6550--NOI SS: Cepheid GeneXpert Infinity 80-80 Sys. Reagents/Lease

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Veterans Integrated Service Network 16 has published a Special Notice announcing its intent to issue a sole source contract for GeneXpert Infinity 80-80 System Reagents and Lease services. The procurement will be awarded to Cepheid, located in Sunnyvale, California, to support operations at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas. This is a Firm-Fixed Price contract with a one-year base period plus four option years. The procurement falls under NAICS code 325413 (In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing) with a small business size standard of 1,250 employees. The VA is utilizing sole source acquisition procedures under FAR 13.5 for commercial items, citing that only one reputable source can meet their proprietary requirements.

The purpose of this Special Notice is to inform the marketplace of the VA's intention to restrict competition for diagnostic test kits and collection devices, including tests for conditions such as MRSA, Tuberculosis, Norovirus, Ebola, CT/NG, and COVID-19/Flu/RSV. Interested vendors have until October 15, 2025 at 1:00 pm Central Time to respond if they believe they can provide equivalent services. Contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and potentially the SBA VetCerts Registry, and must submit detailed information about their business size, socio-economic status, and technical capabilities. The VA emphasizes this is not a competitive solicitation and retains sole discretion on whether to consider alternative sources. Vendors must provide compelling evidence of their ability to meet the VA's specific diagnostic testing requirements and demonstrate they can match the proprietary specifications of the GeneXpert system.