regarding this solicitation shall be in writing and directed exclusively to the Contracting Officer / Contract Specialist identified above. Communications with end users, the requiring activity, or other VA personnel concerning this solicitation are not permitted and will not bind the Government.

8. Basis for Award

Award will be made to the responsible offeror whose quotation conforms to the requirements of this solicitation and is determined to represent the best value to the Government using a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source-selection process under FAR 15.101-2, evaluating, in the order set forth in Section M:

Factor 1 Technical Acceptability (acceptable / unacceptable): conformance to every salient characteristic in Attachment 2; for "equal" offers, sufficiency of substantiating documentation.

Factor 2 Past Performance (acceptable / unacceptable / unknown-confidence per FAR 15.305(a)(2)(iv)).

Factor 3 SDVOSB / VOSB Participation (full credit / partial credit / no credit per VAAR 815.304-71).

Price Total Evaluated Price (TEP) summed across the Base ordering period and Option Periods 1 4, evaluated for fairness and reasonableness under FAR 15.404-1(b).

The Government intends to award without discussions (FAR 52.212-1(g)); however, the Contracting Officer reserves the right to conduct exchanges or request clarifications consistent with FAR 15.306. The Government reserves the right to make no award if doing so is in the best interest of the Government.

9. Provisions and Clauses

The full list of FAR and VAAR provisions and clauses incorporated by reference and in full text is provided at Attachment 6. Provisions and clauses include, but are not limited to:

FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial Products and Commercial Services, with addenda in Section L.

FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation Commercial Products and Commercial Services (tailored see Section M).

FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Products and Commercial Services (offerors complete in SAM.gov).

FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Products and Commercial Services, with addenda.

FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders Commercial Products and Commercial Services.

FAR 52.211-6, Brand Name or Equal (AUG 1999).

FAR 52.216-18, -19, -20, -21, and -22 (IDIQ ordering procedures, minimum / maximum, and ordering clauses).

FAR 52.217-8 and 52.217-9 (Option to Extend Services / Option to Extend the Term of the Contract).

FAR 52.204-7 (SAM Registration), 52.204-13 (SAM Maintenance), 52.204-16 (Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting), and 52.204-24/-25 (Section 889 prohibitions).

VAAR 852.203-70, 852.211-70, 852.212-70, 852.212-71, 852.215-70, 852.215-71, 852.232-72, 852.247-71, and other VAAR clauses identified at Attachment 6.

10. Attachments to This Notice

No.

Title

Status

1

Statement of Work (SOW)

Posted with this notice

2

Salient Characteristics

Posted with this notice

3

Brand Name or Equal Justification (FAR 11.104(b))

Posted with this notice

4

Pricing Schedule (Excel)

Posted with this notice offeror-fillable

5

Salient Characteristics Compliance Matrix

Posted with this notice offeror-fillable (required only for "equal" offers)

6

FAR / VAAR Clauses and Provisions Incorporated by Reference

Posted with this notice

7

Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ)

Posted with this notice offeror-distributed

8

VPAT / Section 508 Conformance Template

Posted with this notice required for "equal" software offers

11. Important Notices

Compliance with Trade Agreements. Offerors are advised that this acquisition is subject to the Trade Agreements Act (FAR Subpart 25.4) as implemented by FAR 52.225-5 and 52.225-6. Only U.S.-made or designated-country end products will be accepted absent a valid waiver.

Buy American Act. End products are evaluated for compliance with the Buy American Act (41 U.S.C. chapter 83) as supplemented for COTS items.

Section 889 (Prohibition on Covered Telecommunications Equipment). Offerors must represent compliance with Section 889(a)(1)(A) and (B) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 in SAM.gov and via FAR 52.204-26.

VA Information Security and Section 508. Any QC data-management software offered as "equal" to Bio-Rad Unity Real Time shall be supported by VA Technical Reference Model (TRM) listing or compliance documentation and a Section 508 / VPAT conformance statement (Attachment 8) at or before award.

CLIA Compliance. QC materials and software acquired under this contract will be used in support of CLIA-regulated patient testing. Offerors are advised that all materials and software must support compliance with 42 C.F.R. § 493.1253 (method establishment / verification) and 42 C.F.R. § 493.1256 (quality control).

No Reimbursement of Proposal Preparation Costs. The Government will not reimburse offerors for any costs incurred in preparing or submitting quotations in response to this notice (FAR 15.202(e), as applicable to commercial-item RFQs).

12. Primary Point of Contact

Ognian D. Ivanov, Contract Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs

VISN 17 Network Contracting Office (NCO 17)

5441 Babcock Rd., Ste. 302, San Antonio, TX 78240

Email: ognian.ivanov@va.gov

All communications shall reference Solicitation No. 36C25726Q0381.

End of Opportunity Description